Asokoro, Maitama Property Owners Risk Forfeiture Over N3.1bn Ground Rent Debts

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has disclosed that property owners in Asokoro and Maitama districts in the Territory were owing the Administration the sum of N3,197,148,997.48, constituting 20 per cent of the total outstanding ground rent debts, saying that deliberate efforts were ongoing to compel the debtors to pay or forfeit the properties.

In a statement signed by the director of Information and Communication, FCTA and chairman of the Media and Publicity Sub-Committee, Muhammad Hazat Sule, the FCT Administration has taken bold steps toward recovering the huge debts owed it by property owners by filing cases against the violators in courts.

However, according to the statement, the cases were being prosecuted in batches beginning with the two highbrow areas of Asokoro and Maitama districts, respectively.

“Meanwhile, several cases are already pending in the courts. The administration filed the cases seeking the court to either compel the debtors to pay the debts or forfeit their property to the government.

“The government has taken this path to make it clear to titleholders in the FCT that it is no longer business as usual, because this time around, the FCT administration is ready to recover all its outstanding funds,” he said.

Sule noted that the FCT Administration had earlier placed litigation caveat on the affected properties whose cases were already in courts to tighten all loose ends and restrict transactions on such property, including illegal transfer of ownership.

“The Co-ordinating Committee on the Recovery of Outstanding Ground Rent and Other Related Charges in the FCT, therefore, appeals to the FCT Judiciary, to support the FCT Administration’s drive to recover the debts owed it by designating some Magistrates and High Courts in the FCT as special courts to handle the cases. This is to ensure speedy dispensation of justice.

“The government is determined to recover all ground rent debts owed it by property owners in Abuja, and all necessary procedures will be followed to achieve this. The government commenced the prosecution of the defaulting titleholders after several appeals from the FCT administration for them to pay their debts fell on deaf ears,” he added.

He explained that the government was in court to seek an order to compel debtors to clear their debts or forfeit the affected property, since they were recalcitrant in paying the debt despite several warnings.

“It would be recalled that the FCT permanent secretary, Mr. Adesola Olusade inaugurated a debt recovery committee with the mandate to recover the outstanding debts owed the FCT Administration with a particular interest in ground rents and other sundry fees in the land administration as well as other land related departments,” he stated.