The Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has told landowners in Abuja to settle outstanding payments for their Certificates of Occupancy (C-of-O) by January 3, 2025, or risk losing their land titles.
Speaking Tuesday – yesterday, December 31 – while inspecting some ongoing projects like the 10-lane 15-kilometre Apo-Wasa road, the Court of Appeal Complex in Jabi District and the Saburi – Dei Dei road in Abuja, Wike warned that there would be no more extension of deadline for payment of ground rent, Certificate of Occupancy, C of O, and Right of Occupancy, R of O, for allottees whose plots and names were recently published and asked to go and pay.
He said his administration’s main goal is not to have the lands back, but for allottees to pay so the fund can be used for the development of Abuja.
Said the Minister while briefing journalists at the end of the inspection: “Well, as far as I am concerned, these things were done before we came on board, and what the Land Department and the AGIS did was to generate from the system.
“First of all, if you have paid, it means that you would have collected your C of O. R of O is like an allocation of land where you go and pay for your C of O. So, when you don’t have the C of O, it means that you have not paid. So, I don’t want to join issues with the Speaker or whatever. But the point is that if there are people who have paid, like some people say they have paid and they have attached their receipt to show that they have paid. In such cases, yes, there’d be a remedy.
“As to whether there will be another grace, I don’t think we will do that. Like I have always said, Nigerians don’t like to comply. These allocations were done more than 10 years ago. It was not as if it was done during our own time, and you know Abuja does not have anything other than property to tax, for us to have development.
“So, we have been able to do justice by making sure that people are going to abide and comply. Our interest is not to have the lands back, our interest is for them to pay so we can use the fund for the development of the FCT. Now, we are talking about roads. How will you get the roads done without people complying and paying? So, we will not. I don’t think we will want to give another date of grace. After it expires, we will reallocate all those lands to other people who are interested.”
On whether he would be slowed down by criticisms, Wike said: “I have never complained of distractions. Nothing distracts me. I am very focused. Even if people are complaining, it is part of confidence. You don’t expect that you will superintend over the fears of people and then you satisfy everybody. People must complain, but I can tell you such complaints cannot distract us. We are very focused and since it is part of our job, we will continue to do our job. Forget about people saying demolition”.
Making projections for 2025, the Minister appealed for the residents’ cooperation in the development of Abuja, saying: “Well, we thank God Almighty for 2024 and we believe that it will be a better year for us, God willing. All we still require is the support of residents, of business owners, so that we can achieve more than what we have achieved in 2024.
“So I pray that God Almighty will continue to protect us, give us better security as we found in 2024. Everybody can see, even within this festive period, security is quite intact and we believe in 2025 we will get a better Abuja.”
