The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has issued a warning to several high-profile individuals and organisations, threatening to revoke the Certificates of Occupancy (C-of-O) for their plots of land in Abuja if outstanding payments are not settled within two weeks......Read The Full Article>>.....Read The Full Article>>
In a notice sent to 3,273 allottees with land in the Maitama District of Abuja, the FCTA urged prompt payment of fees. The document, which was obtained on Friday, is titled, “Demand notice for payment of Right of Occupancy bills for issuance of Certificates of Occupancy on all lands allocated at Maitama II District, Cadastral Zone, A10, Abuja.”
Some of the prominent individuals listed include Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to the President; Abbas Tajudeen, Speaker of the House of Representatives; George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation; and Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, Minister of Interior. Other notable names include former Senate President Bukola Saraki, ex-House Speaker Yakubu Dogara, and former Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege.
Also on the list are former governors such as Theodore Orji (Abia), Rochas Okorocha (Imo), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Tanko Al-Makura (Nasarawa), and Gabriel Suswam (Benue), among others. Several current and former ministers, including John Eno, Minister of Sports, and Abubakar Kyari, Minister of Agriculture, were also mentioned, along with numerous serving and former lawmakers like Dino Melaye, Stella Oduah, and Ben Bruce.
Additionally, the children of former President Muhammadu Buhari, Yusuf and Zahra Buhari, were listed as plot owners.
The FCTA noted that the warning comes in the context of ongoing infrastructural development in Maitama II (A10) District. According to the notice, “All allottees who have not paid their bills for the Certificate of Occupancy (C-of-O) are hereby advised to settle their bills in full within two (2) weeks from the date of this publication. Failure to comply will lead to the withdrawal of the offers of Rights of Occupancy (R-of-O) over the said plots of land and reallocation of the lands.”
This move is seen as part of a broader effort by the FCTA to address inefficiencies in land administration, which has long been plagued by corruption, land speculation, and bureaucratic delays. In August, the administration had issued a four-month deadline for landholders to settle outstanding fees or risk losing their land titles under the Land Use Act.
Muhammad Sule, Director of Information and Communication at the FCTA, expressed concerns over the widespread failure to pay land processing fees, stressing that this has impeded the funding of crucial infrastructure projects in the capital. Ekarikpong Ukpanah, Director of the Land Administration Department, also emphasized that non-payment is not just an administrative lapse but a violation of the terms of land grants and provisions under the Land Use Act.
In a further push for accountability, the Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike, announced in November 2023 that the cost of obtaining a C-of-O had been set at N5 million, with a four-month payment window. Wike added that reforms were underway to prevent multiple allocations of the same plot and to link applicants’ National Identification Numbers (NIN) to their land documents, a move aimed at curbing fraud.
The minister acknowledged that these reforms might not sit well with wealthy individuals and corporations who had previously benefited from the disorderly land system. However, he insisted that the priority was the public interest, stating, “The rich will kick against some of our decisions, but anything that will help our people must be done.”
In mid-November, Wike inaugurated a task force to ensure the proper issuance of C-of-O for housing estates and to recover unpaid land use fees. The goal, he said, is to secure legal documentation for each housing unit, providing long-term security for developers and investors while closing loopholes that have enabled fraudulent practices.
“We are taking these steps not only to stop the speculators but to ensure that the FCT can develop the infrastructure it desperately needs. If we do not act now, the capital will be left behind,” Wike explained.
(PREMIUM TIMES)
