The FCT Administration Debt Recovery Committee has accused property owners in Asokoro, Industrial Area II and Maitama districts as the worst ground rent debtors.

FCTA’s spokesman Muhammad Sule disclosed this in a statement on Thursday. According to him, property owners in Asokoro and Maitama owe 10.67 per cent, 9.43 per cent and 9.29 per cent out of the total debt.

FCT permanent secretary Adesola Olusade recently inaugurated the committee to recover N29 billion debts owed the FCTA. The committee was directed to focus interest on ground rents and other sundry fees in the Land Administration Department as well as other stakeholders’ departments.

Mr Sule said the committee was already fine-tuning legal documentations to take the debtors to court for prosecution, revocation or outright forfeiture of their property.

He added that the committee discovered that many of the debtors were titleholders in Asokoro, Industrial Area II and Maitama districts, considered to be highbrow areas in the nation’s capital city, Abuja.

According to him, property owners in Asokoro District alone constitute 10.67 per cent of the ground rent defaulters.

“While the title holders in Industrial Area II and Maitama districts comprise 9.43 per cent and 9.29 per cent, respectively,” noted Mr Sule. 

He added, “As the work of the Coordinating Committee on the Recovery of Outstanding Ground Rents of N29,506,643,943.98 owed the FCT Administration gathers momentum, findings by the administration revealed that property owners in the highbrow areas of Asokoro, Industrial Area II and Maitama Districts are the highest debtors owing 10.67, 9.43 and 9.29 percent out of the total sum owed.”

Also, property owners in other districts, such as the Central Business District, Industrial Area I and Extension, as well as Wuse I and II owed the Administration the tune of 8.21 per cent, 5.18 per cent, 5.1 per cent, and 4.81 per cent, respectively, he stated.

Mr Sule further explained that titleholders in Garki I and II, Katampe and Jabi districts were in default of 3.4 per cent, three per cent, 2.21 per cent, and 2.15 per cent, respectively.

He also mentioned that property owners in other districts like Kukwaba, Gwarinpa I, Gudu, Kado, Karmo, Katampe Extension, Utako, Mabushi, Durumi, Daki-Biyu, Guzape, Jahi, Dutse Wuye, and Institutions and Research are indebted to the FCTA.

“Thus, the committee is committed to carrying out its assignment as mandated by the FCT Administration whilst all title holders must honour their obligation to clear the debts,” Mr Sule said. “It is more honourable and responsible for property owners to rush to clear their outstanding debts because it is not going to be business as usual as the government needs these funds to fast-track the infrastructural development of the FCT.”

(NAN)