By DAUDA R PAM MAIDUGURI
Borno State Geographic Information Service, BOGIS, has sealed off eight offices and houses of Local and International Non-Governmental Organisations (INGOs) for non-payment of ground rents as could not update their landed property in Maiduguri metropolis.
The Executive Secretary of Borno Geographic Information Service (BOGIS)and special enforcement operations supervisor, Adam Bababe, said that eight offices and guest houses of defaulting NGOs have been closed indefinitely until they updated their property ownership and rents.
The sealed off offices consist of INGOs and local NGOs rendering humanitarian services to IDPs in camps and host communities, he said.
“Out of the 183 International and local INGOs operating in the state, only 21 had registered with BOGIS,” and lamented that 162 are yet to update their property ownerships.
According to him, for any transaction of lease of property or change of purpose to be legal, the Governor must give approval despite series of letters to landlords in June and August, 2020 as well as in January this year to the affected organizations to no avail.
He said the agency intends take similar exercise to banks and other financial institutions across the state.
And called on property owners to update their documents and pay the statutory ground rents as government would not hesitate to invoke relevant laws against defaulters.
