By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
The FCT Administration has threatented to ready to drag to special court property owners in Asokoro and Maitama Districts of the Federal Capital City, Abuja who are owing whooping sum of N3,197,148,997.48, constituting 20 percent of the total outstanding ground rents debts.
The FCT Administration said that the prosecution for recovery of the debts would be in batches beginning with the two highbrow areas of Asokoro and Maitama Districts respectively.
Accordingly, 1,504 and 1,475 demand notices meant for Asokoro and Maitama Districts amounting to 2,979 have been served on the defaulting titleholders in these districts through courier services, the Director, Information & Communication, FCT, Muhammad Hazat Sule said in a statement made available to newsmen today, Sunday, November 13, 2022.
However, 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, Sule stated.
The government have 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.
Earlier, the FCT Administration has placed litigation caveat on the affected properties whose cases are 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 Administration said that government is determined to recover all Ground Rent debts owed it by property owners in Abuja, and all necessary procedure will be followed to achieve this.
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.
According to the statement, the government is in court to seek for an order to compel debtors to clear their debts or forfeit the affected property, since they are recalcitrant in paying the debt, despite several warnings.
