Wike Vows To Recover N34b Ground-Rent For FCTA

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike has again reiterated his commitment to recover the over 34 billion naira Ground-rent owed FCTA by defaulting land owners.

The Minister stated this when he received the House of Representatives Committee On Urban Mass Transit led by the Chairman, Afam Ogene to chart a new course on how to make the Sector more functional in Abuja.

Wike who said he would go on a fact finding mission to ascertain issues with the Abuja Urban Mass Transit Company, vowed to overhaul the system to ensure that the sector is working optimally to cushion the effects of subsidy removal.

He explained that the FCTA has a lot of ongoing projects that requires completion, hence the need to intensify efforts to recover the moneys with a view to injecting same into completion of abandoned projects scattered across the territory.

He said the measure became necessary in view of the fact that FCTA is owning contractors and service providers debt to the tune of 1trillion naira, due to lack of political will to go after erring individuals and poor negotiations of contracts.

He warned all those owning ground rents to pay their debts or be prepared to forfeit their land, adding that the names of ground rent defaulters would be published in a week’s time.

He promised that any new project being initiated would be tied to available funds, especially IGR to guard against creating additional abandoned projects.

He stressed that

the systemic problem of FCTA providing land and infrastructure for private individuals to make gains, assured that such systemic error of enriching individuals at the detriment of the masses will be cancelled under his leadership.

“What kind of system is that? Is a systemic problem. We must be ready to tell ourselves the truth and be realistic”.

“Abuja is seen as a State but is not a State. The budget of 2023 for FCT is 15bn, only 1bn has been released.

“The right things must be done in the interest of all. N34bn ground rents must be collected from those owing .Our projects will hence forth be tied to our IGR. If we do that no project will die.

The FCT Minister who further hinted that the FCT Administration would Inaugurate the Mandate Secretaries in no distance time to hit the ground running, stressed the need for those in position of leadership to uphold maintenance culture of public assets under their jurisdiction.

Earlier, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Mass Transit, Afam Oghene said they were on the visit to ascertain reasons why the Mass Transit Buses in FCT were not working.

He however pledged the committee’s commitment to provide all the necessary support to the FCT Minister to enable him effectively revamp the transportation system in the territory .