The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) is owed by property owners in the Federal Capital City’s Asokoro and Maitama districts a staggering N3,197,148,997.48, or 20 percent of all outstanding ground rent debts.
Recall how the FCTA had taken bold steps toward recovering these huge debts owed it by property owners by filing cases against the violators in courts. However, the cases are being prosecuted 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.
Meanwhile, 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.
The FCTA had earlier 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 Administration it was gathered 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.
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.
