The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has taken immediate action to revoke 165 land plots in the serviced areas of the Federal Capital City.
Prominent individuals affected by this decision include the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi; former Governor of Cross River State, Senator Liyel Imoke; former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Uffot Joseph Ekaette; former Justice of Supreme Court and chairman of the National Political Reforms Conference (NPRC), Late Justice Niki Tobi.
Others were former Justice of Supreme Court, Udoma Udo Udoma; two-time Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Kanu Agabi; Chairman of BUA Group, Alhaji Abdul Samad Rabiu; former Chairman of Leadership Newspapers, Sam Nda-Isaiah and columnist Donu Kogbara, among others.
The FCT Administration clarified that this revocation stems from the failure of the allotted owners to develop the plots and continuous violations of the terms of the agreement as specified in Section 28(5)(a) & (b) of the Land Use Act.
These plots are located within various districts in the Federal Capital City, such as Central Business District, Maitama, Wuse II, Gudu, Wuye, Jabi, Utako, Katampe Extension, Idu Industrial Area, and Asokoro Districts.
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The FCTA, in a statement, highlighted that the Minister exercised his authority under Section 28(5)(a) & (b) of the Land Use Act 1978 due to the ongoing failure to develop the land plots. The affected plots are associated with individuals and corporate entities, and their inability to adhere to the terms of the Right of Occupancy, specifically non-development, led to the revocation.
The statement reads “The Federal Capital Territory Administration FCTA hereby informs the general public that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory has, in the exercise of the powers conferred on him under Section 28(5)(a) & (b) of the Land Use Act 1978, revoked the under listed plots with names and titles as reflected in our records for continued contravention of the terms of development of the Right of Occupancy to wit non-development,” Adesola said.
Additionally, FCT’s Director of Information and Communication, Mohammad Hayat Sule, stated in a recent announcement that the land plot revocations were authorized by Minister Wike due to infringements on the Rights of Occupancy terms.
“The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory has, in the exercise of the powers conferred on him under Section 28(5)(a) & (b) of the Land Use Act 1978 revoked the affected titles for continued contravention of the terms of development of the Right of Occupancy to wit non-development,” Sule said.
Nyesom Wike, upon taking office as minister, pledged to revoke plots that were undeveloped or whose ground rents had not been paid for an extended period. He recently issued a two-week grace period for defaulting allottees to settle their ground rent obligations, warning of revocation for non-compliance.