.Vow not to back out on demolition of illegal structures.
.Promises to cancel some PPPs entered into by the Administration with some private developers
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Barr Nyesom Wike has promised to bring out additional methodology of taxing property owners aimed at increasing the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) for the nation’s capital territory
The FCT Minister who made this known yesterday during his appearance before the House of Representatives Committee on FCT for Budget defense equally vowed not to back out from demolition of illegal projects no matter who’s horse is gored.
During the visit,he also promised to advise President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to always ensure that structures, as national monuments and sources of pride for the country, are well maintained in the territory.
Speaking specifically on revalidation of land titles in the FCT, he said that the FCT administration will revoke all lands without certificate of occupancy C of O adding that all the approved ones must bear the owners national identity numbers
He said that most of the projects initiated by the previous administrations awarded to contactors in the capital city would be completed before the celebration of the President’s one year in office
He further stated that the FCT administration would engage the services of solicitors to make it easier to prosecute owners of illegal properties.
The Minister said that one of the legacy projects to be undertaken by the FCT administration is the abandoned official residence of the Vice President which had stalled from completion for thirteen years.
He also assured the House Committee of the readiness of the capital territory administration to complete all on-going projects before May 29,2024.
Earlier in his remarks, Chairman of the House Committee Hon.Aliyu Betara said that the budget defence is to enable the committee scrutinize the N61 billion budget of the FCT administration.
He added that the expenditures and projects of the FCT administration needs to clear to all members of the House Committee.
Also, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory FCT Barr. Ezenwo Nyesom Wike on Wednesday, vowed to cancel some Public Private Partnerships PPPs entered into by the Administration with some private developers, saying those arrangements had been used to fleece the administration of billions in the past.
Wike who said this when he appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on the FCT to defend the Administration’s N61 billion supplementary Budget, said” i will cancel several PPPs. All the PPPs in Abuja is about land and is against the FCT”.
He cited a case in Wassa where the Administration gave the developer land for mass housing, gave him another N85 billion for infrastructure, lamenting that the developer would go and build houses, sell to people at market value without anything coming to the Administration. “We will cancel it”, he declared.
The Minister explained that the N61 billion FCT Supplementary Budget was drawn from its Paris Club refund, PAYE, the N5 billion special presidential intervention for states, the presidential infrastructure support funds and the territory’s Internally Generated Revenue IGR.
Wike, who said the budget components are projects-specific, added that President Bola Tinubu would commission most of them including the Abuja Metroline by May as part of activities marking the president’s one year in office.
“Mr President will commission the metroline by May. If you look at the national budget, there is a provision for the rail project”. He said.
The Minister also explained his decision to engage Senior Advocates of Nigeria SAN to help handle cases involving the Administration, lamenting that lack of diligent prosecution of cases in the past by FCT officials led to the loss of numerous cases.
He noted that there are currently over 800 litigations involving the FCT, and alleged complicity on the part of certain officials who connived with plaintiffs to get judgments against the FCT Administration.
“I have never seen a territory with over 800 litigations. Some of these litigations were in connivance with staff of the FCT. So, I said I will engage SANs because I don’t want a situation whereby someone will go to court and then agree with the plaintiffs and judgment is entered against the FCT”,
On security, the minister said the Administration would revive the city’s mass transit system to eliminate cases of “one chance”, adding that private operators would undergo security vetting before being allowed into the system.
He said he was working with the Office of the National Security Adviser ONSA and the State Security Services SSS with regards to providing Closed Circuit Television CCTV cameras in strategic parts of the city.
Responding to a question on the fate of victims of the Administration’s demolition exercises, the minister said Nigerians cannot desire a world-class federal capital territory and then make excuses for unplanned and illegal developments.
‘We can’t stop demolitions’, he stressed.
Noting that demolitions could not be stopped as long as people continue to build on green areas, water and sewage lines and other unapproved places, he said the Administration would however pay compensation in areas designated for resettlement.
He said; “We can’t stop demolitions. You cannot go and build in a green area and then when we demolish, you want us to compensate you. Illegality is illegality. But if we want to acquire your property for development, we will pay you”.
Wike also restated his position on the recertification of all Certificates of Occupancy.
“All C of Os will be recertified and you will put your NIN. In FCT, there is a lot of fake C of Os but with this new development, we will end that and security wise, we can know people who own each structure. If you have C of Os and you have enjoy recertified, it will no longer be valid”, he stated.
Chairman of the House Committee on FCT, Hon. Muktar Betara who lauded the minister for his passion to develop the territory, however urged him to reconsider the uniform fees for obtaining a Certificate of Occupancy, saying highbrow areas like Asokoro, Maitama, Wuse and others cannot have the same fees with the satellite towns.
