The Senator representing the Federal Capital Territory, Ireti Kingibe, has taken a swipe at the minister, Nyesom Wike over ground rents in the FCT.
Kingibe said it was illegal for properties to be seized, revoked or sealed solely on account of failure to pay ground rent.
The senator, while reacting to the ongoing development in the capital city, warned Wike not to run foul of the law.
DAILY POST reports that the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, on the authorization of Wike, had revoked over 4,700 properties, whose owners were said to have failed to pay ground rent for decades.
The FCTA, on Monday, began the sealing of the affected properties, including the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, the Peoples Democratic Party’s secretariat, Ibro Hotels, among others, before the intervention of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who gave the defaulters a 14-day grace to settle their rents.
Reacting to the exercise, Senator Kingibe said the Land Use Act indicated that the penalty for such default is, by law, limited to a fine or surcharge, not the compulsory taking over or sealing of the property without recourse to the due process prescribed under Section 42 of the Land Use Act and other relevant provisions.
‘’The indiscriminate and sometimes abrupt sealing of properties, often executed without proper notice, engagement, or adherence to legal procedure, only serves to deepen the economic distress of individuals, families, and business owners already facing mounting hardship. These actions undermine livelihoods, erode public trust in institutions, and risk destabilizing the fragile balance of social and economic stability within the FCT.
‘’As the elected Senator of the Federal Capital Territory, I cannot, and will not, stand idly by while residents are subjected to enforcement practices that contravene established laws and compound their suffering. I am actively engaging with relevant authorities and exploring all legislative avenues to ensure that any enforcement actions taken are consistent with the rule of law, fairness, and compassion,” she said.
According to her, while the enforcement of regulations and tax obligations is necessary, such actions must be carried out within the bounds of legality, fairness, and sensitivity to the current economic realities faced by residents.
The lawnaker, therefore, called on all residents and business owners to remain calm and law-abiding.
