Ground Rent: Wike vows tough action, says blackmail won’t stop crackdown

By Ukpono Ukpong

As Nigeria marks the second anniversary of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has reaffirmed his commitment to holding ground rent defaulters accountable, warning that no form of blackmail will deter his resolve to ensure compliance.

Speaking during an inspection tour of key infrastructure projects in Abuja, including the International Conference Centre (ICC), Arterial Road N5 in Life Camp, and the N16 corridor through Gishiri, Wike stressed that while government is delivering quality infrastructure, residents and property owners must also play their part by fulfilling tax obligations.

Despite the achievements, the Minister identified poor tax compliance, articularly failure to pay ground rent, as one of the greatest challenges facing the administration in the territory.

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Taking a hard line, Wike declared that defaulters will face consequences regardless of status or influence.

While he confirmed that there have been no increases yet in ground rent, the Minister hinted at a possible review.

“People just want facilities. People want infrastructure, but nobody asks. Where are you getting these funds? Abuja is not one of the oil cities. We only rely on taxes, and these are not new taxes. These are taxes that have been there for years.

“It is unfortunate that most elites own houses overseas. They know the implication of not paying your taxes. They know such houses are gone. But when it comes to your own country, you do not want to do that, simply because nobody wants to obey law and everybody thinks they are no sanctioned. And I have said it, that it did not happen yesterday, does not mean it will not happen today.

“Look at the years, 20 something years, 30 something years. And how much is it? We have not increased the ground rent but, we are working towards that. We will do that.

“I can assure you, the President has given a window of two weeks. Let nobody think that blackmail or whatever will stop us. We will do what we are supposed to do. This is all about leadership. We will not give in for blackmail. We will do the right thing. If you have not paid, we will take it.”

Speaking further, he also revealed that he had signed over 1,500 Certificates of Occupancy and assignments recently, only for some beneficiaries to refuse to pay taxes.

“As I travelled, I signed over 1,500 C-of-Os and assignments. Now, when we sign that, you collect the C-of-O, and then you will not pay taxes to the government. I mean, it’s not acceptable. It doesn’t matter what anybody wants to say. It’s not acceptable.

Reiterating confidence in the President’s leadership and the administration’s fiscal prudence, Wike urged residents to fulfill their civic responsibilities.

“Pay your taxes and see what we are doing. It’s not enough to say, FCT is doing well. How are we doing well? We are doing well because we are managing the resources we have prudently. If you pay your taxes, you will see that it will be a different thing. And that’s what we are trying to do. So this is one of the heavy challenges that we are facing, and we will surmount it. Be assured that we are going to surmount it.”

While providing updates on the state of key projects, the Minister confirmed that the International Conference Centre is fully ready for commissioning, with the contractor having fulfilled their commitments, showcasing superb quality.

He also stated that the vital Arterial Road N5 (Obafemi Awolowo Way) from Life Junction to Ring Road III was 95% complete, adding that the contractor, Julius Berger, has assured its full readiness by the end of next week.

Speaking further on the N16 interchange connecting Maitama and Katampe districts at Gishiri, the Minister said the contractor, CGC has completed significant portions of the bridge, with the section leading to Judges Quarters and the link from Jahi to Wole Soyinka Way now fully open. The Minister lauded the contractor, CGC, for living up to expectations.

“I am so happy that the contractors have lived up to expectations. The quality of work is superb”, the Minister stated, expressing his delight at the visible impact on residents. He emphasized that the projects were a testament to President Tinubu’s promise to develop and enhance road infrastructure for Abuja residents.

Fielding question feom journalists on the schedule for the commissioning of projects in the FCT, the Minister stated that the arterial road N16 will likely be the first project to be unveiled.

He explained that while the International Conference Centre was initially considered, requests by members of the House of Representatives and Senate Committees on the FCT necessitated a date adjustment to allow for fuller participation.