The Federal Capital Territory Administration has stated that any land whose Certificate of Occupancy is revoked automatically goes back to the Minister of the FCT, who holds such property on behalf of the President. This was made known by Lere Olayinka, the Senior Special Assistant on Strategic Communications to the FCT Minister, during an interview on Monday night.
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Olayinka explained that more than 1,000 property titles are currently being taken back after owners failed to pay outstanding ground rent, land use conversion charges, and Certificate of Occupancy fees. The deadline for payment expired on November 25, following notices issued earlier in the year.
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He noted that more than half of the affected property owners settled their charges before the deadline, while a large portion of those listed in the earlier notices also met the payment requirements. He stated that the law is clear that once a property owner breaks the terms attached to a Certificate of Occupancy, the title can be withdrawn.
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According to him, the FCTA expects owners to meet the conditions of their allocation and cannot chase every defaulter. He added that some people may have chosen not to comply for personal reasons, and the government cannot bear the blame for their decisions.
Olayinka addressed claims of corruption within land administration, saying that although isolated cases may occur, the FCTA does not arbitrarily seize property. He added that penalties for those who failed to meet conversion requirements range from two million to five million naira, and many owners have already been captured in the system, while others are still being monitored.
He stressed that land administration in Abuja follows clear rules and that those who obey procedures, secure proper allocation, and get their building plans approved will not face problems. He said issues arise mainly when people bypass laid-down processes and later accuse the government of wrongdoing.
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