The Federal Capital Territory Administration has issued a 21-day ultimatum to land allottees to pay all statutory Right of Occupancy bills, rents, fees, and charges or risk forfeiting their land allocations.
The warning was made public on Friday in Abuja during a news conference addressed by Mr Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the FCT Minister.
He explained that the directive is a key aspect of the comprehensive reforms in land administration recently approved by the FCT Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike.
According to Olayinka, the reforms, which will become operational on April 21, cover critical areas such as the conditions of grant of statutory R of O, the contents of the statutory R of O bill, and the terms stated in the Letter of Acceptance or Refusal of the offer of R of O. The reforms also address titling of mass housing projects and sectional interests, along with the regularisation of land documents issued by area councils.
He noted that a major objective of the reforms is to regularise land allocations in the area councils and ensure proper titling of mass housing properties in favour of genuine buyers. In addition to meeting payment obligations, land allottees will also be required to develop their allocated plots within two years from the commencement of the R of O.
Olayinka highlighted that prior to this reform, the statutory R of O bill did not specify a deadline for the payment of associated bills, fees, and charges, and there were no penalties for delayed payment.
“The non-collection of R of O and non-payment of bills has caused delay in revenue generation due to the FCTA,” he said.
He added, “It has also caused slower pace of infrastructural development and promote sustained land speculation and racketeering.
“Also, huge expenses have been incurred by the FCT Administration through repeated advertisements and publications notifying the public on the need for collection of R of O and timely payment of bills and charges.”
He stated that with the new directive, “as against the unspecified period within which to collect the R of O and make full payment of the bills and charges, land allottees now have 21 days from the date of offer to make full payment of all bills, fees, rents and charges prescribed on offers, and submit a duly completed letter of acceptance alongside evidence of payments or lose the offer.”
Furthermore, Olayinka added that land allottees are now mandated to erect and complete development on any land allocated to them within two years from the commencement of the R of O. This is in contrast to the previously unspecified timeframe for developing allocated plots.
“Therefore, any R of O bills and other payments made outside the stipulated 21 days shall be considered invalid while any land granted should be developed within two years,” he stressed.
Also speaking at the briefing, the Director of Land Administration, FCTA, Mr Chijioke Nwankwoeze, described the reform as the first major review of land administration procedures aimed at enhancing efficiency and accountability.
He pointed out that the new regime will end the culture of land allottees keeping R of O documents at home under the assumption that ownership is complete without fulfilling required obligations.
“So, acceptance of the offer of statutory R of O in the FCT is now tied to payments of the accompanied bills,” he said.
Nwankwoeze further clarified that in the case of lands allocated by area councils, allottees would be given a slightly longer period of 60 days to make all necessary payments.
