The New Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike has vowed to demolish and revoke the Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) from those distorting and defacing the Abuja Master Plan with illegal buildings.
Wike made the vow while addressing the Directors and Staff of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) shortly after his inauguration as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He said, “people who are distorting the master plan of Abuja, your houses will go down”. People who have built on green areas, your houses will go down”.
The former Rivers State Governor said, “those government has given C of O and refused to develop and become speculators, the lands are gone. I am going to revoke them.
“I don’t understand how the government will give you land to develop, land that you paid N200,000, and you now begin to find who will buy N2 billion and N3 billion, who does that?
“We’ll take back our land and give it to those who want to develop. And you must sign that you will develop at so time”, he said.
As for those who refused to pay ground rent, he said, non-payment of ground rent is a breach of Covenant, adding, that he doesn’t need to write to anyone to pay.
“Abuja needs money too and ground rent is part of revenue or sources of revenue. If you have not paid, be it National Park, sorry, I will not be tired to revoke”, he added.
He declared that the end has come for those who are involved in the business of land racketeering.
He also frowned at the heap of refuse dumps scattered across the city, assuring that he would evolve ways of proper waste management or disposal.
