Authorities of the Federal capital territory Administration (FCTA) may have begun implementation of reforms in the Land Sector as the administration threatened to revoke any land title in the FCT over failure to pay the prescribed fees for the processing of the Certificates of Occupancy (C-of-O).
The FCT Administration has given a four-month ultimatum to all land title holders with Rights of Occupancy (Rs-of-O) to either pay for the processing of their C-of-O or have such titles revoked in accordance with the extant laws governing land administration.
A statement by the Director of Land Administration Department, FCT, TPL. Ekarikpong Ukpanah in Abuja stated the Administration expressed dismay over the non-payment of processing fees as well as other bills by respective allottees.
Ukpanah indicated that the non-payment of the fees and other bills for C-of-O is a violation of the terms of grant and extant provision of the Land Use Act.
He explained that the violation has continued to serve as a catalyst for unbridled land speculation in the FCT with its attendant negative impact on the infrastructural development of the Territory.
It noted that the administration took the necessary steps to urgently stem the ugly trend by ensuring that henceforth only genuine land developers are allocated land in the FCT.
The statement revealed that the Minister of the FCT, Barrister Nyesom Wike has since given approval to this effect and all Land Title holders that possesses the Rights of Occupancy in the FCT should as a matter of urgency, pay the requisite processing fees for the C-of-O or have them revoked in accordance with the statutory provisions.