[FULL LIST] FCTA Issues Two-Week Quit Notice To 43 Foreign Missions & Others Over Unpaid Ground Rent.

The Nigerian Government has issued a two-week notice to about 43 foreign embassies and diplomatic houses in Abuja, the country’s capital city, to pay their ground rents.

An advertorial published by the Federal Capital Territory Administration in the Vanguard Newspaper on Tuesday titled, ‘Re: Final Notice on Payment of Outstanding Ground Rent in the FCT,’, said the total amount of the ground rents owed by the foreign institutions is $5.36 million.

According to the advert, any defaulter is at risk of losing its rent title in Abuja after the expiration of the ultimatum.

It reads: “All allottees, property owners, as well as beneficiaries of the sale of Federal Government Houses in the FCT who could not pay or settle their outstanding ground rents for the year 2023, are hereby advised in their interest to ensure payment within two weeks from the date of this publication, failure of which such titles shall be revoked.

Some of the institutions affected by this directive are the British High Commission, South African High Commission, the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia and the Embassy of Japan.

Others on the list include companies and individuals who are collectedly owing over N2 billion according to the FCTA.

Speaking earlier, Nyesom Wike, FCT minister, urged residents to pay their taxes and ground rents to allow for adequate funding of projects and infrastructure development in the territory.

“First of all, whether inflation or not, that’s why we are here, to solve problems. With the taxes people pay, we try as much as we can, to allocate it to the priority projects,” Wike said.

Again, we don’t allow variation. Why? Because we also try to pay as at when due, so the issue of variation does not come in.”

The minister called for the support of residents and assured that the paid taxes and ground rents are being managed judiciously to ensure the delivery of various projects.