The Federal Capital Territory Development Authority (FCTDA) was criticized by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for closing its national secretariat at Wadata Plaza on Monday due to unpaid ground and tenancy rent.
The PDP’s acting chairman, Umar Damagum, told reporters following a caucus meeting that the FCTA’s action was irresponsible and that the party would challenge it.
The caucus meeting was postponed until 10 am on Tuesday (tomorrow). When asked if the PDP National Executive Council (NEC) would still meet, the Acting PDP Chair remained silent.
Lere Olayinka, the Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, said the plaza owes N7,603,504.31 as 28 years’ ground rent.
“On Wadata Plaza being used as PDP National Secretariat, N7,603,504.31 is being owed as 28 years’ Ground Rent,” he wrote on his Facebook page on Monday afternoon after the sealing off.
The Wadata Plaza building was not the only structure sealed off by the FCT administration on Monday.
Others included complexes housing a commercial bank, the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), and the Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) at the Wuse Zone 5 in the nation’s capital.
According to Lere, the FIRS has not paid ground rent for 25 years.
Monday’s sealing off came a few months after the FCT administration lamented that over N6 billion had been lost as revenue due to non-compliance by some property owners in the payment of their ground rents for over 10 years.
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