The two-week ultimatum issued by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, instructing those in arrears of ground rents to settle their debts or risk property revocation, has resulted in the recovery of N1 billion within one month….CONTINUE READING....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
Following the minister’s directive, the Abuja Geographic Information Systems (AGIS) headquarters has witnessed a surge in activity, with property owners rushing to clear their outstanding dues.
Daily, individuals owing ground rents have flocked to the AGIS office, eager to meet the ultimatum and prevent potential property revocation.
Isiaku Ndatsu Alfa, the Acting Director of AGIS, noted that ground rent collections were at their lowest point between June and July.
However, after the minister’s order in August and the commencement of debtors’ publication, ground rent earnings swiftly increased to N500 million and continued to rise, exceeding N1 billion.
As of September 17, 2023, ground rents had generated precisely N1.9 billion, with expectations that the figure would double by month-end.
Alfa revealed plans for the introduction of an online payment portal for ground rents, certificate of occupancy (C of O), and other transactions, aimed at facilitating easier payments and increasing AGIS’s revenue collection.
The online payment app had already been developed, with an official launch anticipated by the FCT minister before the year’s end.
The director emphasized that the platform would enable individuals to make payments from the comfort of their homes.
He commended the FCT minister for his focus on Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) and his encouragement for property owners to fulfill their ground rent payment obligations.
Alfa expressed appreciation for the surge in customer activity at the customer service area, which translated into recovered payments.
He also noted that additional laptops and computer systems had been procured, and staff redeployment within sections had been implemented to address the influx of customers and meet Minister Wike’s ultimatum.
