The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has issued a warning to 189 property owners who have obtained building plan approvals but have not commenced development on their plots within the Federal Capital City (FCC).
The minister has given them a three-month grace period to start development or risk losing their title in line with the provisions of the law. The grace period starts from the date of publication of their names in some national dailies.
The affected property owners include both individuals and corporate organizations who have shown the desire to develop their plots by obtaining building plan approvals, which is a prerequisite for development in the FCT. The minister has also extended the same grace period to public institutions that have land titles within the FCC but are yet to develop them.
The Director of Information and Communication, FCT, Muhammad Sule, explained the reason for the minister’s decision in a statement. He said, “The surge in new enrollments witnessed in our primary and secondary schools over the past ten working days has necessitated immediate action.”
He added that the minister’s gesture was aimed at ensuring that the FCC is developed in accordance with the Abuja Master Plan and that no plot is left undeveloped or underutilized.
He urged the affected property owners to take advantage of the minister’s gesture and develop their plots as published in some national dailies, in line with the terms of the offer of the right-of-occupancy. He warned that failure to do so would result in revocation of their titles for continued contravention of the terms of development.
