Wike Slams N5m Charge On Abuja C-of-O

Mr Nyesom Wike, Minister of the FCT says the FCT Administration has pegged cost of issuance of Certificate of Occupancy (C- of-O) at N5 million. Wike made the pronouncement at a meeting he held with estate developers in Abuja. He said payment could be made within four months of land allocation after which the C-of-O would be handed over to the applicant. He added that he would seek the approval of President Bola Tinubu to link applicants’ National Identification Number to C-of-Os before issuance. Wike said the era where three or more persons were allocated the same plot of land with fake C-of-O was over. “Allocation of land to three or more persons will no longer be allowed because the C-of-O enables you to do business. “When we make the right decision, some people will be happy, and some will not. The rich will kick against some of our decisions, but anything that will help our people must be done,’’ Wike said. He promised to ensure orderliness and sanity in land administration system and processes in the FCT. The minister expressed worries that workers’ salaries at the FCT Administration and the Federal Capital Development Authority gulped N8.9 billion monthly. Wike said he had saved N110 billion for the FCT barely three months into office and assured that the funds would be attached to specific projects. Wike inaugurated a taskforce on the issuance of Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) for housing estates and the recovery of land use contravention fees on November 14. He explained that the measure was to ensure that each unit in the housing estates had its separate C-of-O.

FCT Ground Rent: Wike Gives Final Warning To Defaulters

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike has given a final warning to defaulters of ground rent payments in the FCT, insisting that something would happen soon to them. Wike gave the warning when the leadership of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), led by its President, Dr Chris Isiguzo visited him in Abuja. The minister said that “something will surely happen” contrary to the erroneous assumption that the ground rent directive was an empty threat. The FCT Administration in September published land titles of individuals, organisations, and agencies owing ground rent. In the publication, the FCTA reminded allottees of lands within FCT of their obligations as stipulated in the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) to pay in advance without demand from Jan. 1 of each year. The FCTA had warned that a breach or failure to comply with any or all of the terms stated in the Rights of Occupancy shall be liable to the revocation of the title. The administration, therefore, advised all allottees, property owners, and beneficiaries of the sale of Federal Government Houses in the FCT to settle their outstanding ground rents or lose their titles. Wike assured the defaulters that he would match his words with action at the end of the grace period by revoking such plots. “The law has been there before I came. The only problem is applying the law. The Minister of State and I have the capacity and political will to do what is right. “You know Nigerians are funny, believing that nothing will happen. Something will happen. We can’t continue that way; we can’t. “We have given defaulters a final notice to go and pay and they said it is initial “gra-gra” (false bravery) but something will happen. “By the time we give the final notice, and you don’t pay, the law will be applied,” he said. He added that FCTA was able to save significant Internally Generated Revenue since the removal of the Administration from the Treasury Single Account, adding that the era of abandoned projects in the FCT was over. He explained that some of the hash decisions being taken by the FCTA was for the good of all in the long run, adding that the government would step on toes in the efforts to right the wrongs in the FCT. The minister pledged continued support to the media as critical partners in the development space. Earlier, Isiguzo commended Wike for his transformational potentials as exemplified in Rivers State when he was the governor. He also commended the minister for his media-friendly disposition and pledged the NUJ’s support through free and responsible journalism. He appealed to the minister to support the union’s capacity building programme, its forthcoming National Media Conference, and provide a plot of land for the construction of a Media Village in Abuja. The procedure for the payment of the ground rent is e-payment through the REMITA portal to generate a REMITA Retrieval Reference (RRR). Affected persons are expected to log onto the REMITA portal https://remita.net and click on “Pay TSA & States, then select Federal Capital Territory Administration. After that, select Abuja, Geographic Information Systems and choose the revenue head to be paid which in this case is FCC Ground Rent. Fill the required information, submit, and print the RRR slip, after which payment can be made in any commercial bank. 

FG To Build 34,500 Homes Under Renewed Hope Cities Project

The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Mr Ahmed Dangiwa, says the Federal Government plans to build 34,500 homes in selected cities across the 36 states in the first phase of its Renewed Hope Cities Project. Dangiwa said this when he received the acting Controller-General of Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) Mrs Caroline Adepoju on a courtesy visit in Abuja on Saturday. He said increasing access to decent quality and affordable housing for all Nigerians was a major priority of the government. “Our Renewed Hope Cities will be inclusive and integrate all segments of Nigerians. They will comprise of one, two and three -bedroom affordable bungalows and multilevel flats catering for low to medium-income earners. “In spite of the challenges, we plan to build Renewed Hope Cities nationwide with the first phase dealing 34,500 homes in select cities and state capitals across the 36 states and the FCT. “For high-income earners, we will leverage Public Private Partnerships with reputable developers to offer the elegance of Terrace and Detached  Bungalows and Duplexes,” he said. Dangiwa said the ministry had mapped out clear actionable steps to make this possible for Nigerians in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu. “A major focus is the reform of all federal housing agencies such as the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) the Federal Housing Authority (FHA), institutions under the supervision of the ministry tasked with delivering affordable housing to Nigerians. “While the FMBN focuses on affordable housing using single digit interest rates and long tenures of up to 30 years to contributors to the National Housing Fund (NHF) Scheme, FHA has the flexibility to develop houses for high-income segment. “These two institutions should to able to meet and deliver on the goals of your agency to deliver affordable housing to all cadres of the hardworking immigration officers. “For high-income earners, we will leverage Public Private Partnerships with reputable developers to offer the elegance of Terrace and Detached  Bungalows and Duplexes,” he said. The minister said for funding  the ministry would leverage on resources from the FMBN. Earlier, Adepoju said that shelter was a major priority in any society. “So, we have come here to know how this new administration can benefit our personnel. I am aware that there are programmes in place where the immigration service of Nigeria can key into and benefit from. “Apart from that I have come to appeal to you sir to the rescue of our personnel,” Adepoju said.

Housing Deficit: Developer Promises 1,000 Homes For Nigerians In 10 years

In celebration of the 2023 World Habitat Day, a real estate agency, Roomeo Construction Company, has said it has set an audacious goal of providing 1,000 homes for Nigerians within 10 years, starting in 2024, in order to eliminate barriers to attaining gainful and sustainable returns on real estate. Speaking Monday in Abuja, during the launch of a debut 12-unit, 2-bedroom serviced apartment building in Kaura District of Abuja, known as Sequence 1, the founder/CEO of Roomeo Construct Limited, Mr. Doyin Adewola, said the intervention of the company is to encourage affordable and sustainable urban housing in Abuja. He said: “Our world is facing unprecedented challenges regarding sustainability and it’s up to every one of us to take action to make a difference. Let’s consider what we can do to ensure our habitats remain vibrant and healthy for generations. The Theme to mark World Habitat Day this year is Resilient Urban Economies, and we will look at how cities can drive growth and recovery. “Our cities in Nigeria can be a powerful driver of growth and recovery by investing in infrastructure, promoting innovation, and fostering a supportive business environment. Cities can also attract new businesses and talent by offering a high quality of life, access to education and healthcare, and a diverse and inclusive community. “We at Roomeo have set an audacious 10-year goal to provide 1,000 homes for Nigerians starting in 2024. We will continue to eliminate the barriers to attaining gainful and sustainable returns on real estate. We ask that you join us as we make our dream a reality.” Also speaking, Director, Department of Development Control, Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), Town Planner Mukhtar Galadima Usman, advised real estate firms to always adhere to approved building plans, lamenting that many realtors have been in the habit of cutting corners, hence the prevalent building collapse. Similarly, a construction engineer, Engr. Dr. Otunba Victor Omo-Raydon, said the government must identify and prosecute landowners, investors, consultants, architects, structural engineers, quantity surveyors, and project managers involved in cutting corners to curb the menace of building collapse, lamenting government was not doing much in this aspect.

Nigeria Requires N21trn To Bridge Housing Deficit – FG

The Vice President, Kashim Shettima, has said that Nigeria requires N21 trillion to effectively bridge housing deficit, despite efforts across the three tiers of governments. The vice president stated this on Sunday in Sokoto at the groundbreaking for the construction of a 500-unit housing estate by the State government. Shettima, who commended Gov. Ahmed Aliyu for his efforts to address the housing needs of his people, noted that the housing deficit in Nigeria remained a huge challenge. “Nigeria has a deficit of 28 million houses and we will need N21 trillion to meet our housing needs. This step taken by the Governor is highly commendable and worthy of emulation by other State governments. “The governor has started well by completing the roads and flyovers he inherited,” he added. Earlier, the governor explained that the housing estate would be for civil servants and would be sold to them when completed on an owner-occupier basis. Aliyu said: “This is a project that was initiated by the former Governor of the State, Aliyu Wamakko but was later abandoned by the immediate past administration. “But, we are determined to complete it for the benefit of our workers and the general public.” Aliyu disclosed that the project located at Wamakko Local Government Area of the State will cost the State government N7.3 billion to complete. The event, which was to mark the first 100 days in office by the administration was attended by Sen. Aliyu Wamakko and the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari. Others were the Minister of State, Water Resources and Sanitation, Alhaji Bello Goronyo and former Deputy Governors of Sokoto, Mukhtari Shagari and Chiso Abdullahi-Dattijo, among others. 

Revenue Generation: NRC commissions Police Station, shops, flats

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) on Thursday inaugurated 48 shops and seven apartments at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Station of the Standard Gauge Railway in Lagos, to increase revenue generation. It also inaugurated a new police station in the area to enhance security. The Managing Director of NRC, Mr. Fidet Okhiria, at the event, said that it was the practice of the corporation to lease property for the land owners to develop it. He said that the Board members had advised the management to be developing properties to enable the corporation to get more revenue. “A time will come where there will be no empty land to lease that we should have something on the ground that will be bringing money so that they can get revenue. “We took that decision, that is why we built a hotel at Apapa Road recently near the Headquarters. “First and Second floor of the building at Marine Road, are 48 shops and the last floor is seven flats of rooms, self-contained, which consist of a parlour, kitchen, toilet, and bedroom,” Okhiria said. He urged the NRC property management to be responsible in managing the investments so that the intention of building them would not be defeated. The NRC boss said that the building was occupied by some railway staff members and they were relocated after a fire incident in 2021. He said that they discovered that a lot of market activities took place in the area, so they changed it to shops with a big parking space. Okhiria said that the commissioning of another NRC Police Station at Bola Ahmed Tinubu Terminal in Apapa would motivate the policemen to protect Railway properties easily within the area. He said that after the inauguration, the station would be handed over to the Commissioner of Police for proper utilisation. The Managing Director, NRC Property, Mr Timothy Zalanga, said that they discovered that the Marine Bridge area was more commercial than residential. Zalanga said that the intention of developing some of the NRC properties was to increase revenue. He commended the Board and the Management of NRC for extending the ideas to them, promising to make the best use of the properties. Zalanga said that the former police station was far from the terminal. He said that after they extended the car parks at Bola Ahmed Tinubu Station, they had to build another station before relocating the police from their former place. The Contractor of the NRC property shops and flats on Marine Road, Alhaji Mutitala Sanni, Managing Director, Lane Ltd., said the building contained 48 shops, 24 toilets, and seven apartments. “It took us six months to complete the building, while we were granted a year to complete the construction. “We faced challenges of squatters, police, and also state government, but we were able to surmount the challenges with the quick intervention of the NRC management. “The contract was awarded with an estimate of N400 million and there are lots of unforeseen circumstances coming up now,” Sanni said. The Director, Railway Transport Services, Federal Ministry of Transport, Mr Finban Zina, commended the NRC for showcasing progress in their duties in spite of the situation in the country. He urged Nigerians to focus on the positive improvement of the society.