By PHILIP YATAI

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has given land allottees 21 days to pay all statutory Right of Occupancy (R of O) bills and charges or lose the offer.

Mr Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the FCT Minister, disclosed this at a news conference in Abuja on Friday.

Olayinka explained that the measure was part of the broad and comprehensive reforms on land administration in the FCT, approved by the FCT Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike.

He said that the reforms, which would become operational from April 21, covers specific areas like conditions of grant of statutory R of O, and contents of the statutory R of O bill.

Others, he said, would include contents of Letter of Acceptance/Refusal of offer of grant of R o O, titling of mass housing and sectional interests, as well as regularisation of area council land documents.

He explained that the crux of the sweeping reforms in the FCT land administration would ensure the regularisation of land allocations in area councils and title of mass housing properties in favour of buyers.

He added that the land allottees were also expected to develop allocated lands within two years.

Olayinka noted that before now, deadline for payment of bills, rents, fees and charges were not specified in the statutory R of O bill, with no penalty for failure to make payment promptly.

According to him, the non-collection of R of O and non-payment of bills has caused delay in revenue generation due to the FCTA.

?It has also caused slower pace of infrastructural development and promote sustained land speculation and racketeering.

?Also, huge expenses have been incurred by the FCT Administration through repeated advertisements and publications notifying the public on the need for collection of R of O and timely payment of bills and charges.

?Consequently, as against the unspecified period within which to collect the R of O and make full payment of the bills and charges, land allottees now have 21 days from the date of offer to make full payment of all bills, fees, rents and charges prescribed on offers, and submit a duly completed letter of acceptance alongside evidence of payments or lose the offer.?

The spokesman added that FCTA had equally given land allottees two years from the date of the commencement of the R of O to erect and complete development on any land granted in the FCT.

This, according to him, is against the lengthy or unspecified period within which to develop allocated lands.

?Therefore, any R of O bills and other payments made outside the stipulated 21 days shall be considered invalid while any land granted should be developed within two years,? he said.

Also, the Director of Land Administration, FCTA, Chijioke Nwankwoeze, said this was the first time the Administration had reviewed its land administration to improve efficiency.

Nwankwoeze said that with this development, allottees would no longer hold their R of O in their house and assumed they owned a land in FCT.

He said that beginning from April 21, any offer of R of O must be paid for within 21 days of offer to validate acceptance.

?So, acceptance of the offer of statutory R of O in the FCT is now tied to payments of the accompanied bills,? he said.

The director of land also said that for lands allocated in the area councils, the allottees would be expected to make all payments within 60 days. (NAN)

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