Ground rent: ‘We demand apology for this rascality’, FIRS slams FCTA

The service also demanded an apology from the management of the FCTA over alleged non-payment of grand rent by the FIRS.

Recall that the FCTA on Monday embarked on a drive to seal up offices and property defaulting in the payment of ground rent across the capital city.

Some other properties sealed by the FCTA include a Total Energies fuel station in Wuse Zone 3, an Access Bank building in Wuse Market, the Peoples Democratic Party’s headquarters and over 4,000 other buildings owned by different individuals and organisations.

However, reacting to the action by the FCTA, Dare Adelanmbi, the special adviser to the FIRS chairman on media said the service has successfully fulfilled all its obligations regarding payment of ground rents for its offices in the FCT.

Adekanmbi also queried the decision of the FCTA and its enforcement officers to seal its officers.

According to him, there is no way the FIRS would pay ground rent for some of its offices without making payments for others.

He said, “Are you saying that we paid the ground rate on others and we did not pay on those two offices? It is not possible. All our offices in Abuja listed in this letter, we paid ground rate.”

Further stating that the service has never defaulted in its obligation to pay its ground rents, FIRS said the FCTA is yet to issue receipts on funds paid to it as ground rent for its building including the ones that were sealed.

“And they also went ahead to carry out this rascality, as my colleague said. Because this is what they have done. They have only invaded our premises for no just cause.”

“We are demanding an apology from FCT officials who came to carry out this rascality. And they must explain to Nigerians why they chose that option. Because this is a government agency – a government agency that is law-abiding, that is carrying out the mandates of the President,” Adekanmbi added.