Abuja: Wike extends three-month grace period to landowners of undeveloped

The FCT Minister, Mr. Nyesom Wike, has given owners of 189 undeveloped pieces of property in the territory a three-month grace period to begin development or risk having their allocation documents cancelled.

On Sunday in Abuja, Mr Muhammad Sule, Director of Information and Communication at the FCT Administration, said that although the affected title holders had received approval for the development plans, they had not yet begun to develop the properties.

According to Sule, the affected property owners must develop the land within the allotted time frame, fail to do so, and their title certificates would be withdrawn in accordance with the law.

He clarified that the grace period was available to both private citizens and corporations who had demonstrated a desire to develop their property by securing building plan permits.

Sule noted that public institutions were urged to develop whatever land they own within the FCT within the three-month grace period in order to avoid the penalty.

According to Sule, quoted by NAN, “The minister has extended this gesture to 189 property owners because they want to develop the properties by obtaining building plan approvals, a requirement for the development of any property in the FCT.”

The reason the plot owners were excluded from revocation was that they had already shown a strong commitment to developing their property by acquiring the requisite paperwork from the FCT Administration.

The affected property owners are being urged by the minister to take advantage of the offer and develop their lots in accordance with the conditions of their Offer of Right-of-Occupancy.