*’We Won’t Succumb To Blackmail’
*Minister To George: You Should Have Paid PDP Rent
THE Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr. Nyesom Wike, has disclosed that his administration was considering an increase in ground rent payments, just as he described refusal to pay the rent and other taxes as his greatest challenge in office.
Recall that the FCT Administration (FCTA) began sealing properties belonging to defaulters on Monday, May 26, including the national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), a branch of Access Bank and TotalEnergies filling station.
But President Bola Tinubu later intervened and granted those affected a 14-day grace to settled the indebtedness and penalties for defaulting.
However, addressing journalists on Wednesday, May 28, after inspecting ongoing projects in Abuja, Wike said while residents demand infrastructure in the territory, they fail to support the government by paying their taxes.
Noting that many debtors owe as much as 20 years’ worth of ground rent, despite that the rent remained unchanged for many years, said: “My greatest challenge is the refusal of people to pay what they owe. I will elaborate on this in the next media chat.
“People want facilities, they want infrastructure, but nobody asks where the funds come from. Abuja is not an oil-producing city; we rely solely on taxes. These are not new taxes; they have been in place for years.
“It is unfortunate that many elites own houses overseas. They understand the consequences of not paying taxes abroad, such properties can be forfeited. Yet, when it comes to their own country, they refuse to comply simply, because they believe there are no sanctions.
“Look at the arrears, 20, 30 years. And how much is it? We have not increased the ground rent, but we are working towards that, and I can assure you we will do so. The President has granted a two-week waiver. Let no one think that blackmail or intimidation will deter us; we will do what is necessary.”
In response to the comments of a former PDP deputy national chairman, Chief Bode George, who during a television programme, said Wike, who authorised the enforcement, as a PDP member should have paid the debt to show his loyalty to the party, nting that the party made the minister what he is today, politically.
George said: “We were told we had not paid N7million and so we defaulted on the ground rent. The painful part of it is that the minister is also a member of our party. They waited until the day we were to hold our NEC meeting to shut down the place.
“Talking as an African, culturally, let us look at it as his father’s house where he grew up, where he went to school and became a public personality. What do you do to pay back that family?
“Look at the appointments he had held. He has benefitted from the PDP massively. He should have just said to them, ‘okay, N7million, I’ll pay from my pocket. Take the receipt back to the party’s ecretariat.’
“And say, ‘you see, you people are foolish. I’m completely committed to this house; I am completely loyal to this house. I will not decimate it. This is the receipt, give me back my money.’ That is what you call a true son of that family.”
