The Federal Capital Territory Administration has imposed a temporary
freeze on the collection of tenement rates.This directive was
contained in a circular signed by the FCT Permanent Secretary, Dr.
Babatope Ajakaiye.
The circular enjoined all stakeholders to abide by law, noting the
temporary policy is to be strictly complied with.
According to the circular, the suspension became necessary to sanitize
and streamline the tenement rates collection process, as well as
ensure compliance with relevant provisions of the Constitution of
Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Ajakaiye referred to the constitutional responsibility of the National
Assembly to prescribe rates to be paid on tenements in the FCT and
disclosed that the FCTA is liaising with the legislative body for the
enactment of the requisite Act.
He noted that the process of property valuation and gazetting at the
FCT Administration and FCT Area Council levels was on-going, while
submissions from the Area Councils were being collated for onward
transmission to the National Assembly.
“This suspension is also in consonance with a resolution of the House
of Representatives on the matter and decisions reached at a subsequent
meeting with the leadership of the House Committee on FCT, held on
October 31, 2016, deemed to remain in force until the National
Assembly concludes the enactment of the requisite legislationâ€, the
circular stated.
In a related development, the administration also announced a
moratorium on chieftaincy related appointments in the traditional
institutions in the Territory.
Ajakaiye said that the move was in reponse to a flurry of complaints
and litigations among interested parties.
He lamented that issues that pertained to appointment and installation
into traditional positions in the FCT often inflamed tensions inimical
to peaceful coexistence in some of these communities.
“It had become pertinent to emphasize the provision of the FCT Chiefs
(Appointment & Deposition) Act, 2007, which states that “upon the
death, resignation or deposition of any Chief or Traditional Ruler, of
a kind referred in sub-section (1)of this section, the Minister may
approve as the successor to such office of a Chief or Traditional
Ruler as the case may be, by any person appointed in that behalf by
the persons charged with the responsibility of appointing persons to
the office or Chief or Traditional Ruler in accordance with the
provisions of any order made by the Minister after consultation with
the Department of Local Government Administrationâ€, the circular
stated.
Consequently, according to the circular, all issues of appointments,
installation and turbanning of district, village and ward heads have
been suspended until further notice.
