FCTA loses N500m revenue to illegal masts – Director 

Favour Ishember, Abuja

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) Department of Outdoor Advertisement and Signage (DOAS), has revealed that the administration lost about N500m revenue to erected masts  without approval in the territory.

The Director, Dr Babagana Adam who stated this in an interaction with some Journalists in Abuja, Thursday,said available records with the FCT administration since inception of the department, showed that three thousand and fifty masts in the city had no genuine approval.

Babagana said some companies only paid for permit, and refused to pay the processing fee of one million five hundred thousand naira, and go ahead erecting their masts and towers, which he described as an illegal arrangement.

In his words: “We have lost about five million naira revenue to illegal masts and towers in the territory.

“The permit for erecting a mast is N20,000, the processing fee is one million five hundred thousand naira. But many don’t pay, they  only pay for the permit and go ahead erecting their masts and towers.

“We discovered this when some communities laid the complain to National Assembly, that the noise from the towers was affecting them, and need to be addressed”.

He hinted that in the whole of the Nation’s Capital, only three hundred and twenty masts and towers that  had certified approval.

According to him, most of the mobile subscribers only apply without paying the requisite dues.

On measures to be taken against the illegal masts, Babagana said necessary steps are taken to ensure that the enforcement didn’t violate human rights.