Senate Investigates N6 Trillion Unpaid Ground Rent From Property Owners

By Adekunle Adesuji

Senate has set up an ad-hoc committee to probe and recover the over six trillion naira accrued from the non-payment of ground rent from property owners across the country.

The decision of the Senate was a sequel to a motion sponsored by Senator Yusuf Abubakar Yusuf   Coming under orders 41 and 51 of the senate standing rules .

According to him ,the Land Use Act has vested ownership rights to the Federal Government over its land in states and the Federal Capital Territory.

He stated that the rights include the power to control and regulate town planning, and physical development in relation to such lands and by extension prescribing and collection of any tax, fees or rates.

The lawmaker lamented that since 1992, over two million houses across the 36 states of the federation, including FCT have been built and allocated to beneficiaries by the federal government, yet majority have no  evidence of  payment of ground rent on their properties.

He noted that with the current revenue challenges facing the country, there is a need for the government to look into other means of generating income than relying on oil revenue.

He added that investigation reveals that ,  the failure of relevant authorities to recover these funds has led the country to  loosing over six trillion naira.

Senators  took turns to ask the federal government to come up with a computerized system where all allotted lands and properties, persons yet to pay  and  fashion out mode of recovering these funds .

The senate agreed  to constitute an adhoc committee to investigate the inability of federal ministry of works and housing to investigate and recover these incomes for the government .

The upper chamber is to also investigate the circumstances that led to the inability of the land use act allocation committee, saddled with the responsible of handing rent and licence matter,  to carry out their responsibility on the matter .

The red chamber also called for comprehensive data of federal government property that are sold to the public under the ministry of works and housing across the country.

The  Senate, therefore, set up the committee and members include the following; Senator Adamu Aliero,  Senator Sani Musa Senator,Sam Egwu, Senator Smart Adeyemi,Opeyemi Bamidele , Senator Betty Apiafi, Senator Yusuf Abubarkar Yusuf.

After setting up the Committee, the Senate gave the committee one month to report back to plenary.