FCTA MASS HOUSING SCHEME: FG MOVES TO RECOVER LOST REVENUE, CHECK FRAUD

Mass Housing developers, in the Federal Capital Territory, who failed to comply with the statutory requirements for their development or defaulted in payments, would soon face the long arm of the law. 

The Chairman, Special Presidential Investigation Panel for Recovery of Public Property. Chief Okoi Obono-Obla gave this indication today, Thursday, October 25, 2018, when he paid a working visit on the FCT Administration.

The Chairman revealed that the action was sequel to intelligence reports and petitions received by the Panel from concerned stakeholders. According to him, out of the over 300 beneficiaries of mass housing land in the FCT, only 64 developers have completed and signed lease agreement, while a whopping 79 percent have failed to comply with statutory requirements and payments. He said the total fees collected so far, amounting to N1, 086,750,000 billion, falls short of what should have been realized by the FCT Administration.

The Chairman expressed concern over reports of fraudulent leasing of land for mass housing development by initial beneficiaries as well as cases of non-payment of rates and fees amounting to billions of Naira. Also to come under scrutiny are reports of Civil Servants who were alleged to be complicit in these fraudulent deals that robbed government of billions of naira.  

He explained that the panel was constituted in August 2017 by the Federal Government of Nigeria, pursuant to the Recovery of Public Property (Special Provisions) Act, CAP R4, LFN, 2004, with a mandate to investigate the assets of private persons and public officers perceived to have engaged in corrupt practices, or in anyway breached the provision of the Code of Conduct.