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By Oscar Okhifo, Abuja
The Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barr. Nyesom Wike, Mr. Lere Olayinka has fired back at Senator Ireti Kingibe, describing her recent comments on the enforcement of ground rent payments as ill-informed, embarrassing and politically motivated.
Olayinka, in a statement on Thursday, accused the FCT lawmaker of harbouring personal grouse towards the Minister and viewing issues through a biased and antagonistic lens.
He criticized her position on the ongoing efforts to recover unpaid Ground Rent from defaulting property owners in the FCT, calling it “ridiculously illogical” and a clear demonstration of her “ignorance of the Land Use Act.”
“It is embarrassingly unfortunate that a sitting senator, whose responsibility includes making laws, appears unaware of the provisions of the same laws she is sworn to uphold,” Olayinka said.
Citing the Land Use Act, specifically Section 28, Subsections (a) and (b), Olayinka emphasized that the law permits the revocation of statutory rights of occupancy in cases where there is a breach of terms outlined in a Certificate of Occupancy including the failure to pay annual Ground Rent.
“Is the annual payment of Ground Rent not a fundamental term in every Certificate of Occupancy?” he asked.
“Or has Senator Kingibe decided to turn her aversion to Wike into a public display of legal ignorance? Is she not a senator? Is she not supposed to know these things?”
Olayinka further chided the senator’s posture, suggesting she would prefer a situation where landowners can ignore their financial obligations without consequences.
“She might as well be advocating that when landowners refuse to pay for 10, 20, or even 43 years, the government should dance in celebration instead of enforcing compliance,” he said sarcastically.
Olayinka urged the FCT Senator to seek knowledge and elevate her discourse beyond personal animosity and to engage with issues based on law and governance, not political sentiment.
“If she were the FCT Minister, would she have turned a blind eye to over four decades of unpaid dues simply because she feared political backlash?” he queried.
Olayinka’s response follows recent criticism by Senator Kingibe regarding the FCTA’s move to enforce Ground Rent collections and the possible revocation of titles for long-term defaulters a policy she claimed was insensitive and anti-people.
However, the FCT Administration insists the move is in line with legal provisions and a necessary step to sanitize land administration in the nation’s capital.
While the applauds and criticisms spread across the FCT, President Tinubu intervened and a 2 weeks grace was given to defaulters to pay up what they are owing.