The Federal Capital Administration (FCTA) yesterday sealed the premises of the Federal Internal Revenue Service (FIRS), the National Secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Total Energy and others over unpaid ground rents.

The headquarters of the main opposition party, located at Wuse Zone 5, was sealed ahead of the party’s planned National Executive Council (NEC) meeting scheduled for today.

The NEC is the highest decision-making organ of the PDP, comprising state governors, serving and former presidents, former vice-presidents, the chairman and secretary of the board of trustees (BoT), principal officers of the national assembly, all state chairpersons, members of the national working committee (NWC), former governors, and founding members, among others. However, the national caucus meeting of the party was still held yesterday.

The FCTA had threatened to take possession of over 4,000 properties whose ownership was revoked for not complying with the payment of ground rent.

The Director of Lands, Chijoke Nwankwoeze, who led the enforcement team to seal off the places, said that the properties had reverted to FCTA. According to him, the exercise marks the beginning of the FCTA’s taking possession of more than 4,794 revoked properties.

He said the FIRS building, located in Wuse Zone 5, was owing the FCTA 25 years rent. According to him, the bank’s building, on Plot No. 2456, Wuse I, Cadastral Zone A02, Abuja, belonging to Rana Tahir Furniture Nig. Ltd, had not paid ground rent for 34 years.

Nwankwoeze said the FCTA had taken possession of the property. The enforcement team sealed Total Energy on plot 534 cadastral zone A02 Wuse Zone 1, belonging to Total Plc, over unpaid ground rent for more than 10 years.

The Director of Development Control, Mukhtar Galadima, said the action was lawful because the revocation was in compliance with the law.

He said: “So, today is just to comply with what we have said that we are going to take over all the revoked properties and we are starting with a plot 534 cadastral zone A02 that Wuse Zone 1, owned by Total PLC.”

Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu yesterday held a series of high-level meetings at the State House in Abuja, including one session with Zacch Adedeji, Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).

The meeting came shortly after officials of the federal capital territory administration (FCTA) sealed off the FIRS in the Zone 5 area of Abuja over alleged unpaid ground rent.