The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has issued a serious warning to 34 embassies located in Abuja over their accumulated ground rent arrears, which reportedly dates back to 2014.
The FCTA threatened to seal the properties of these defaulting diplomatic missions if the outstanding payments are not settled.
It was reported that the cumulative debt from the embassies totals over N3.6 million. The public notice from the FCTA highlighted the embassies that have defaulted in payments despite reminders.
Nyesom Wike, the FCT Minister, initially ordered the revocation of thousands of land titles due to long-standing unpaid ground rent. However, the minister later granted a 14-day grace period for all affected parties, including the embassies, to clear their debts.
Among the embassies named in the FCTA’s publication are the missions of Ghana (Defence Section), Thailand, Ivory Coast, Russia, the Philippines, the Netherlands, Turkey, Guinea, Ireland, Uganda, Iraq, Zambia, Tanzania, Germany, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Venezuela, South Korea, Trinidad and Tobago, Egypt, Chad, Sierra Leone, India, Sudan, Niger Republic, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Indonesia (Defence Attaché), as well as delegations from the European Union, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, China (Economic and Commercial Office), South Africa, and Equatorial Guinea.
Some embassies have denied owing any rent. The Russian Embassy said it had fulfilled all financial obligations and held the receipts to prove it.
Similarly, the Turkish Embassy expressed confusion over its inclusion on the list and suggested it may be due to a clerical error.
A spokesperson from the German Embassy insisted they had not received any debt notification and stated all payments had been completed by the end of 2024.
Ogbole Amedu-Ode, a former Nigerian Ambassador to Mexico, advised caution against drastic measures, citing that the embassies are protected by the 1961 Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations. He suggested that a diplomatic resolution would be a more appropriate approach to address the issue.
STARNEWS
