…any enforcement action against embassies could trigger diplomatic fallout – Experts warn Wike
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has warned that 34 embassies in Abuja risk being closed down over unpaid ground rents that have spanned over 11 year, iNews Times reports.
A publication by the FCTA revealed that many foreign missions have not paid their ground rents since 2014, with the affected diplomatic missions collectively owing N3,662,196.
Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, had ordered officials to commence enforcement on 4,794 properties that were revoked due to non-payment of ground rent, spanning between 10 and 43 years.
President Bola Tinubu however intervened by granting a 14-day grace period to affected property holders to settle their outstanding bills.
According to the Director of Land, FCTA, Chijioke Nwankwoeze, the defaulters would pay penalty fees of N2 million and N3 million respectively, depending on their locations.
The affected embassies include the Embassy of Thailand (N5,350), Ghana High Commission Defence Section (N5,950); Embassy of the Russian Federation (N1,100); Embassy of Côte d’Ivoire (N5,500); Embassy of the Philippines (N5,950); Embassy of Turkey (N3,350), Embassy of the Republic of Guinea (N5,950) and the Royal Netherlands Embassy (N5,950).
Others are the embassies of Ireland (N500), Iraq (N550), Uganda (N5,950), and the Zambia High Commission, which owes (N1,189,990).
The list of defaulters also include the German Embassy (N1,000), Tanzania High Commission (N6,000), Embassy of the Democratic Republic of Congo (N5,950), Embassy of the Republic of Korea (N5,950), Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (N459,055), and the High Commission of Trinidad and Tobago (N500).
The High Commission of India (N150), Embassy of Egypt (N5,950), Sierra Leone Commission (N5,900), Embassy of Chad (N5,950), Embassy of Sudan (N5,950), Kenya High Commission (N5,950) and Embassy of Niger Republic (N500), are equally listed among the defaulters.
Others are the embassies of Indonesia (Defence Attaché), which has an outstanding balance of (N1,718,211), Zimbabwe (N500), and Ethiopia (N5,950).
The Delegation of the European Union (N1,500), Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia (N5,950), Embassy of Switzerland (N5,950), China’s Economic and Commercial Counselor’s Office (N12,000), the Government of Equatorial Guinea (N1,137,240) and South African High Commission (N4,950), are also on the list.
However, some of these embassies have claimed that they have not been officially notified of the outstanding debts, with the Embassy of the Russian Federation firmly denying any outstanding debts.
“The Embassy pays all bills for the rent of the territory on which the Embassy complex is located in good faith and on time. The Embassy also has all necessary documents confirming payment,” it stated.
Similarly, the Embassy of Turkey questioned its inclusion on the FCTA’s list, citing a possible administrative error.
A Turkish official said, “We have not received a formal notification about the debt. We regularly make our payments on time, and we will check if we are on the list because of a bureaucratic mistake or a misunderstanding, and will fix the issue as soon as possible.”
In the same vein, the German Embassy also clarified that no formal claim or demand regarding unpaid rent had been brought to its attention by the FCTA.
“We understand that you are referring to reports suggesting that the German Embassy in Abuja has outstanding rent obligations.
We would like to clarify that no such claim or demand has been formally brought to our attention by the Federal Capital Territory Administration,” the embassy stated.
The embassy further insisted that all official financial obligations relating to the embassy’s premises had been settled as of the end of 2024, adding that there are no known outstanding payments.
Adding that “The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany highly values its respectful and cooperative relationship with the government of Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory Administration and remains fully committed to transparency and mutual trust.”
The FCT minister’s spokesman, Lere Olayinka, said that the claims by some embassies that they were not indebted to the FCTA would be promptly investigated and appropriate action would be taken.
A former Nigerian ambassador to Mexico, Ogbole Amedu-Ode, referenced the 1961 Vienna Convention and urged caution.
“For the diplomatic premises, if we are to go by the Vienna Convention of Diplomatic Relations, the premises of a diplomatic mission are inviolable,” he submitted.
“But that is not to say that they are not supposed to obey local municipal rules and regulations or the rules and regulations governing such things as relate to property ownership. However, there may be a caveat.”
Amedu-Ode suggested that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should handle the matter diplomatically.
“It is a question of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs looking at each one on a bilateral basis and implementing it on a reciprocal basis,” the ex-envoy stated.
A foreign affairs analyst, Charles Onunaiju, also questioned the legality of applying ground rent rules to diplomatic missions, arguing that it was not applicable under international laws.
“By the Vienna Convention establishing diplomatic missions, diplomatic premises are sovereign territory of their respective countries,” Onunaiju pointed out.
He warned that any enforcement action against embassies could trigger diplomatic fallout.
“If you get into their premises to lock it down, you are obviously violating a very advanced diplomatic protocol. It will be a breach of diplomatic protocol,” the analyst warned.
Meanwhile, it was learnt that the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, Federal Inland Revenue Service FIRS, and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, who were also listed as defaulters, had settled their ground rent with the FCTA.
A reliable source close to the PDP leadership said that the party had resolved all issues with Wike regarding the ground rent.
“The PDP has resolved all issues with Wike regarding the ground rent. Action was taken on Friday to make the payment, so there is no longer any problem,” the source said.
When asked for clarification, the FCT minister’s spokesman, Lere Olayinka, said, “Some of these things, there is no way we can know. Some are paying through Remita, people are paying online. So, it’s until they bring their receipts that we can know.”
The iNews Times learnt that the Federal Inland Revenue Service had mended fences with the FCTA after their offices were sealed off following non-compliance.
FCTA had on May 26 sealed off the FIRS premises for non-payment of its ground rent, but the action sparked a row between both bodies, with the latter denying owing ground rent on its properties in Abuja.
The FIRS thus demanded a public apology from the FCTA for sealing off one of its offices.
But the FCTA insisted that the shutdown was due to the non-payment of ground rent, a statutory land charge.
Reacting the allegation that FIRS owed 25-year ground on two of its office at No 12 and 14, Sokode Crescent, Wuse Zone 5, Abuja, Director, Facility Management Department, FIRS, Tyofa Abeghe, said nothing could be further from the truth on the claim as FIRS had paid the said money.
Abeghe said a demand notice from Abuja Geographic Information System dated September 2023, asking for ground rent on the properties was honoured with a payment of N2,364,003 three months after the notice was issued.
