By Joy Odor
Senate has set up an Ad-hoc Committee, chaired by former Kebbi State Governor, Senator Adamu Aliero, to investigate and recover the over N6 trillion accrued from the non-payment of ground rent from property owners across the country.
This followed a motion moved by Senator Yusuf Abubakar Yusuf (APC Taraba Central) at the floor of the Senate that the Land Use Act has vested ownership rights to the Federal government over its land in States and the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT).
Rising under Orders 41 and 51 of the Senate standing rules Yusuf informed that the rights include the power to control and regulate town planning, and physical development in relation to such lands and by extension prescribing and collection of any tax, fees or rates.
He informed that since 1992, over two million houses across the 36 states of the federation, including the FCT have been built and allocated to beneficiaries by the federal government, yet majority have no evidence of payment of ground rent on their properties.
Yusuf noted that with the current revenue challenges facing the country, there is a need for the government to look into other means of generating income than relying on oil revenue.
He stressed that investigation reveals that the failure of relevant authorities to recover these funds has led the country to loosing over six trillion naira.
Also speaking on the impact of the electoral law, Senator Yusuf charged the incoming 10th National Assembly to look into the electoral reform in bid to amend it.
He informed that the importance of revisiting the electoral reform is imperative as INEC has not been able to conduct the elections smoothly, having packets of court cases due to their inability to conclude elections using the electoral reform law.
The Lawmaker therefore enjoined INEC to observe all the amended Acts in the electoral reforms in the coming supplementary elections.
