The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has condemned the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) for what it characterized as an “embarrassing invasion” of its offices in Abuja.
The incident occurred in response to the alleged non-payment of ground rent, leading to FCTA officials sealing off FIRS offices located at No. 12 and No. 14 Sokode Crescent, Wuse, Zone 5, Abuja.
In a statement released on Monday, the FIRS expressed its outrage over the enforcement actions taken by the FCTA, which it labeled as unjustified and erroneous.
The FIRS maintained that any alleged debt pertaining to ground rent had already been settled prior to the enforcement action.
According to Mr. Tyofa Abeghe, the Director of Facility Management at FIRS, the tax authority received a demand notice from the Abuja Geographic Information System (AGIS) in September 2023.
“This notice sought payment for ground rent accumulated over 25 years for the properties at issue.
“In response, FIRS acted promptly, remitting a total of N2,364,003.26, which covers outstanding ground rent obligations dating back to the year 2000 and extending to 2024,” the agency said.
Despite fulfilling its financial obligations in a timely manner, Abeghe noted that FIRS did not receive a treasury receipt to confirm the transaction.
The FIRS followed up with AGIS by sending a letter dated February 19, 2024, requesting official acknowledgment of the payment and a receipt.
He added that although this follow-up was acknowledged at the AGIS front desk, no formal response was ever issued.
“This action by the FCTA is entirely unjustifiable,” Abeghe stated.
“We have adhered to the demand notice, completed the payment, and sought to confirm our transaction.
“Instead of addressing the matter through proper administrative channels, they opted to invade our offices and seal them off,” Abeghe complained.
Also, Kunle Ogidi, Special Adviser on Infrastructure to the FIRS, denounced the behavior of the FCTA officials, labeling it as a reflection of administrative negligence.
He stressed that if the necessary due diligence had been employed, it would have become evident that the payment had indeed been made.
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“As a law-abiding agency, FIRS cannot be said to owe ground rent on any of its properties in the Federal Capital Territory, including the specific locations targeted by this enforcement action,” Ogidi asserted assertively.
Dare Adekanmbi, the FIRS Special Adviser on Media, questioned the rationale behind the FCTA’s actions.
“FIRS maintains around seven offices on Sokode Crescent alone. Why would we be required to pay ground rent on some properties while allegedly neglecting two others? Does that logic hold up?” he asked.
Adekanmbi reiterated that the payment of N2,364,003.26 was intended to cover the fiscal years in question and emphasized that the failure of the relevant FCTA agency to issue a receipt cannot justify the public embarrassment inflicted upon a federal institution.
The FIRS is therefore demanding an apology from the FCTA, asserting that the closure of its offices was not only unnecessary but also detrimental to inter-agency collaboration and the public trust essential for effective governance.
