The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, says big men (rich people) residing in Abuja remain FCT’s biggest problem in voluntary tax compliance for development. Wike stated this during President Bola Tinubu’s inauguration of the newly constructed Collector Road CN2 (Zakari A. Kyari Street) in Abuja on Thursday to celebrate his second year in office.
The FCT Administration constructed the road from Arterial Road N11 (Ahmadu Bello Way) in Mabushi to Judges Quarters in Katampe District and other roads.
The minister said that the big men living in the FCT do not like paying taxes. However, he expressed dismay that the same big men voluntarily pay their taxes and ground rent in London, the United States of America and other foreign countries. He said that the CN2 road and other connecting roads in Katampe District were executed with taxes and ground rents paid by responsible residents. He reminded FCT residents, particularly big men, that whoever has land in the territory and has not paid ground rent should pay, or their names would be published in newspapers as defaulters.
He urged Tinubu, represented by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Benjamin Kalu, to talk to FCT residents about the need to pay their taxes. He said this would enable the FCT Administration to deliver more infrastructure in the territory for the good of all.
Earlier, Mr Richard Dauda, acting Executive Secretary of the Federal Capital Development Authority, said that CGC executed the project, which was flagged off in October 2024. Dauda said that the CN2 road was a dual carriageway with two lanes each, while the other roads were single carriageways.
