The Delta State Government has reiterated its resolve to penalise Land Title holders with Ground Rent liabilities who have failed to comply with the October 31, 2017 deadline.
The Secretary to the State Committee on Ground Rent, Dr. Frank Nwugo, disclosed this in a meeting the Committee held with Representatives of Religious bodies at the glass house, Asaba.
According to him, payment of ground rent is mandatory for every land and property owner as enshrined in the Land Use Act and State Gazette of 2002, adding that all lands in the state belong to the government.
He said that massive awareness had been created regularly since 2014, emphasizing that the State Government decided to kick-start the payment of Ground Rent liabilities with holders of the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O).
Nwugo, while taking into cognizance the poor state of the economy and how it has affected the living standards of the public, reiterated the benevolence of the governor, who had approved the waiver of all outstanding Ground Rent liabilities before 2011 for organizations and corporate bodies and before 2015 for individual or private owners of land and property depending on when C of O was acquired.
The secretary further said that a TaskForce Committee would be constituted to enforce compliance and advised all those affected to meet their outstanding liabilities as required by the law, even as he commended participants for their contribution to the socio-economic growth of the state.
The meeting was attended by the Secretary, Members of the State Committee on Ground Rent and Representatives of Religious bodies including Christ Embassy, Victory Baptist Church, Corner Stone Ministries, Emmanuel the Saviour Catholic Church, Redeemed Christian Church of God among others