The Borno State Government has sealed off eight offices and houses of International Non-Governmental Organisations (INGOs) and local NGOs over non-payments of ground rent.. The affected INGO development partners could not update their landed property in Maiduguri metropolis, the state capital.
While supervising the Special Enforcement Operations Tuesday in Maiduguri, the Executive Secretary of Borno Geographic Information Service (BOGIS), Adam Bababe disclosed that eight offices and guest houses of defaulting NGOs are closed indefinitely. He said that the affected property remained sealed off, until they updated their property ownership and renting. According to him, the sealed off offices consist of INGOs and local NGOs rendering humanitarian services to IDPs in camps and host communities.
His words: “Out of 183 International and local INGOs operating in the state, only 21 registered with BOGIS,” lamenting that 162 are yet to update their property ownerships and tenures. He noted that for any transaction of lease of property or change of purpose to be legal, the Executive Governor must give approvals. He said the Agency had written a series of letters to landlords in June and August, 2020 as well as in January this year to the affected organizations; but failed to respond.
“The Agency would take similar exercise to banks and other financial institutions across the state,” he warned. He therefore called on property owners to update their documents and pay the statutory ground rents, warning that the government would not hesitate to invoke relevant laws against defaulters.
