Breaking: Tinubu Meets FIRS Boss as Wike Strikes in Abuja

• President Bola Tinubu has met with the FIRS Chairman, Zacch Adedeji, at the presidential villa in Abuja on Monday, May 26
• The president's meeting with the FIRS boss followed the sealing of the tax agency's office by the Nyesom Wike-led FCTA on Monday, May 26
• According to the Wike-led FCTA, the FRSC and several other agencies, including the PDP, have not paid ground rent for the past 25 years

President Bola Tinubu held a high-level meeting with the chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Zacch Adedeji, at the presidential villa in Abuja on Monday, May 26.

The meeting between the president and Adedeji came shortly after the officials of Nyesom Wike-led federal capital territory administration (FCTA) sealed off the office of FIRS at the Zone 5 area of Abuja following the allegation of not paying ground rent for the past 25 years.

FIRS condemned FCTA's sealing of its office

In a statement after the FCTA's action, the FIRS described the action of the administration as "unprofessional" and "malicious", which subsequently led to a public dispute.

Aside from the FIRS office, the FCTA also shut down several government agencies' buildings, including the headquarters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), for the same reason.

Since last year, the Wike-led FCTA had warned 3,273 allottees, including high-profile individuals and corporate organisations, to settle outstanding payments for their Certificates of Occupancy (C-of-O) within two weeks.

The Abuja administration warned that the failure to comply will result in the revocation of their Rights of Occupancy (R-of-O) and reallocation of the lands.

How many people will FCTA seal their properties?

Among the prominent people who will be affected by the FCTA directive are the children of the immediate past President Muhammadu Buhari, former speaker of the House of Representatives, and chief of staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila.

The sealing of the PDP secretariat came amid renewed crisis within the party leadership and the FCT Minister Wike, who had alleged that all his agreements with the party leaders had been scuttled and subsequently announced his withdrawal from the agreement.

Wike had explained that he would now be fighting his political battle alone after pointing an accusing finger at his former ally and governor of Oyo state, Seyi Makinde.

Note that the PDP crisis started soon after its presidential primary, after Wike lost to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and the party's flagbearer in the 2023 election could not reach an agreement with the agrieved members of the party, who were mainly led by Wike.

Wike asks Senate for security fund

Legit.ng earlier reported that Nyesom Wike, the minister of the FCT, has asked the Senate to allow him to establish a security fund to effectively fight the rising insecurity in Abuja.

The minister made the request when he appeared before the Senate committee on FCT and FCT area councils to defend his 2024 budget.

Wike maintained that having access to the security fund would allow him to finance security fights without going through the bureaucracy.

Source: Legit.ng