Wike Honours FCT Traditional Rulers with Land Allocation, Approves Fee Waiver

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has allocated parcels of land to members of the FCT Council of Traditional Rulers and approved a waiver of all statutory fees attached to their land titles.

The announcement was made during a ceremony held in Abuja on Friday, where Wike explained that the decision followed a directive from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“We cannot deny the fact that there are indigenous people who were here before the creation of the FCT.

“The President said we must extend a hand of fellowship to you. We must give honour to whom honour is due. If those who make peace cannot be appreciated with land, who should be?” Wike said.

The minister also praised traditional rulers for their role in ensuring what he described as the most peaceful Area Council elections in the territory’s history.

To further support their responsibilities, he pledged to provide utility vehicles to all traditional rulers in the FCT, noting that this would enable them to perform their duties more effectively.

Wike also highlighted ongoing infrastructure projects across satellite towns, including the dualisation of the Airport–Kuje road, the Bwari–Zuba link road, developments in Apo/Karshi and Basan Jiwa, as well as the completion of the Arab Road network.

On the fee waiver, he stressed that it would be unfair to expect traditional rulers to raise large sums to pay for lands they and their ancestors have occupied for generations.

“The president has also said I should waive the payment of statutory fees. We cannot give you the task to go and look for money to pay,” he added.

In response, the Ona of Abaji and Chairman of the Council, Adamu Yunusa, expressed appreciation to the President and the minister, assuring them of continued support from traditional institutions for government policies.

The move comes amid ongoing engagement between the federal government and traditional institutions, which continue to play key roles in grassroots governance, community leadership, and maintaining stability, particularly during elections and in land administration.