By Daniel Tyokua
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) Department of Outdoor Advertisement and Signage (DOAS), has disclosed that the administration lost about N500m revenue to masts erected without approval in the territory.
The Director, Dr Babagana Adam stated this in an interaction with some Journalists in Abuja, Thursday.
He said available records with the FCT administration since inception of the department, showed that 3,050 masts in the city had no genuine approval.
The Director said some companies only paid for permit, and refused to pay the processing fee of N1.5m, and go ahead erecting their masts and towers, which he described as an illegal arrangement.
Adam said: “We have lost about five million naira revenue to illegal masts and towers in the territory.
“The permit for erecting a mast is N20,000, the processing fee is one million five hundred thousand naira. But many don’t pay, they only pay for the permit and go ahead erecting their masts and towers.
“We discovered this when some communities laid the complain to National Assembly, that the noise from the towers was affecting them, and need to be addressed”.
He revealed that in the whole of the Nation’s Capital, Abuja only three hundred and twenty masts and towers had certified approval.
According to him, most of the mobile subscribers only apply without paying the requisite dues.
On measures to be taken against the illegal masts, Adam said necessary steps are taken to ensure that the enforcement didn’t violate human rights.
