FCTA Loses N500m Revenue To Illegal Masts

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) through the department of Outdoor Advertisement and Signage (DOAS) has said that the administration lost about N500m in revenue to masts erected without approval in the territory.

The director of DOAS, Dr. Babagana Adam who stated this during an interaction with some journalists in Abuja yesterday, said available records with the FCT administration since the inception of the department, showed that 3, 050 masts in the city had no genuine approval.

He said some companies only paid for permits and refused to pay the processing fee of N1,500,000 then went ahead to erect their masts and towers, which he described as an illegal arrangement.

“We have lost about N500, 000, 000 in revenue to illegal masts and towers in the territory. The permit for erecting a mast is N20,000, the processing fee is N1,500,000. But many do not pay, they only pay for the permit and go ahead erecting their masts and towers.

“We discovered this when some communities laid the complaint to the National Assembly, that the noise from the towers was affecting them and needed to be addressed,” he said.

Adam revealed that in the entire territory,  only 320 masts and towers have certified approval and that most of the mobile subscribers only apply without paying the requisite dues.

He said that necessary measures would be taken against the illegal masts, to ensure that the enforcement didn’t violate human rights.