LAND USE CHARGE: IKEJA NBA GIVES 7 DAYS ULTIMATUM TO LAGOS ASSEMBLY

LAGOS, Nigeria – The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ikeja branch has issued a 7-day ultimatum to the Lagos State House of Assembly to publish in the newspapers the proposed draft of the Reviewed Land Use Charge Law for interested residents and stakeholders to study and for adequate participation in public hearing that will precede any amendment.

The Ikeja branch of the NBA who gave the ultimatum at a press conference said unless the the Lagos State House of Assembly accedes to the request, it will carry out another protest march to vent their grievance against the government. According to Adesina Ogunlana, Chairman of the branch, failure on the part of the parliament to do this within seven days will lead to another mass protest.

“In fact, we NBA Ikeja branch completely reject the reduction for being a sham, a calculated ploy to hoodwink the good people of Lagos State and to present the facade that here – Ambode government is a listening and sensitive government. The reduction is a sham, a farce and a fraud because, the rates prescribed now subjected to reduction is based on a fraudulently extractive foundation. There was no proper evaluation of properties. Property owners were never aware or involve in any evaluation of their properties. So what we had from government is ghost evaluation. 

 
“So when the government says it is slashing cost, they are only deceiving people: the amounts prescribed are mere fantasies of their imagination.  We reiterate our rejection of the Land Use Charge, high litigation cost in the court, bore hole levies, car registration and all such other oppressive, illegal, extortionate charge of Lagos State.  The Land Use Charge Law 2018 as known now must be repealed.  Lagosians, from our own understanding and interactions are not against taxation in Lagos State and are not even against increase in taxation. However, the conditions for their acceptance of taxes are: transparent, gradual, reasonable and legally utilized. 

 

“No Lagosian should be in any hurry to pay the Land Use Charge. No payment should be made until the government listens and bow to the people’s will.  Let the parliament within 7 days from now publish in the papers the proposed draft of the Reviewed Land Use Charge Law of Lagos State for interested residents and stakeholders to study for adequate participation in public hearing that will proceed any amendment and which amendment should be delayed until May 2018. Where the government of Lagos neglect, fail and refused to positively consider these conditions, the NBA Ikeja will organize and embark on another protest action on Friday, March 29, 2018, to make the government truly answerable to the electorate”, he added.

Ogunlana described the reduction as a sham, a farce and a fraud, adding that the rates prescribed now subjected to reduction is based on a fraudulently extractive foundation.  The state government reduced the Land Use charge as part of the conclusions reached at the meeting of its Executive Council chaired by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode.

 
Following a hike in the Land Use Charge, NBA Ikeja along other civil society groups had protested the increase, demanding that the state should revert to the old rates. Ogunlana in his address titled ‘Land Use Charge: Matters Arising: GATT Must Go’, also described the introduction of the charge as undemocratic, illegal, excessively oppressive, arbitrary and parochial.