Admin l Wednesday, March 07, 2018
IKEJA, Lagos, Nigeria – Lawyers in Lagos State are spoiling for war with the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode over recent 300 percent increment in Land Use Charge. They have also issued the governor 7-day ultimatum to reverse the tax or be prepared for war.
At a press briefing in Lagos, Nigeria Bar Association, Ikeja the lawyers who were very furious told the governor to revert to the old land use charge, car registration and cost of filing or face massive protest by the people in Lagos. The chairman of the branch, Mr. Adesina Ogunlana said the a massive protest will take off from Ikeja NBA office on Tuesday to Government House in Alausa to protest the over 400% increment in land use charge and another over 300% in car registration without consulting the people.
He said, “To the horrible shock of Lagosians, they woke up a few days ago to learn about the hyper-inflated rate of the so called land use charge which the Governor of Lagos state has escalated upwards 400%”.
“Another notable tax increase is in the car registration fee, another wacky 300% or so. In judiciary, filing cost of litigation has jumped astronomically, pushing genuine but financially weak grievances away from employing and enjoying access to legal and judicial justice.”
Adesina lamented that if these regimes of tax were allowed to stay, Lagos State would be a living hell. He said, “Even ordinarily in Lagos State accommodation is only cheap and easily affordable, that is for those who have the parks and under the bridge to sleep or dwell.
“Clearly the sharp increase in ancillary property tax of the land use charge will have a bandwagon effect on all other services and function in Lagos State as owners of properties and services will automatically transfer other financial burdens to other cashmeres who will have to bear the burden or crumble under the weight.”
Adesina said that the government could not hide under developing Lagos into mega-smart city to kill Lagosians with what he called “pharaoric taxes”. “Must Lagos become a so called Paradise at the expense of lives and limbs of Lagosians” he said. Ambode should not let people regret voting for him the first time and go on to reject him for a second term.”
