NAN-H-48
Law
By Douglas Okoro
Abakaliki, Feb. 23, 2017 (NAN) Some residents of Abakaliki have criticised the proposed property law seeking to introduce payment of taxes on buildings within the capital city and rural areas of the state.

The residents, who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday, described the bill as ‘obnoxious and anti-people’.

“The proposed bill if passed, will compound the existing hardship by escalating the cost of accommodation in the state.

“The bill before the Ebonyi State House of Assembly is obnoxious, anti-people, satanic and lacking in merit,’’ the residents claimed.

An official of Abakaliki Landlords’ Association (ALA), Mr Benjamin Oganiru, said that the association was opposed to the law due to its negative consequences.

“The implication of the proposed law is that tenants will pay more for residential houses, goods and services and school fees because owners of these buildings will increase their rents to pay for the new property tax.

“Also, house owners will have to pay for the number of buildings they have both in the urban and rural areas. The proposed law will certainly be an ill-wind that will blow no one any good,’’ Oganiru said.

He said that the association would dialogue with government to highlight the dangers inherent in the proposed law.

Another resident, Mr Michael Onwe, noted that the proposed law was capable of discouraging people from investing in real estate in view of the high tax demand.

He urged government to cut down on cost of governance and plug financial leakages to beef up the internally generated revenue of the state.

“The proposed law, I am sorry to say, is flawed with demerits no matter how the architects of the bill want to view it.

“The bill, if passed, will discourage people from investing in real estate business in Ebonyi and affect cost of renting residential and commercial buildings.

“I suggest that government should come with more humane measures on how to shore up the revenue of the state instead of crippling the masses with senseless taxes,” Onwe said.

Mrs Emelia Nwafor, a widow and house owner, expressed shock at the contents of the proposed property law.

“The proposed law is wicked and anti-people, and I advise that government should not push the masses to the wall through the anti-people policies,’’ Nwafor said.

The bill, an executive bill, is seeking to empower government to introduce property tax.

Highlights of the proposed law, include the establishment of special tribunal to try defaulters, five years imprisonment for offenders and exclusion of church and public school buildings.

The others, include exemption of palaces of traditional rulers and constitution of special committee to undertake housing census in the state with a view to ascertaining the number of buildings in the state. (NAN)

ODO/OIF/OFN

Edited by Ifeyinwa Okonkwo//Felix Nwadioha