NAN-H-83
Land charges
By Oluwatope Lawanson & Moji Eniola
Ikeja, March 7, 2018 (NAN) The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ikeja Branch, has urged Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode to suspend the implementation of the new Land Use Charge and other rates in the state.
The NBA Chairman, Mr Adeshina Ogunlana, told a media briefing on Wednesday that the revised land use charge law and the new tax regime are capable of turning Lagos State “a toxic environment and living-hell for residents.”
The Lagos State Government had on Wednesday clarified that the figures being circulated in the media on the rates for the newly reviewed Land Use Charge Law of 2018, saying many of the calculations were based on several years of arrears on the levy not paid by affected property owners.
“A lot of reliefs have been built into the law but many people are confusing arrears with the actual figures. If you see those figures, ask whether it is for one year or arrears of several years of non-payment.
“The humongous figures that are being bandied around particularly in the social media relate to the arrears of many years of non-payment which are computed together,” the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Kehinde Bamigbetan.
He told a news conference in Alausa that “there were so many misconceptions and misinformation about the new law”, adding that the law was a progressive enactment duly made by the House of Assembly and handed over to the Executive for implementation in the overall interest of the people.
But the NBA boss described as unacceptable what he called the 400 per cent increase of the Land Use Charge, 300 per cent increase of the car registration fee and renewal as well as the increase in filing costs of litigation in the courts.
The increase in the property tax of the Land Use Charge will have an adverse effect on all other services and functions in Lagos state.
Ogunlana said:“ Owners of properties and services will automatically transfer other financial burdens to their customers who will have to bear the burden or crumble.
“We think it is absurd for the Governor of Lagos State to be seeking dialogue over the issue of the tax regimes after the government deliberately created the situation in the first instance.”
He said the people should be consulted by the government first before the increment.
“Consultations ought to come before legislation and not the other way round.
“Our respectful and sober view is that the government of Lagos State had lost sync with the difficult and hard realities of the life of the people of Lagos,” the lawyer said.
Demanding that the increment as contained in the Land Use Charge should be suspended, Ogunlana threatened to call out NBA members out on a peaceful protest on March 13 if the government should go ahead with the law.
“If by Tuesday, March 13, Lagos State does not suspend or jettison the Land Use Charge, car registration fee and litigation fees, the NBA Ikeja branch shall conduct a ‘Walk The Talk Protest’ in Lagos.” (NAN)
LAW/MAE/AOM/DA
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(Edited by Abdullahi Mohammed/Dele Akinsola)