The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ikeja branch, has commenced a protest against the reviewed Land Use Charge Law in Lagos.
Prior to the commencement on Tuesday, there were speculations whether or not it would go on as planned.
But Chairman of the branch, Mr. Adesina Ogunlana, took to his Facebook page on Monday assuring that exercise will go on as planned.
Attempts by the Lagos police boss to stop the protest also failed but the police agreed to provide security cover.
Addressing the protesters Tuesday morning, Ogulana urged them to be peaceful and focus on the objective of the strike, which he said is a clear ‘no’ to the oppressive tax regime.
Joined by some residents and civil society groups, the lawyers protested against what they described as “Hell Tax” regime recently introduced by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode.
The protesters, who started their rally from the premises of the Lagos State Magistrate Court, Ikeja, were initially locked out for about 45 minutes and prevented from gaining access to the State House of Assembly and the Lagos House.
The development infuriated the protesters, who insisted that they would not talk to members of the State Assembly led by the Majority Leader, Sania Agunbiade, who had come out to attend to them.
Eventually the protesters gained access into the premises of the House of Assembly, and submitted their protest letter.
Ogunlana warned that the branch, with the support of Lagosians, would be forced to go to court if the governor the State Assembly failed to do the needful.
Agunbiade assured the protesters that their protest letters would be given adequate consideration, adding that their concerns would be addressed.
The NBA had last week given Ambode a seven-day ultimatum to revert to the old Land Use Charge.
Ogunlana had said that the branch would on Tuesday (today) embark on street protest tagged “walk the talk” to protest the over 400% hike in land use charge and another 300% in car registration without recourse to dialogue with relevant stakeholders.
“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, which is 300%. In the 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,” Ogunlana had lamented.
He argued that if these regimes of tax are allowed to stay, Lagos State would be a living hell.
“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 customers who will have to bear the burden or crumble under the weight.”
He faulted the government for trying to hide under developing Lagos into a mega-smart city to kill Lagosians with what he called “pharaonic taxes”.
“Must Lagos become a so-called Paradise at the expense of lives and limbs of Lagosians?” he asked.
“Ambode should not let people regret voting for him the first time and go on to reject him for a second term,” Ogunlana warned.
But the governor did not see need to address the lawyers.
