The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ikeja branch, seems ready to do battle with Lagos State government over the latter’s new Land Use Charge regime, which has elicited much controversy.
The body of lawyers has therefore given Governor Akinwunmi Ambode 7 days ultimatum to review the law, describing it as ‘hell tax’.
Chairman of the branch, Mr. Adesina Ogunlana, gave an insight into the association’s next line of action, in the event of the government failing to rescind its resolve to enforce the new law.
First, the NBA said its members will stage a protest march from its Secretariat in Ikeja to the Lagos State Secretariat in Alausa. The protest has been tagged “Hell Tax Must Go”.
Ogunlana said: “Few weeks ago, Lagosians woke up to learn about the hyper-inflated rate of the so-called “Land Use Charge” which the Governor of Lagos has escalated upwards 400 percent.
“Recently, one of our colleagues who regularly paid the sum of under N140,000 as LUC for office building received a notice of the LUC demand, he is now to pay N2 million.
“If these tax rates are allowed, Lagos State would be turned into a ‘Toxic Environment and a living hell’ for Lagosians.”
Ogunlana warned that the increase in property tax of the LUC will have an adverse effect on all other services as owners of properties and services will automatically transfer other financial burdens to their customers.
“My view is that the government of Lagos State has lost sync with the difficult and harsh realities of life of the people of Lagos and has taken their support and goodwill for his government for granted.”
“Life will become not only too expensive, but volatile and dangerous. The government cannot hide under “Developing Lagos into a Mega Smart City” to kill Lagosians with Pharaoic Taxes,” the legal practitioner submitted.