NCP demands repeal of Lagos property law

The National Conscience Party of Nigeria (NCP), Lagos State Chapter, has demanded for the immediate repeal of the controversial Land Use Charge and an outright cancelation of the charges already levied against Lagosians by the state government.

Rising from a public hearing by the Lagos State House of Assembly, the Lagos State chairman of the party, Fatai Ibuowo, said that there is no justifiable basis for the tax in the first instance and the state government should therefore reconsider every move and implementation causing the citizens a lot of pains.

He, therefore, demanded for a return to status quo and a total cancelation of the Land Use Tax altogether. “We are definitely not satisfied with the so-called 50 percent reduction by the governor after massive public outcry and protests. This is still an increment of over 250 percent over the original rate amounting to nothing but the usual trick of increment. This is not acceptable. 

“As far as the mass majority of Lagosians are concerned, there is no justifiable basis for the tax in the first instance, imposed since 2001 and the 2018 ‘amendment’ of the so-called law, which brought about a monstrous increase in the charges, is nothing but an amendment of an outright illegality and extortion.”

He also condemned the Lagos State House of Assembly for passing the law before calling for its review, describing it as “medicine after death and a damage control mechanism to save the electoral seats of the members of the APC dominated 40-man assembly who are too eager to pass all manners of anti-people laws within 24-hours without due democratic process.”

Ibuowo said the law was dubious, undemocratic and a coup against the people.“We ask to know what is the moral justification for a government that has refused to invest in mass housing, to tax people who struggled to put a roof over their heads. This equally applies to the water taxes. A government that has refused to invest in potable water supply for the citizens has no moral right to tax the citizens who dig their own wells for water.

On workers’ salaries, he blamed the government for increasing numerous fees, without eagerness to increasing the wages and pensions of Lagos State workers and pensioners.“Where do they want workers and the unemployed to get the money to pay? The overwhelming majority of Lagosians are still living on less than $2.00 per day.” 
 
He said the argument of infrastructure breakdown put forward by the Lagos State government as the reason for the increment definitely does not hold because the party has held power for 19 years, with little to show for it.

“The reason for the numerous increments is a clear attempts to transfer the burden of the monstrous debt accumulated by the past and present APC regimes in Lagos onto the heads of the masses. It must also be stated that Lagos’ financial document is totally hidden from the eyes of the public and the house of Assembly is a major part of the cover up.”

He said NCP would continue to throw its weight behind the struggle against this draconian increment.He also called on the citizen of Lagos to vote the lawmakers out of office in the next election.