A renowned socio-political activist and critic, Chief Adesunbo Onitiri, has chided Lagos State Government for allegedly enacting a law authorising Lagos Parking Authority to demand ‘outrageous’ permit fees for setbacks (off-street) parking.

Onitiri, in a statement, yesterday, urged Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to direct the state House of Assembly to revoke or review the law immediately in the overall interest of the citizenry.

According to him, the parking permit fee was not in tandem with the economic realities in the country.

He said that the Lagos Parking Authority in letters to landlords and organisations is demanding N80,000 for one slot, N240,000 for three slots plus N50,000 non-refundable administrative/processing fees for setbacks (off-street) parking from landlords and business organisations.

Onitiri said paying such outrageous fees would further impoverish the people the government claimed to be catering for, particularly the property owners who were already paying yearly tenement and land rates to the state government.

According to him, the introduction of setback/off-street parking by the state government with the current state of the country is a height of insensitivity to the yearnings and sufferings of the people because it would skyrocket both house rents and office accommodations.

The social critic, who demanded to know if the parking fees would replace the tenement rates, said the parking fees were unfair because there are many house owners living in their homes without renting them out. “Shouldn’t they park their vehicles in their homes?” he queried.

He pointed out that even if the government wanted to collect such fees, it should be very minimal, and not the type of outrageous fees being demanded by the parking authority from many landlords and property owners who were struggling to make two ends meet or organisations struggling to pay their members of staff salaries.

Onitiri cautioned the government not to push the people to the wall, but to make laws with human face.