Lagos LUC Crisis Deepens, As NBA Vows To Defend Defaulters With 3,000 Lawyers
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Ikeja branch on Wednesday urged land and property owners in Lagos State not to pay the 50 percent reduction of the Land Use Charge (LUC) offered by the state government, saying they will defend defaulters with 3,000 Lawyer in court.
Speaking at a press conference tagged, ‘Land Use Charge: Matters Arising: GATT Must Go’, the Chairman of the branch, Adesina Ogunlana, who made the appeal described the introduction of the charge as undemocratic, illegal, excessively oppressive, arbitrary and parochial.
It would be recalled that the state government recently reviewed the LUC after an uproar by many stakeholders including the NBA.
Ogunlana, however, described the reduction as a sham and called it, ‘Governor Ambode Toxic Tax Must Go’, (GATT).
The legal practitioners went a step further by promising to defend residents in court with nothing less than 3,000 lawyers in the event of government’s prosecution.
Calling on stakeholders, Ogunlana urged, “That no Lagosians should be in any hurry to pay the GATT. No payment should be made until the government listens and bows to the peoples will.”
It also called on the parliament to within seven days publish in the newspapers the proposed draft of the Reviewed LUC Law of Lagos State for interested residents and stakeholders to study for adequate participation in public hearings that will precede any amendment and which amendment should be delayed until May 2018.
He further threatened that if Lagos government failed, NBA Ikeja will go on the street again on Thursday 29th March, 2018.
The lawyer said, “So when the government says it is slashing cost, they are only deceiving people: the amounts prescribed are mere fantasies of their imagination.
“We reiterate our rejection of the Land Use Charge, high litigation cost in the court, bore hole levies, car registration and all such other oppressive, illegal, extortionate charge of Lagos State.
“The Land Use Charge Law 2018 as known now must be repealed.
“Lagosians, from our own understanding and interactions are not against taxation in Lagos State and are not even against increase in taxation.
“However, the conditions for their acceptance of taxes are: transparent, gradual, reasonable and legally utilized.
“No Lagosian should be in any hurry to pay the Land Use Charge.
“No payment should be made until the government listens and bow to the people’s will.
“Let the parliament within 7 days from now publish in the papers the proposed draft of the Reviewed Land Use Charge Law of Lagos State for interested residents and stakeholders to study for adequate participation in public hearing that will proceed any amendment and which amendment should be delayed until May 2018.
“Where the government of Lagos neglect, fail and refused to positively consider these conditions, the NBA Ikeja will organize and embark on another protest action on Friday, March 29, 2018, to make the government truly answerable to the electorate.”
