The Osun State Chapter of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), has tackled the state government for asking property owners to pay three years arrears of land use charge.
The party described the new charge as financial burden on the people especially at the present time that standard of living is poor.
The party in a statement made available to newsmen by its state chairman, Dr. Tosin Odeyemi, Sunday, queried why the government didn’t demand for land use charge in year 2017 when the law was passed.
Odeyemi, on Sunday, wondered why the government was demanding taxes at a time many governments were giving people tax holidays to cushion the effects of coronavirus.
Odeyemi noted that the same government that was demanding arrears of land use charge was owing retirees backlog of unpaid gratuities.
“Why didn’t the government demand land use charge in the year 2017? Why is it asking people to pay money it was supposed to collect back in years 2017, 2018, and 2019 this year when coronvavirus has killed many businesses?
“From the information we had, some property owners had been asked to pay as much as N20,000 for a single house. An uncompleted house in Ede was asked to pay about N6,000 for each year and the government wants the money paid for years 2017 to 2020.
“This is simply unrealistic and mean. Governments in the world over are giving people tax holiday to cushion the effects of coronavirus, but ours here wants us to pay through our nose the money it refused to demand when the economy was better,” he said.
The state Commissioner for Political Affairs and Inter-Governmental Relations, Mr. Taiwo Akeju, when contacted for reaction, he said: “People can see what this administration has been doing with the little resources available to it. We should also note that Nigeria is going into recession again.
“All hands must be on deck to provide social services. People must continue to pay their taxes. We mean well and we will not do anything that will cause hardship.”
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