Mischief Makers Using Land Use Charge To Misinform Residents, Says Ambode

The Lagos State Government has said that some mischief makers were desperately exploiting the challenges posed to the government by the new Land Use Charge Law which seeks to raise more money for the provision of public infrastructures for the benefit of all, to misinform the public.

It would be recalled that Governor Akinwunmi Ambode had also debunked insinuations that many tax items were reviewed upward, saying that the claim was not true.

Speaking to journalists after leading a symbolic walk against sexual and domestic violence on Monday in Alausa, Governor Ambode said his administration was very sensitive to the people, and would not go all out to deliberately overburden them.

“I want Lagosians to understand one particular issue. We have over 300 tax items for which nothing has been touched apart from this Land Use Charge and maybe one other. But again, we are a very responsive government; we are very sensitive because at the end of the day, governance is about the people; it is about what they want.

“Yes, people might like that infrastructural development is on the progressive chart in Lagos but also it comes with a price. But notwithstanding in the middle of all that, a responsive government will listen to the yearnings of her people.

“At the end of the day, it’s all for the development of Lagos. What this government is interested in is to create a trajectory and framework of permanent prosperity for Lagos. It is not about today, it is about the future and if there is going to be permanent prosperity in Lagos, some things have to be done but I can tell you based on the dialogue and the things we have been receiving on the Land Use Charge, obviously we would respond positively to those yearnings,” Governor Ambode said.