Landlords in Onitsha South Local Government Area, Anambra State have lamented multiple levies being extorted from them by illegal revenue collectors, urging government to come to their rescue.
The landlords who raised the alarm during interactive forum with the Deputy Governor, Dr Onyekachukwu Ibezim at the council Secretariat listed the multiple levies to include sanitation, property and development levies which did not go down well with them.
Responding, Ibezim pledged to come to their rescue but observed that most houses in the commercial city lacked soak away pits while those that have channel them into Sakamori drainage system and Nwangene river thereby causing health hazards to inhabitants.
He said, “The essence of this meeting is for us to interface with you all, the landlords on the need to clear the blocked drains, clear the refuse dumps, plant trees and paint your buildings to give this place a face lift.
“We have discovered that most buildings in Onitsha town do not have soak away pits and those that have empty their waste into the Sakamori drainage and Nwangene river and this is causing health hazards among people and this doesn’t speak well of the largest commercial town in the sub Saharan Africa ” he said.
Commissioner for Environment, Engr Felix Odumegwu noted that the main trust of the meeting with landlords is to sensitize them on the need to clearing the drains , planting of trees as well as painting of buildings.
He noted that there is a law by the state Assembly on those issues adding that government cannot use the big stick now but would engage the stakeholders before taking actions against defaulters.
Chairman, Onitsha South local government Area, Chief Emeka Joseph Orji explained that in the last one year his administration has been able to enforce cleanliness and removal of illegal structures and shops built on top of the culverts.
He stated that the Council area would stop at nothing to put Onitsha in its position adding that there shall be no sacred cows as those that are against the law would face the music.
Chairman, Urban Regeneration Council, Arch Mike Okonkwo, noted that the state government wished to replicate what is seen at the developed countries adding that it would put Onitsha in the world map of Cities that have enabling environment for business and healthy living.
Earlier, spokesman of the Fegge landlords, Chief Ignatius Agabarugo pledged their readiness to cooperate with the state government but lamented the extortion of landlords by suspected touts.
“When a landlord is carrying out the renovation of buildings the boys (touts) will come to demand for money. We beg government to look into double taxation and payment of property rates which has been a rip off on the landlords,” he said.
