Governor Umaru Mohammed Bago of Niger State | File Image
By Mohammed Usman
Niger State residents have pleaded with the state government not to implement its new land laws, which they described as anti-people.
The residents including a widowed primary school teacher, Mrs. Hannatu Joseph, said that the government’s insistence on implementing the new law would force the landlords and housing agents to hike house rents in Niger State without minding the economic hardship their tenants were passing through.
The appeal is coming on the heels of Niger State government’s introduction of the land law that excludes places of worship, old people’s homes, Correctional facilities, Emirs’ palaces and residences of senior citizens from paying the planned land use charges.
Commissioner for Lands and Survey, Maurice Bello Magaji, had in a statement declared that the Niger state government’s new land order was to enhance effective and efficient land administration.
Maurice, a legal practitioner, said that the new law was to consolidate all property and land-based rates in accordance with the State Revenue Harmonisation Law; just as charges would be based on assessments of land properties, considering factors like location, purpose, and type.
“The Niger land use charge aligns with international best practices and the Revenue Harmonisation Law, which seeks to improve the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) for better provision of social amenities”, the statement further emphasized.
It added however that certain properties are exempted.
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“However, properties belonging to certain groups and individuals, including places of worship, old people’s homes, correctional facilities, Emirs’ palaces, and residences of senior citizens, will be exempted from these charges”.
The statement which also indicated that Governor Muhammad Umar Bago already approved upgrading of the state’s Geographical Information System (GIS), said the new order will not only bring about more development but ease of identification for residential areas within Minna, the state capital, in particular.
“The GIS upgrade will enable Niger state government identify areas of interests, particularly agricultural lands, and generate data for planning purposes, including house numbering, and as well streamline land acquisition processes, improve data accuracy, and facilitate better management of land resources across the state”.
Mrs. Hannatu Joseph, speaking to journalists on the new order lamented that it was unfortunate that tenants would be at the receiving end if the state government fails to protect them because their survival would be at the mercy of the landlords and their agents.
Accusing government of being insensitive to the plights of the masses, Hannatu argued that “Government is looking at what will be of benefit to them, and not about what will happen to poor tenants if they start to implement it.
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