By Fatima Muraina
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Property owners in Ondo State have been urged to make immediate payment of the Land Use Charge or get their buildings sealed after the expiration of 30 days ultimatum notice.
The chairman of Ondo State Board of Internal Revenue (BIR), Mr. Tolu Adegbie, gave this warning in an interview with The Hope in Akure.
Commenting on the ‘Due to seal’ notice served on the residents of Oba-Ile Housing Estate, Adegbie disclosed that the board after the expiry day, will move and seal”.
“The law says 30days and I advise everybody to go and pay before January ending”, he stated.
He said the state was acting under the law which states that “once you have been served a notice you have 30 days to pay”.
Adegbie expressed surprise over the claim of Oba-Ile residents that they were not served any bill before the ‘due to seal’notice was served.
He noted further that he had ordered the board officials to serve another bill to them to ensure that payment is done within the stipulated period.
“In fact, I told my people to go round again in all places where they said they do not have the bill, to serve them another round of bill, including those who did not bother to come”, he said.
According to him, the same billing procedure was done at Ijapo Estate and Alagbaka Estate, before Oba-Ile and there were no complaints visited earlier, from the two estates except from Oba-Ile.
Residents of Oba-Ile housing estate had earlier expressed worry over the placement of ‘Due to seal’ notice at the entrance of their houses.
The Central Chairman of Oba-Ile Residents’ Association, Otunba Benjy Oloye, who spoke with The Hope on the development, described it as surprising and disappointing.
Oloye said they were suprised to come back from work to see the notice placed on their doors when no bill was earlier given to such effect.
He disclosed that they had earlier had a joint meeting involving other housing estates with the Commisioner for Works and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Infrastructure on the need for infrastructural development within the estate.
He also disclosed that a special meeting was held with the Housing Development and Property Corporation which had directed that such payment should be made to the state Board of Internal Revenue.
According to him, the residents of the estate had agreed to pay the charge, but they should be given the bill so that they would know the modality for payment.
“Why should they come to seal without giving the bill”.
While reacting to non payment of the Land Use Charge, Oloye assured that all the residents would pay because it was a law.
He appealed to government to present the bill for people to know what to pay and not just placing notice of ‘Due to seal’ .