NUJ Urges Ebonyi Govt to Regulate Land Agents, Tackle Exploitative Taxation

The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ebonyi State Council, has raised concerns over the activities of land and house agents, as well as contractors handling revenue collection for the state, describing their practices as exploitative and contrary to the welfare agenda of Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru’s administration.

In a communique issued after its congress and jointly signed by Comrade Samson Nwafor, Chairman of NUJ Ebonyi State Council, and Comrade Chinaza Peculiar John, Secretary of the Council, the Union called on the state government to urgently enact laws to regulate the operations of land and house agents, noting that their unchecked activities have worsened the rising cost of house rent in the state. The congress also decried the excesses of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) contractors, particularly those managing fire service levies, environmental sanitation taxes, tenement and property rates. According to NUJ, these contractors and their agents often impose charges beyond what is contained in the official revenue schedule, leaving residents vulnerable to exploitation. “Most worrisome is a situation where the contractors issue conflicting demand notices to residents, thereby generating confusion and hardship,” the statement read. The Union further lamented the harassment of residents by revenue contractors who allegedly serve “Pre-Court Action Notices” on property owners, drag defaulters to court, and in some cases seal or confiscate properties. It described the trend as insensitive to the current harsh economic realities and a clear contradiction of the state government’s People’s Charter of Needs agenda. NUJ, therefore called on Governor Nwifuru to urgently intervene to curb the excesses of these agents and contractors in order to protect Ebonyi residents from undue exploitation.