The Edo State Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development, Arch. Francis Evbuomwan said there is a reasonable level of compliance with the Land Use Charge.
The commissioner stated this while commenting on the distraining order of Blessed Doris Dey Hotel, Unity Bank (King Square branch) and UBA Bank (Ikpoba Hill branch amongst other establishments in Benin City.
He stated that the distrained establishments failed to meet up with the time frame of 135 days with which to comply with the land use charge.
The Housing/Urban Development Commissioner said that after service of demand notice and the expiration of the 135 days with penalty, the government approached the court with a view to obtaining distraining order in line with the provisions of the law to distrain the affected property.
While stating that the state government has commenced the enforcement of the Court Orders as enshrined in the law, the commissioner urged the people to save themselves from the embarrassment of distraining their property by complying.
He used the opportunity to call on the people not to pay tenement rate to any individual/local government agents, adding that tenement rate was already a component of the land use charge.
He further stated that no physical cash should be paid to any person purporting to be agent of government other than the designated banks.
