Era Of  Diverting Government Revenues To Private Pockets  Over – Abia Govt Assures

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

The Abia State  Government has called on Landlords, property owners and taxable residents to ensure that all payments ,including taxes/rents and other government statutory accurals are made through the state’s Single Treasurer Account STA to avoid government revenues founding their way in to private pockets.

This is just as it has urged landlords and other categories of property owners to avail themselves the new government policy of the issuance of Certificate of Occupancy C of O within 30 days of application.

The duo of Professor Ogbonna Udechukwu the Executive Chairman of Abia State Board of Internal Revenue BIR and Chief Chaka Chukwumerije ,the state Commissioner for Lands and Housing spoke separately on Wednesday April 17 2024 at an interactive session with the leadership and members of the umbrella body of Aba Landed property owners- Aba Landlords Protection and Development Association ALPADA .

Prof. Udechukwu ,noted that over the years ,leakages in the collection of revenues  have deprived the government  of  needed funds,a development which he said has negatively impacted on the abilities of government to meet its statutory obligations to the citizenry.

The BIR Chairman urged the people to religiously abide by their obligations to the government by ensuring prompt and regular payments of all statutory taxes,rents and other lawful financial commitments to the state Government, to enable it serve the people and deliver on its electioneering promises.

According to Prof. Udechukwu, no government any where in the world will be able to meet its responsibilities to the citizenry ,without the payments of taxes by taxable adults.

He assured that ,unlike in the past ,all taxes and ,rents paid by the people will be properly accounted for and judiciously applied to provide the needed services.

While appealing to ALPADA members to support the Government of the day by ensuring the observation of their statutory obligations, the BIR warned that evasion of payments of taxes ,is a serious offence globally,which no government will tolerate .

Chief Chukwumerije ,the commissioner for Lands and Housing noted that unlike in the past when property owners could stay for as much as five or more years without getting their C of O ,there is now a seamless process in place ,and which guarantees that applicants are served within 30 days .

Underscoring the importance of securing C of Os ,Chukwumerije stated that  in the event of demolition,and acquisition of properties,only those with C of Os will be entitled to compensations.

” Those with only titles of Deeds and Power of Attorney,are not entitled to compensation by the government in the event anything happens to their properties .

It is only those whose properties are having C of Os that can expect any compensation from the government. So we are encouraging you to apply now for your C of Os,.

Good a thing ,apart from the short period within which the certificates will be available ,the application system is simple. All you need do  is to make a formal application ,attaching all relevant documents including tax clearance certificates ,as well as the payments of  modest registration fees .” Chukwumerije stated.

Earlier, the President- General of ALPADA ,Hon Alphonsus Udeigbo had decried how  payments made to the government  by ALPADA members,in form taxes and rents during the immediate past regimes were diverted to private pockets.

” We APALDA members have called for this meeting so that the Government can tell us what we will do and what it will do for us .

We want an assurance ,that what ever we pay as taxes and rent will go to the government Treasury .

During the immediate past regime, all the money we paid amounting to #16 million in 2022/2023  were later discovered to have been  diverted to private pockets.

Over the years ALPADA members have been religiously paying all revenues to the government . But despite that ,you have many cases of revenue collectors harassing and sealing the business premises of the same people that are paying ,while known defaulters are allowed to go about freely.

Now ,that you are here, we want you tell us what we are to pay as taxes and rents and where to pay . We want what we are paying to go to government official account.” Hon. Udeigbo.stated