Osun Assembly passes land use charge law

The bill, which was sponsored by the executive arm of government was seeking to make provision for the Consolidation of all Property and Land Based Rates Law, the Neighbourhood Improvement Charge Law and Tenement Rate Law into a new Land Based Charge, to be called Property Land Use Charge to make provision for the levying and collection of the charges and for connected purposes.

Hon. Najeem Folasayo Salaam, Speaker, Osun State House of Assembly

Osun State House of Assembly has on Monday passed into law, the State Land Use Charge Bill 2016.

According to a statement by the Chairman, House Committee on Information and Strategy, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, the passage of the bill followed a motion by the Leader of the house, Honourable Timothy Owoeye for the third reading and seconded by member representing Ede South constituency, Nureni Adebisi at the plenary.

The bill, which, he said was sponsored by the executive arm of government was seeking to make provision for the Consolidation of all Property and Land Based Rates Law, the Neighbourhood Improvement Charge Law and Tenement Rate Law into a new Land Based Charge, to be called Property Land Use Charge to make provision for the levying and collection of the charges and for connected purposes.

The Assembly had on Tuesday, November 3, 2015 held a public hearing on the bill, where professional bodies and other stakeholders lauded the bill and said, it was coming at the appropriate time.

Pronouncing the passage of the bill, the Speaker, Honourable Najeem Salaam, according to Oyintiloye, said its passage was delayed to ensure that affordable rate that would not put unnecessary burden on the people are arrived at.

According to him, the speaker was quoted to have stressed that the present economic situation require that every property owner must contribute to support the government.

“Mr Speaker charged the executive to ensure effective sensitisation of the people to key in into the new law and see reason to pay the appropriate charges.

“He also called on the implementers of the new law not to hide under it to put unnecessary burden on the people, urging that the law should rather be used for the benefit of the people”, he said.

“Mr speaker then sought the understanding of the people over the new law and assured that the state Assembly would monitor its implementation when assented to by the governor, to ensure its effectiveness to the extent that it would not add unnecessary burden on the people of the state”, he added.

Meanwhile, the Assembly, at the plenary resumed further consideration of the Primary Healthcare Development Board Bill and made amendment from Clause 29 to 38 of the bill.