By Oladipo Airenakho
Self-proclaimed Marxist and leader of a human rights group in Nigeria, known as the Talakawa Parliament, Mr. Kola Edokpayi has accused the Honorable members of Edo State House of Assembly of allowing the legislature to be used as a rubber stamp by the state governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.
His outburst is coming in the aftermath of the announcement of the intention of the state government to go ahead with the collection of the unpopular land use charge tax which the Assembly members, had without much thought for the masses passed into law.
Mr. Edokpayi who spoke against the backdrop of growing resentments amongst members of the public in the state to the bill said the continuing indifference of the Assembly to the plights of the ordinary people have now led to the current state of affairs.
He said not only had the governor, out of his own volition, decided to impose the Land Use Charge Act on already impoverished masses of the state but the unholy role played by the Honorable members of the Assembly in the enactment of the law was something to be abhorred.
“Even when the masses of the state protested against the bill at its initial conception and the Assembly promised to take a second look at it nothing was done,” he bemoaned.
Marxist Kola Edokpayi said rather than do the needful, members of the Assembly allowed frayed tempers to cool and then surreptitiously allow the executive arm of the state government to impose the law on the people.
”Today as we speak the law is being implemented by agents of the state through intimidation and harassment of house owning citizenry of the state” he alleged.
It is the responsibility of the local government to collect tenement rate, but what do we have in the state today? What, then, is the Land Use Charge Act for? He asked rhetorically.
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