CITY NEWS Tenement rate: Bizmen accuse 3 killed in auto crashes on AbujaLokoja Bwari council of double taxation road
Businessmen operating in Bwari Area Council have accused the authorities of trying to tax them twice in respect of tenement rate.
Tenement rate demand notices obtained by our reporter from some of the businessmen showed that for one property, there were two demand notices bearing two different account numbers for which the rates were to be paid, and giving different and conflicting valuations of the same property.
Some of the business operators who spoke with our reporter said they suspected fraud a part from double taxation from the council.
For instance, a demand notice from the Bwari Area Council Tenement Rate/ Valuation office to Wood Et-Al, Dawaki, along Kubwa expressway, demanded for the rate of N13, 440, 000, being the annual valuation to be paid into a Fidelity Bank account No. 5030064870. The head of tenement rate signed the notice.
On the same property, the council issued another demand notice on January 3rd, 2018, in which the rate of N7, 500, 000 was to be paid into a Zenith Bank account No. 1013371705. The notice was signed by the chief revenue officer of the council. Our reporter noticed that the signatures on the two demand notices were also different.
Similarly, the council issued two separate demand notices on another business premises, Vitafoam, Panaf Drive, Dawaki, putting the annual rate payable at N7,680, 000. Another demand notice on the same property, however, put the rate at N7,500, 000.
Our reporter gathered that business owners, especially those in areas like Kubwa, Dutsen Alhaji, Byhazin and Bwari main town are harassed daily over tenement rate, operating license, radio, television and corporate parking permits.
Some of the owners who spoke with City News, said double taxation with its attendant harassment was stifling small businesses as the operators are being pressured by both Bwari council revenue department and the consultants engaged by the council administration.
A businessman in the area, Kingsley Edem, urged the council to sort out the issue to avoid confusion.
“The area council officials come with their receipts, after few days the consultants too will come,” he said.
A week ago, our reporter called the chairman of Bwari, Mr Musa Dikko, on phone to comment on the development but he requested that our reporter meet him in his office last Monday.
When our reporter visited him, he requested that he should be given two days to investigate before commenting. After the two days elapsed, he did not pick calls from our reporter, rather, he sent messages saying, “I’ll call you right back,” but he never did when this report was filed. Three persons have lost their lives in separate accidents that occurred in Abaji, on the Abuja-Lokoja road.
Our reporter learnt that seven others sustained injuries in the accidents and were rescued and taken to hospital by men of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Abaji.
A witness said the first accident happened on Thursday at Manderegi village, involving a Golf car with registration number BR 346 YAB.
He said the vehicle was on top speed when one of its tyres burst, saying the car somersaulted and crashed into a ditch killing one person.
He said the second accident, which also occurred on the same day near Abaji town, involved a Nissan car with registration number AJ 181 AME and another Golf car with registration number BWR 86 XC.
When contacted, the Abaji unit commander of the FRSC, ACC Olasupo Esuruoso, confirmed the death of three persons and seven others that were injured.
He attributed the accidents to loss of control, speed limit violation and tyre burst, adding that the corpses were deposited at Abaji General Hospital and that the injured were treated at the same hospital.