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From Sunday Ani, Enugu
The importance of revenue generation to the delivery of democracy dividends to the people was the crux of a meeting on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, between the Igbo-Eze North Local Government Chairman, Hon. Uche Ogalla, and the leadership of various markets, artisans, government functionaries, and stakeholders of the council area.
In the meeting, Ogalla noted the ongoing infrastructural revolution in Enugu State and the unprecedented commitment of Governor Peter Mbah to empower the people and transform the Coal City State.
The Igbo-Eze North chairman said governance is a collective effort, and all hands must be on deck to make Enugu the dream of the people.
Ogalla appealed to the people to pay relevant taxes to facilitate the government’s development programmes, which would benefit all, including future generations.
He said: ‘It is very important that we meet and interact at intervals to brief you on what the government is doing and what it is about to do, so that the propaganda the opposition spreads on social media will not be your source of information.
‘Those playing politics with the health, security, and well-being of our people are very insensitive.
‘We all know that we have in Enugu State an exceptional governor who has been doing uncommon things, bringing the government’s presence to the most rural of rural areas. His Excellency, Dr Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, has brought our tomorrow forward through his disruptive innovations. This is why you see the ongoing Type 2 PHC Hospitals and Smart Green Schools in our rural communities and wards. This is unprecedented in Enugu State, and one would not be wrong to say that in Enugu State, our future has begun.’
Ogalla added: ‘When I came in as the Chairman of Igbo-Eze North, following in the footsteps of Dr Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, I vowed that the development of Igbo-Eze North shall not be concentrated in the LGA headquarters, and that we are going to be fair enough to distribute the dividends of governance evenly across Igbo-Eze North.
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‘While bringing transformation to our dear LGA, we have religiously observed the principles of JETA (Justice, Equity, Transparency, and Accountability), which is the moral compass of this administration. We are working simultaneously on all aspects of the contract I have with our people, ranging from infrastructure, health, agriculture, youth empowerment, security, and more.
‘This is not to say that there has been an increase in the allocation accruable to us from the Federation Account—no! It is because we have a conscience and are committed to what we promised our people. I want to assure you once again that I am poised to give this government a human face.’
The LG chairman said that while other states are waiting for their tomorrow, that of the Enugu people is already here, and it is manifest in the innovative governance being carried out by the governor.
‘What other states want to do tomorrow, Enugu State is doing today, and Igbo-Eze North has keyed into that frequency.
‘To achieve this, however, we have to do certain things like never before to stay the course. We must change and desist from being complacent with the status quo. States and countries that our people run to did not perform any magic; the only magic is that their citizens believe in and participate in governance. When the government provides security, good roads, infrastructure, health facilities, and more, citizens have an obligation to be part of governance by paying certain percentages of their annual earnings to support the government, without which it could be viewed as an act of sabotage against the government. This is the mechanism that works the magic,’ he said.
He explained that it was against this backdrop that he called the leadership of various groups to discuss the new tax regime in the state. He said: ‘The government has identified taxable businesses and incomes. One of them is boreholes. I have extensively explained this in other fora. Boreholes sunk for the purpose of making income are taxable. Those sunk for private use or for charity are not taxable. In fact, the government will find a way to support the latter.
‘Tax rates are never uniform. When you get a demand notice to pay a certain amount of money, just go to the relevant office, get assessed, discuss, and agree on what you can pay based on your earnings. The amount on the demand notice is not set in stone. Always reach out to the LGA authorities to get clarifications.
‘I interfaced with the Neighbourhood Watch commanders last week, and after our assessment of all the communities, we found out that people who have events—ranging from traditional marriages, weddings, funerals, housewarmings, and more—pay staggering amounts of money to the Neighbourhood Watch of host communities. What was expedient for the government to do was to harmonise these payments, considering the present value of money. So, we all agreed on a harmonised security levy of N50,000 (fifty thousand naira only) across the LGA.
‘The sharing formula for this security levy remains 60% to the host community and 40% to the LGA.’
