Residents Protest, Accuse Local govt Chairman Of Hardship After Raising Shop Rent From N5000 To N240,000
According to some of the residents, who are mainly business owners, they said the chairman who is aware of the nationwide #EndBadGovernance protest against Tinubu’s regime, went ahead in the wake of the protest to increase yearly rent for shops from its normal N5000 to N240,0000 barely three weeks after the local council election, residents of Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State have accused the newly elected chairman of the council, Jaro Egbo, of replicating what they called “President Bola Tinubu’s draconian policies to inflict more pains, hunger and hardship on them, the people.”
According to some of the residents, who are mainly business owners, they said the chairman who is aware of the nationwide #EndBadGovernance protest against Tinubu’s regime, went ahead in the wake of the protest to increase yearly rent for shops from its normal N5000 to N240,000.
He also raised the usual N2500 for the issuance of certificate of local government of origin to N16,000 thereby inflicting more hardship and hunger on them.
Lamenting what she called “arbitrary and wicked” hike in renting of shops by the council chairman, a trader who simply identified herself as Beauty, likened the chairman’s action to that of president Tinubu who without any consultation and preparation announced to the whole world that ‘subsidy is gone’.
“And, today all of us are suffering it. So, the Ughelli North council chairman must act like a responsible person that have been entrusted with the lives of the people. Egbo, you cannot just wake up and increase shops rent and certificate of local government of origin. During his school day how much did he pay before he was issued the certificate?”
“All we are saying is that, the council chairman should leave the idea of increasing any shop rent and certificate of local government of origin for now. It’s too early for him to inflict pains and hardship on the people,” another protester said.
Also speaking, another trader at the Ughelli main market, condemned in its entirety the action of the chairman, describing it as “hunger for amassing of illicit wealth from the public by force”, saying the women shall protest against it unless the chairman reverses his decision.
According to the visibly angry trader, who identified herself as Mrs. Kevwe, the hike which is over 300%, affected students and parents applying for certificate of local government of origin, traders at lockup stalls, open stalls, squatters/attachments, and other business organisations/units across the council area.
SaharaReporters reliably gathered that the chairman had carried out the hike through an executive bill, which was said to have been hurriedly passed into law by the local government legislative arm within five hours.
Meanwhile, in a dramatic change of event, the embattled council chairman, Jaro Egbo reversed himself by reviewing his earlier hike in shops rent and certificate of local government of origin, but residents still insisted that the chairman must allow the status quo.
In a letter dated August, 7, 2024, titled “Special Public Announcement: Downward Review Of Rate Payable At Ughelli Main Market And Payment Of Local Government Identification certificate Of Origin”, signed on behalf of the council chairman by the Head of Personnel Management, Ase Timothy R.E. and obtained by SaharaReporters noted that henceforth, the payment of lockup shops and open market shops shall be N48,000 only and N24,000 only per annum respectively.
The letter further notes that payment of certificate of local government of origin has been reviewed downward to N5000 only.
Despite the chairman’s after thoughts, his action had been widely condemned by residents, as they called on the state governor, Sheriff Oborevwori to call to order the council boss to avoid another protest.
