Pastor Tunde Bakare: Attacks Lagos Over N72m Land charge

Founder, Latter Rain Assembly, Pastor Tunde Bakare has attacked Nigeria’s Lagos State Government for collecting N72 million from him for change of ownership of a parcel of land he bought from the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN.

Bakare, who spoke in Lagos, Southwest Nigeria, said he bought the parcel of land from PHCN to build a residential estate to make more people own their houses, saying he was shocked when the state government asked him to pay N72 million.

He said after paying the money, the government was yet to release documents of the transaction to him.

The preacher stated that such money was unnecessary as he had already paid for the land and that this was one of the evils brought about by the Land Use Act, LUA, which he said should be repealed.

“The Land Use Act is the enemy of progress in our country. Due to greed for land, they imposed it in our constitution and they are smiling to the bank every day. Citizens are not having access to land or they will pay through their nose.

“Even the Certificate of Ownership, whatever Lagos State Government calls it, it happened to me as a person. I bought a land from PHCN to develop real estate because Lagos State cried out that more houses and needed for people.

“After getting the C of O from PHCN, Lagos State says I have to obtain their documents and charged me N72 million extra on that parcel of land. Then you now enact a useless law asking that in a democracy, a tenant must pay one year rent maximum,” he said.

According to Bakare, “so, if I go to the bank to borrow for 23 percent and I had to pay back the money either through sale or rent, how do I realise it? You can see that nothing here seems to have value. We make laws without considering the needs of the people.”

Bakare said laws were being formulated in the country without having the interest of the masses in mind.

“Not all government’s laws are bad, Nigerians must rise to take their destiny in their own hand, reject an oppressive government, reject the 1999 constitution, if not this constitution will kill the nation,” he added.

Bakare also said it’s unfortunate that the nation has inept leadership, adding, “We have people who are promoted beyond their mental capacity operating in corridors of power. So, the worst of us are presiding over the best of us. It is shame on our nation.”