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PLOT OWNERS IN IDAW RIVER CRY OVER HIGH LEVIES BY ENGIS, APPEAL TO GOV PETER MBAH TO INTERVENE
Plot owners in Idaw River area of Enugu metropolis have cried over high levies imposed on their property by the Enugu State Geographic Information System Service (ENGIS), and appealed to Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah to urgently intervene to save the situation.
DURING their meeting on Monday, the plot owners alleged that the State Geographic Information System Service was anxious to dispossess them of their landed property through imposition of cut-throat levies.
According to them, ENGIS had in March this year, imposed a general levy of N100,000 on each plot of land in the area over what it termed “Verification/Application for Occupation of State Land (Crown Land)”, which was to be paid within two weeks, or the property revoked.
Noting that white most of them numbering over 3,000 had borrowed money to pay the N100,000 levy, they further alleged that ENGIS had in a letter dated April 15, 2025, signed by Chiwetalu Nwatu, Managing Director/CEO, came with another directive, requiring each plot owner to pay nine million within six months.
The ENGIS’ letter read in part: “Our agency noting the meagre resources of the state government and in the bid to achieve the proposed development which involve immediate construction of some identified roads and other infrastructure hereby offers the following privileges to you.
Payment of N5,000,000.00 as infrastructure fee for every 500 sqm of land effective 20th April, 2025, non-payment may attract further sanctions on the property.
Payment of N4,000 discounted rate/sqm for every Certificate of Occupancy within the Layout or Estate, effective 20th April & will elapse in October 2025”. .
As if that was not enough, the group said that they had received text messages from ENGIS asking them to pay “30% of infrastructure fee within 60 days, as failure to pay may result in revocation”.
The Idaw River plot owners said they were taken aback by this directive and wondered where they were going to source such huge amount of money in view of the current difficulties in the country.
They therefore appealed to Governor Peter Mbah to intervene and save them from the embarrassing situation by both reducing the amount of levy demanded by ENGIS and giving them sufficient period of time to pay.
