In an open letter he made available to Paulokahblog Friday morning, Odoh said that, "as a way of cushioning the devastating effects of the covid-19 pandemic on Ebonyi’s struggling economy, there is urgent need to jettison the collection of tenement rates/ground rents from landlords, excessive/forceful drive for quarry haulage levies and waiving of personal income taxes".
Odoh regretted that, despite the efforts of the state government in policing its borders against the COVID-19 pandemic, Ebonyi State, as of May 21, has recorded 13 cases and expressed hope that the situation would not get worse in the state in particular and Nigeria in general, even as he pledged support for the state government in ensuring that the active cases are managed successfully "to the full recovery of the patients".
The letter reads in part: "This letter is to bring to your kind attention the activities and actions of some of your appointees, who have continued to carry on, ostensibly on your specific instructions, as though they lack the basic understanding of the long term negative impacts of this COVID-19 pandemic on the business and economic climate of our dear State, Ebonyi.
"Specifically, Your Excellency, only a few days after you directed a subtle relaxation of the lockdown in the state and struggling businesses and individuals battling to find their footings, amidst the harsh global economic realities occasioned by the Coronavirus, your officials working in the Tenement Rate/Ground Rent EXCO Sub-Committee and also the Ebonyi State Internal Revenue Board, (EBSIRB), have intensified efforts to paste demand notices for immediate payment of tenement and ground rents and taxes for all landlords and property owners, some dating back to 2014 and others even to the last decade.
"The Tenement Rates and Ground Rents notice, pasted in virtually all private and commercial buildings at the peak of the lockdown, obviously in violation of the social distancing rules, bears the caption: 'Re: Regularization/updating of your Land Title Documents (C-of-O) and payment of Ground Rent' and said to be in pursuit of the Land Use Act of 1978 and relevant State Laws."
Furthermore, he said: "Though it may be incontrovertible that, based on your modus operandi (method of operation), the contract to collect these rates/rents must have been given out before this time, it is yet wise and incumbent upon you, as the leader of the state at this point in humanity’s history, to not only call your foot-soldiers to order, but outrightly waive these payments, at least for the time being.
"It is my deep-most concern that Your Excellency, as a leader, should have been very worried about how the state plummeted from its much understandable position as the 19th poorest among the 36 States of the federation in 2004 to a worrisome and embarrassing 3rd position and the only state in Southern Nigeria for that matter, to hit such negative record."
He added: "Leaders, the world over, are showing enormous compassion on their subjects whose plans and proposals for the year have already been terribly and acutely cut short by the unanticipated outbreak of this global pandemic.
"It would, therefore, be insensitive, inhuman and counter-productive to the efforts already made by government at all levels to cushion the effects of this dreaded virus if your government, its officials or representatives continue to harass, intimidate or threaten individuals and business owners with taxes, rates and or rents at this time in humanity’s history.
"Like I had earlier reiterated in my recent letter, Your Excellency and the people working under your government must be made to understand that Ebonyians are not all conquered people. We are rather reasonable, empathic, friendly and understandable like the rest of humanity especially and beyond a time such as we have found the world have found itself."
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