Protest over new tax law persists in Edo

Witness confirms Oshiomhole as classmate

PROTESTS continued yesterday to trail the  newly introduced property tax policy in Edo State, as opposing camps stormed the state House of Assembly chanting both anti and pro-government slogans.

Meanwhile, a witness and a university lecturer, Professor Philip Agbebaku has told the state governorship election tribunal that Governor Adams Oshiomhole was his classmate at Blessed Martin Secondary Model School, Jattu, Uzairue, Etsako West Council from 1963-1965.

Agbebaku who was a witness for Oshiomhole told the tribunal at its resumed hearing Tuesday, that the governor was known as Adams Aliu when they were in school.

While one Emmanuel Ogbidi who led the anti-property tax law protest under the aegis Coalition of Civil Society threatened to institute legal action over the law, another group in support of the law stormed the state House of Assembly commending lawmakers for passing the law.

Addressing the group, majority leader of the House, Phillip Shaibu explained that it would among other things, ensure that the rich pay on their extra wealth for the development of the state.

Also, Oshiomhole yesterday said the controversial property tax newly signed into law was meant to financially empower the government to provide the needed infrastructure just as he threatened to penalise any landlord who attempted to increase his house rent as a result of the new land tax.

Oshiomhole in a town hall meeting with landlords and interest groups in the state said the percentage to be paid by the property owners would not have any effect on their earnings contrary to what the `benefactors were preaching which he said was “to instigate the people.”

He further warned that government would seize the property of landlords who increase their rents and convert to public schools.

He concluded the session by saying that the bill would affect only buildings that occupy more than 100 feet by 100 feet and in choice areas but would exclude ancestral homes while modern buildings also occupying more than 100 feet in rural areas would be affected.

The university teacher said he was not surprised that the governor is now known as Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole, saying that people in the area add to or subtract from their names as they grow old.

For instance, he said he was also formerly known as Sunday Phillip Agbebaku, but later dropped the name ‘Sunday’ from his credentials, saying this did not detract from his credentials.

But counsel to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Maj. Gen Charles Airhiavbere (rtd), Efe Akpofure (SAN) under cross examination, asked whether the results obtained by the governor from Ruskin College, Oxford, United Kingdom (UK) was equivalent to a secondary school certificate, Agbebaku said the courses listed in the certificate were in fact higher than secondary school subjects and were university courses.

He said:  “My Lord, Industrial Relations, Industrial Sociology and Industrial Economics are all university courses and are far, far higher than senior secondary school certificate subjects and cannot be taught in a school lower than the equivalent of a university.”