The Nigeria Intervention Movement a.k.a The 3rd Force has said that the downward review on Wednesday of the Land Use Charge by the Lagos state government demonstrates the fact that power resides with the people after all.

In a press statement issued today by the Lagos state chapter of the movement and signed by its protem co-coordinator, Mr Bolaji Ogunseye, NIM said although the reduction might be minimal and the state government might have reduced the rates in order to score a political point, what matters is that the people demanded for a downward review and the government did just that. “The government might want to score a political point with it by claiming to be a listening government, what matters to NIM is that at least, the voice of the people has made the authorities to have rethink about the unpopular decision. We doubt much if the government would have done that if the people had not complained,” said Ogunseye.

Narrating the role NIM played to achieve the downward review, Ogunseye said "As the name implies, NIM is all about intervention. Intervention in times of oppression. Intervention in times of injustice. Intervention against bad governance, and all that.

“As the voice of the people, NIM mobilised people from all walks of life and professionals in the state to append their signatures on the petition to the state government against the exorbitant land use charges. We mobilised and got a total of 166, 000 signatures in just five days for the petition. We also joined forces with other civil organisations in a peaceful protest against the obnoxious increase. These actions no doubt sent a very strong message to the authorities that their decision to make such an increase was anti people, and so unpopular hence their review.”

Ogunseye however noted that the reduction in the rates is not significant but according to him, a move had been made which has yielded a positive result without the application of any form of violence.

“We however expect the state government to do more. We are also looking at the legality of the reduction. Since the original charges were generated by an act of Parliament, NIM expects the state government to forward the reductions to the State House of Assembly to also effect the review by an act of Parliament. We do not want a situation whereby the supposed reduced charges would be brought back soon after the present regime has secured a second term, or any other regime for that matter.”

Ogunseye therefore thanked the people of Lagos State for joining hands with NIM to prevail on the state government to reverse its former position, which he said is an achievement to the people.

Update news