Plot owners in Idaw River area of Enugu metropolis in Enugu State, have cried over the 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 a meeting held on Monday, the plot owners noted that the State Geographic Information System Service was merely too 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 would be revoked.
Stressing that white most of them numbering over 3,000 had borrowed money to pay the N100,000 levy, they further stated that ENGIS had in a letter dated April 15, 2025, signed by Chiwetalu Nwatu, Managing Director/CEO, ENGIS, came up with another directive, requiring each plot owner to pay N9 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 N4,000,000,00 discounted rate/sqm for every Certificate of Occupancy within the Layout or Estate, effective 20th April & will elapse in October 2025”.
The group also said that they had received text messages from ENGIS asking them to pay “30% of the 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, wondering where they would be sourcing such huge amount of money from in view of the current economic and other difficulties in the country.
The residents therefore appealed to Governor Peter Mbah to intervene and save them from the embarrassing situation by not only reducing the amount of levy demanded by ENGIS, but also giving them sufficient period of time to pay.
