Non-payment of ground rates: Ebonyi Government seals four Hotels, threatens to seal more

Ebonyi State Government, yesterday sealed four Hotels within the Abakaliki metropolis, for refusing to pay it’s ground rates in the State. Addressing newsmen on the development, the Special Adviser to Governor David Nweze Umahi on Lands and Survey, Chief Emmanuel Igwe stated that the enforcement for the payment of Ground Rate has commenced in ernest as any hotel or property owner that fails to comply with Government directive will have his or her property sealed without delay. The affected hotels include: CEVERO hotel,  Abuson Hotel, Inland Comfort and City Pride hotel.

According to him: “We are in the process of enforcing the payment of Ground rate by landlords and property owners. “Ground rate is the annual due that those that have Certificate of Occupancy, C of O, pay to the State Government on yearly bases. We have given notices to Hotels to pay their ground rates but for those that are yet to pay, we have commenced the processes of  sealing their hotels, until all necessary payment are made.

My office was able seal CEVERO hotel,  Abuson Hotel, Inland Comfort, and City Pride hotel. It’s a continuous process. We are still going to seal more. The remaining ones that we are to visit, if we could visit and they are yet to pay, we will deal. And I want to use this opportunity to call on Landlords, especially Business owners, filling station owners to pay up, because very soon I will visit them and if you don’t pay, we will seal your property. It has nothing to do with party affiliation. It has nothing to do with status in the society.