Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, has dismissed allegations surrounding taxation in the state as “falsehood taken too far,” accusing opposition figures of misleading the public because they have struggled to counter his administration’s development record.
Mbah made the remarks during the ongoing Meet the Candidates (Special Town Hall) at the International Conference Centre (ICC), Enugu, where he addressed concerns over tax payments, business levies and land use charges imposed on residents and business owners.
The governor argued that the opposition had run short of campaign issues, claiming that the pace of development recorded by his administration had left its critics with taxation as their principal subject of attack.
He accused them of exploiting the issue to misinform residents, particularly those who may not be familiar with the legal framework governing taxation and the charges collected by the state government.
“Enugu State has no power to fix what the citizens pay as it’s in the exclusive list,” Mbah said, explaining that what residents commonly describe as taxes includes payments for services such as the Enugu State Waste Management Authority (ESWAMA), business premises and land use charges.
The governor said his administration had introduced reforms to consolidate these payments, prevent exploitation and eliminate multiple charges for the same services.
According to him, the government enacted a law to streamline the payments, reducing the financial burden on businesses and making compliance more straightforward.
“Business owners now make a yearly payment of 36,000 to cover for these services,” he said.
Mbah also highlighted reforms to the land use charge, saying the government had significantly reduced the amount payable to encourage voluntary compliance.
He said the cost had been reduced by more than 90 per cent, describing the measure as part of his administration’s efforts to ease the burden on property owners.
The governor further argued that tax revenue accounts for the smallest contribution to Enugu State’s internally generated revenue (IGR), insisting that his administration’s revenue growth strategy had focused more on plugging leakages, recovering value from public assets and strengthening partnerships.
He cited the revival of government-owned establishments, including Nike Lake Resort, Presidential Hotel and the International Conference Centre, alongside partnerships involving United Palm Produce and other enterprises, as examples of efforts to improve the state’s revenue base.
Mbah maintained that the administration’s approach was centred on improving efficiency, reducing unnecessary financial burdens on residents and generating revenue through better management of public assets.
His remarks come amid public debate over taxation and the cost of doing business in Enugu State, with the governor using the town hall to defend his administration’s fiscal policies and challenge the opposition’s claims.
