An Enugu-based lawyer, Mr. Chukwunonso Daniel Ogbe has asked the Government of Enugu State to put in place mechanism that would help see to it that Nigerians who buy and sell lands and other related properties in Enugu State pay lawyers the appropriate professional fees for the legal services which such lawyers render to their clients in the course of such transactions being carried out.

In a letter dated the 13th day of August 2021 addressed to the Government of Enugu State of Nigeria and the Commissioner for Lands Enugu State; and which letter has been sighted by this newspaper, Mr. Chukwunonso Daniel Ogbe alleged that many buyers and sellers of land and other sister immovable properties in Enugu State do not pay lawyers the appropriate legal fees which the Legal Practitioners Act of 2007 and other relevant laws envisages that such lawyers are to be entitled to.

According to the lawyer, the resultant effect of this development is that lawyers do fail to remit adequate tax to the Government of Enugu State following the lesser sums of money paid such lawyers by clients who circumvent the provision of the law by paying paltry sums of money for property transactions carried out in Enugu State.

Mr. Chukwunonso Daniel Ogbe consequently made a modest demand to the Government of Enugu State, to the effect that the Government of Enugu State should make it a policy that before any document evidencing transfer of interest in land in Enugu State made as from the 13th day of August 2021 could be registered with the relevant government agencies in Enugu State, that there should be evidence to show that the appropriate professional fee was paid to the lawyer who rendered legal services to either the buyer or seller in the course of the transaction being executed; and in which case the lawyer would also pay the entitlement of the Government of Enugu State in form of tax that accrues from such transaction to the Government of Enugu State.

The lawyer further hinted that he may be constrained to resort to all legally-tenable channels that would help see to it that the Government of Enugu State respects and enforces the provision of the law with regard to the scale of charges for legal services rendered by lawyers in property transaction in Enugu State if the Government fails to honour his modest demands.

There has been agitation of late among many lawyers over the poor remuneration paid by clients for services rendered by lawyers for the benefit of their clients in property transactions in Nigeria; with the regulatory body of lawyers in Nigeria, being the Nigerian Bar Association having difficulty in ensuring that lawyers comply with the provisions of the extant laws in charging professional fees for services which they render during property transactions.