Press Releases

1,700 Days In Office: Fashola Calls For Voluntary Payment Of Taxes By All Income Earners
• Says finance is the most useful tool of development, apart from peace and security

Jan 23, 2012 - Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN) on Monday continued his tradition of rendition of the account of stewardship as he marked his 1,700 days in office urging Lagosians to voluntarily pay their taxes in order to provide his administration the tool to implement its 2012 Budget.

The Governor, who spoke at the LTV Blue Roof Multipurpose Hall venue of the interactive session with different segments of the society, said his administration was ready to execute the Budget if it is provided the critical tool which, according to him, is finance which can be raised through payment of taxes.

According to the Governor, "Our team is ready to implement a budget that was well planned in painstaking detail and to deliver on the critical areas of the budget, if we have the tools", the Governor said adding, "The most useful tool, apart from peace and security, is finance. Therefore, voluntary payment of taxes is your obligation under our social contract and the sooner more citizens begin to accept that it is a non-negotiable obligation, the better for us all".

Regretting "a situation where only a comparatively low number of people approximately 2.5million people pay taxes that supports an economy of over 18 million people", Governor Fashola , who described it as inequitable, declared, " Everything must be done to correct it", stressing, however, that the rule does not apply to people who do not have jobs.

Said he: "For the avoidance of doubts, anyone who has no income has no obligation to pay tax; but it is our duty to ensure that those who are in the working age of 25-60 years estimated to be about 8 million people and who are in gainful employment or earn an income pay their taxes, so that the tax burden is equally distributed amongst citizens".

The Governor who also emphasized the need for funding said it should placed in the consciousness of the people in view of its importance, cited the example of the increase in pump price of petrol- an item on which a large number of security, patrol and operational vehicles depends for their continued presence on the road.

Noting that some time has been lost to the recent nationwide strike, the Governor stressed that the government remains prepared to vigorously implement the Year 2012 budget so that it can deliver on the promises made.

"Implementing the budget will require all hands on deck. Both the leadership and the citizenry must work together and make orderliness and peaceful co-existence a priority. Tolerance of our ethnic, religious and cultural differences will be the critical factors upon which the required peaceful co-existence needed for the implementation of the budget will be built".

He described the 2012 budget as a most challenging budget because the variables and economic assumptions continue to remain unpredictably dynamic with the ever changing interest, lending, exchange and borrowing rates remaining the only constant variable while the realities of an increasingly depressing global climate loom larger.

Governor Fashola also identified critical areas of activity in the budget year to include construction and rehabilitation of inner roads, with work already started in some parts of Ogudu, Surulere, Mushin, Ajegunle, Ifako Ijaiye, Alimosho and Ikorodu among other places.

He said, this year, the State plans to implement the construction, rehabilitation and rebuilding of 152 inner roads across all the Local Governments in Lagos State, with the State Ministry of Works and Infrastructure identifying 396 roads across the State as being of high priority.

"However, budgetary constraints dictate that we start with the 152 most critical ones; and these have, of course, now become subject to further review in the light of price index changes triggered by the increase in pump price of petrol. I have been advised by the Ministry of Works that in addition to those 152 roads, there are 65 roads upon which work commenced in the last 12 to 18 months, bringing the total of roads that we hope to deliver at the end of the budget to 217".

"We remain committed to implementing the modernization of the Mile 12-Ikorodu Road. The design is ready and we are working with the Federal Government and the World Bank to conclude financing on the project which will cost N30Billion. In that axis also work is progressing on the Ibeshe Road which will link Ikorodu with Ajah- Badore obviating the need to travel through the Lagos metropolis to reach Lekki and its environs", the Governor explained.

The Governor also informed that the impact of the Lagos State Public Works Corporation is being felt as it has in the last 100 days resurfaced 230 roads just as the organization is thinking ahead and has stockpiled all the necessary materials and equipments it needs for speedier repairs from now until the rainy season.

He informed that the Ministry of Environment is constructing more drains, cleaning existing ones and preparing the drains to perform at optimum capacity, urging all citizens to as a matter of necessity to support the efforts of the Ministry to clear up the drains closest to them and also ensure that they are not constricted through refuse dumping after they have been cleaned up.

In the field of housing, the Governor said the State has identified several sites, out of which awards have been made for the construction of housing blocks of one, two and three bedroom units in such places like Ogba, Omole, Alimosho, Lekki, Surulere, Ikorodu, Ilupeju, Amuwo-Odofin, Agbowa and Magodo amongst others.

He gave a commitment that before the end of the first quarter of 2012, the State will formally launch the Lagos Home Ownership Mortgage Scheme (Lagos HOMS) designed to make owning a home a reality by providing the opportunity for citizens to access affordable mortgage finance.

The Governor also spoke on two strategic projects to support the agricultural plans to increase planting, milling, bagging and supply of rice namely the Imota Rice Mill in Epe which is fully completed and undergoing pre-commissioning testing and the Itoga Irrigation project in Badagry which is also nearly completed, preparatory to commissioning.

He explained that with the two projects, government is ready to scale up to 500 hectares cultivation and also improve the yield per hectare and through the milling and irrigation expand the utility of the value in rice farming and create more jobs.

He also informed that the State is working out the finer details of an aggressive bread production programme that will be driven, managed and owned by young people as a strategy for them to earn a living while providing a source of a staple food.

In the health sector, Governor Fashola said the administration has actualized its resolve to guarantee the health and safety of mother s and children by commissioning of the Ajeromi Ifelodun Maternal and Childcare Centre in Ajegunle which is the fourth of eight of such facilities built across the state.

In a move aimed at strengthening the primary health care system, Governor Fashola said the State has in conjunction with Local Governments made a commitment to provide at least one 24 hour service primary health care facility in every Local Government in the State in the shortest possible time.

"This year, we will also be implementing the Lagos State Residents Registration Programme to ensure that every resident, as distinct from indigene, is registered in Lagos State. I will therefore appeal to everyone to cooperate with our enumerators when the scheme commences to ensure accuracy", he said.

On Lagos State University, Governor Fashola said in the last 100 days contracts have been awarded for the construction of the Senate Building, the Central Library, the faculty of Management Sciences Complex, an Ultra Modern 3-in-1 lecture theatre and Students Union Arcade.

He said in view of the new fees regime introduced in LASU, what the government has done to mitigate the impact on the poor and to guarantee access is first to ensure that enrolled students do not pay the new fee regime throughout the remainder of their course and secondly to increase the 2012 budget provision for scholarship to cover every indigent child that applies just as the State Scholarship Board is being reconstituted to make it more efficient and accessible.

The Governor also expressed his heartfelt thanks and congratulations to all Lagosians on the successful take off of the tolling on the Lekki- Epe Expressway, saying with the successful progress recorded with the project, it is clear to foreign investors that Lagos is open for business.

Speaking on the impact of the recent increase in the pump price of petrol, Governor Fashola said the government has swung into action to examine ways of mitigating its impact on the people and also began a review of the government's project estimates.

"The change in the pump price of petrol has resulted in a movement of price indices which calls for a review of some of our project estimates. This impact also affects citizens across sectors and we have commenced meetings with stakeholders such as transport workers with a view to seeing what Government can do through negotiations and interventions to mitigate the impact of these price changes on the citizens", he added.

Prominent among those who graced the ceremony were first Civilian Governor, Alhaji Lateef Jakande and his wife Alhaja Abimbola Jakande, the Deputy Governor, Hon Adejoke Orelope- Adefulire, Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Hon Kolawole Taiwo, members of the State Executive Council, traditional rulers led by the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Aremu Akiolu I, Chairman of the Lagos State chapter of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Chief Henry Ajomale, former Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora, members of the Association of Nigeria Theatre Practitioners led by Mr. Adebayo Salami and Prince Jide Kosoko.