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Tag: Agbaje

  • Agbaje tasks Inec on slow distribution of Pvcs

    Agbaje tasks Inec on slow distribution of Pvcs

    The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, has decried the slow pace of Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVC’s) distribution.

    According to him, INEC needed to brace up to fill the existing vacuum to achieve credible polls, stressing that this would remove suspicion that certain people might have regarding issuance of the PVCs.

    He noted that it was particularly worrisome that certain categories of  residents of Lagos, including non-indigenes, had not been able to obtain the document despite several attempts.

    He, however, tasked people not to despair over the development by ensuring that they go to their registration centres to collect the cards.

     “Your PVC is your right. Please, go to where you registered to collect it from INEC officials. It is the instrument that you will use to effect the desired change in Lagos, so go and get it,” he said

    He therefore told them to vote for President Goodluck Jonathan and other PDP candidates in the coming elections.

  • Agbaje evaded tax for four years, says Fashola

    Agbaje evaded tax for four years, says Fashola

    Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola yesterday took a swipe at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Jimi Agbaje, who he said evaded tax for about four years.

    The governor spoke at a gathering of stakeholders across various sectors at the annual state taxation stakeholders’ conference in Ikeja.

    Fashola said Jaykay Pharmacy at 9, Randle Close, Apapa, which is owned by the PDP candidate, owed the state N1, 629, 064.62 as Land Use Charges for 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012.

    He said it only decided to pay for 2013 and 2014 because of Agbaje’s plan to contest the February 28 election.

    The governor described such act as irresponsible, stressing that for someone  interested in seeking public office, Agabje should have known the implication of his failure to comply with the state tax law.

    The governor said: “Let us do the mathematics to see how many facilities the funds would have provided in our hospitals and stationery in our schools.

    “This was the same person who was complaining that the government spent three per cent of its budget on education. The local government is responsible for the management of primary schools and yet he has withheld their taxes.”

    Fashola explained that payment of tax is a social contract between government and citizens, stressing that anyone who asked the people not to fulfill this obligation should not be entrusted with any leadership position.

    “Anyone who advocates the non-payment of taxes is as guilty as the tax evader itself. It is prescribed by the 1999 Constitution in Section 24f.

    “And it states that it shall be the duty of every citizen to declare his income to the appropriate and lawful agency and pay it promptly.

    “All those who have paid their taxes have shown that they are lawful citizens. And anyone who has failed to pay is a bad citizen.

    “He is also a cheat; such person should not benefit from the commonwealth-the roads, hospitals and other facilities provided by funds generated from taxes paid by residents. Land use charge is ground rent and tenement rate; they are consolidated.

    “I know that you have to vote next month but look at that candidate well. And be careful of who to vote for. You will remember that in 2007, that Jimi Agbaje claimed that he was in Democratic Peoples Alliance (DPA) and later crossed over to PDP.

    “This is the man who wants to be your next governor. And I will advise you that you avoid deception and tax evader.”

    Fashola said there was a reduction in the number of residents prosecuted for tax evasion, noting that residents now pay their taxes voluntarily.

    “It shows that the message and our prophecy seven years ago have come to fruition. When our opponent complained that the state government was imposing more taxes on the residents but they have forgotten that they enacted that law.

    “Where we were years ago is where the Federal Government chose to start. It showed that they will always be behind us.”

    Agbaje said he was surprised at the “rather personal and unprovoked attack on his person” by the governor.

    The PDP candidate said he received a letter of commendation from the commissioner for Finance, praising him for his faithfulness in payment of taxes relating to his residence.

    In a statement yesterday, he said: “It is a curious contradiction that several days later, the governor himself would express sentiments clearly in contradiction to the spirit and letter of that voluntary and unsolicited commendation from the state.

    “Although he founded JayKay Pharmaceuticals, Agbaje left the directorship of the company in 2006, and this is on record with the state. He is no longer involved in the running of the company. And today, he is not even an executive director.”

  • LCCI, OPS task Ambode, Agbaje on multiple taxation, others

    LCCI, OPS task Ambode, Agbaje on multiple taxation, others

    The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) and the Organised Private Sector (OPS) have tasked the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Mr.Akinwunmi Ambode and his counterpart in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Jimi Agbaje to address the issue of multiple taxation in the state.

    The bodies also urged the two candidates to come out with a blue print on how to develop the state in the face of dwindling revenues from the Federation Account, the Eko Atlantic City project and how to unlock Apapa traffic gridlock.

    Ambode said he will draw from his experience in the public and private sectors to provide a thriving business economy for the OPS, ensure security of lives and property and create more jobs. He said he will create a N25billion Employment Trust Board that will dole out a million naira yearly to the youth to become entrepreneurs.

    On the Eko Atlantic City he said the 9,000 hectares reclaimed was to create a new city where people can live and work, a financial hub for international business.

    On multiple taxation and ease of doing business in the state, he said the state will harmonise the taxes, negotiate with Federal Government on derivation of taxes and work on factors impeding the ease of doing business in the state by working on land and construction and tax efficiency laws and procedures.

    He said: “The drop in oil revenue means less revenue from the federation account for the state. Usually we get N139 billion from the Federal Government and N260 billion as internally generated revenue (IGR), what we need to do as a government is to ensure efficiency of tax collection by improving the E- Platform, integrate tourism and sports as an income generation stream in addition to building a competitive infrastructure for the private sector to thrive”

    He tasked the Federal Government on the grid-lock in Apapa, insisting that they have not done enough while hailing the State Government for various efforts aimed at unlocking Apapa and the Mono rail which he added will discourage road movement in and out of the Port town.

    Agbaje while criticising the high cost of land and multiple taxation in the state where he alleged only about four million people are paying tax instead of an estimated eight million adults said he will have a robust tax regime where people will find paying tax pleasurable especially the OPS as a result of the enabling environment that will be provided by his administration if voted to power.

    He said: “We will create a new economy base, expand tax base in an innovative way and expand opportunities for people to be gainfully employed so that paying tax will no longer be an issue”.

  • Agbaje promises light rail for Ikorodu

    Agbaje promises light rail for Ikorodu

    The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in in Lagos State, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, has said his government would construct a light-rail system to tackle the traffic gridlock in Ikorodu and connect it with other parts of the metropolis.

    On a visit to his paternal roots as part of his ongoing tour of local governments, Agbaje said he recognised the harrowing experience the people suffered daily in a bid to access other parts of the state.

    Agbaje hails from the Lasunwon Ruling House. His father, Prince Joseph Kosebinu, is a descendant of the roayl family.

    According to him, part of the holistic solution he would proffer to the problem, if elected, would be the construction of a railway system to link the town with other parts of Lagos.

    In reference to the road construction going on between Ikorodu and Ojota, he said: “This road that they have been constructing for all these years have been inflicting suffering upon the people of Ikorodu. It is not designed to solve the traffic gridlock.”

    Agbaje said, although the current regime in the state had embarked on some infrastructural developments, projects on ground were not commensurate with money reported to have been earned in the last 16 years.

  • Ikuforiji, Ajomale: Agbaje should vie for councillor

    Ikuforiji, Ajomale: Agbaje should vie for councillor

    •Fashola says Fed Govt owes N51b for road construction

    Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman Otunba Oladele Ajomale and House of Assembly Speaker Hon. Yemi Ikuforiji have said that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate Mr. Jimi Agbaje should have vied for elective offices at the local government and state levels, instead of jostling for governorship.

    They said, if Agbaje, a pharmacist, has served as a councillor, legislator and  commissioner, he would have garnered the experience required for the job of governor.

    The APC governorship flag bearer, Mr. Akinwumi Ambode, urged Lagosians to vote for experience, stressing that there is no evidence that Agbaje is equipped for the task of the number one citizen.

    The party chieftains spoke at the rally hosted by the Kosofe, Lagos East District, held at the Gbagada Playing Ground, Oworonsoki, where Governor Babatunde Fashola complained that the Federal Government has not paid the N51 billion owed to the state for the construction of federal roads.

    Fashola had harsh words for President Goodluck Jonathan at the rally. He said, judging by his poor performance in the last six years, he has been tested, but cannot be trusted. He said since there is economic downturn, many people are migrating to Lagos, thereby making the task of providing social amenities for the highly populated state difficult.

    Fashola, who described Agbaje as an inexperienced apprentice, said: “Nigeria is in “one chance” vehicle in the hand of the PDP. Agbaje says Lagos is the most indebted state. But, I say Lagos is the most populated state. Agbaje lacks the experience for the job. That is what Ambode has. Ambode was in government before me at the grassroots. When the Federal Government seized the council allocation, Ambode as the Accountant-General and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, designed a fianancial strategy that the local governments to survive.”

    The governor also frowned at the visit of the President to Borno State for campaigns, despite his refusal to pay condolence visit to the parents of abducted Chibok girls. He said: “If any of those children is his child, he will not be contesting election. There is no place in the world where a sitting president will be contesting for election when over 250 children are missing. We are in a one chance bus. Buhari will save us from one chance, if we vote for him.”

    Party faithful came from Ketu, Ojota, Mile 12, Somolu, Bariga, Oworonsoki, Akoka, Anthony and Maryland for the rally hosted by Kosofe APC chieftains led by Pa Abiodun Sunmola. The party chairman, Oladele Ajomale, presented flags to the House of Assembly candidates for Kosofe Constituency 1 and 11, Hon. Bayo Osinnowo and Hon. Tunde Braimah, House of Representatives candidate Hon. Rotimi Agunsoye and senatorial flag bearer Senator Gbenga Ashafa.

    Oshinowo, who thanked the supporters, enjoined them to troop out to vote for the party at the polls. He said: “You have not disappointed us since the day of Asiwaju. Tinubu handed over to BRF. BRF will hand over to Ambode. Nigeria is sick. It needs a surgeon, Buhari.”

    The rally was witnessed by Deputy Governor Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, Secretary to Government and Ambode’s running mate, Dr. Oluranti Adebule, Mrs. Abimbola Fashola, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode, former Speaker of House of Assembly Hon. Joko Pelumi, the campaign team leader, Cardinal James Odunmbaku, Majority Leader of the House of Assembly Hon. Jibayo Adeyeye, former Special Adviser on Environment Hon. Sesan Olanrewaju, Environment Commissioner Mr. Tunji Bello, Mr. Denge Anifowose, Hon. Paul Kalejaye, Information Commissioner Lateef Ibirogba, his Transport Ministry counterpart, Comrade Kayode Opeifa, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi. Abdullahi Enilolobo and Chief Chris Ekwilo.

    Also at the ceremony were Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, the Publicity Secretary, Comrade Joe Igbokwe, his deputy, ace footballer Obafemi Martins, Abiodun Salam, Mr. Bolaji Ariyoh, Sulaimon Akeem Oris, Hon. Fuad Oki, Kayode Tinubu, Ademorin Kuye, Dele Onabokun, Bayo Ajisebutu, Alhaji Kabiru Ahmed, and Alhaji Mumuni Oyekanmi.

    Thanking the supporters for their commitment, Sunmola said that Kosofe are prepared to vote for APC candidates. But, he urged the people to collect their Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs), which he said, are now available at the wards.

    The footballer, Martins, said: “Asiwaju has tried for Lagos and Nigeria. BRF has tried for Lagos. PDP has neglected Lagos. APC is the saving grace. We need continuity in Lagos.”

    Ikuforiji, who spoke on the succession struggle in Lagos, said that Agbaje is unfit to succeed Fashola in May because of lack of experience. He stressed: “When Tinubu became governor 16 years ago, people wondered how he would do it. The Federal Government seized the allocation. But, Lagos survived. He is a special person. Eight years ago, BRF became governor. He made a difference. He became a model governor.

    “We can’t vote for someone who is coming to learn the ropes. If the candidate of the PDP wants power, let him go and start from the council. After that, he can go to the House of Assembly. Our next governor is Ambode. He has learned. he is tested. he is trusted. He is humble. I know him. He will perform. as you vote for Ambode, vote for Ashafa, Agunsoye, Osinnowo Perper and Tunde Braimah. Also, you should vote for Buhari on February 14. Before then, ensure you collect your voter’s cards.”

    Echoing the Speaker, Ajomale said: “The governor of Lagos is like the President of another country. If Agbaje wants to be governor, he should first of all go to the council.”

    Ambose, who rode into the venue with Fashola in a Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV), flayed the Federal Government for its belated effort at reducing the fuel pump price, saying that cannot be substituted for the provision of jobs. “

    He added: “Is that what we want? What about the missingN20 billion? What about the subsidy scam? We should have used the missing billions for roads, hospitals and jobs. If the audit report in the subsidy scam is released, Nigerians will be shocked.”

    The flag bearer promised to take Lagos to a greater height by setting up an Employment Trust Fund to enable youths access money for business. Urging Lagosians to vote for experience, he said that it is counter-productive to vote for a trial and error candidate.

    Ambode added: “Now is the time to reject liars. It is not fuel reduction that is the issue. We need jobs. help is on the way.”

    Fashola chided the Federal Government for wrong prioritisation, wondering why the President could allow companies to raise more money than state governments, which have to provide social amenities for the people. He also lamented that Nigeria is the only member of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) importing fuel.

    The governor, who predicted failure for the PDP in Lagos, added: “What has the Federal Government done for us that we should vote for them? Lagos has been Performing the functions of the Federal Government. We construct Federal roads. We buy weapons for the police. We built the Immigration Office at Ikeja. The Federal Government is still owing Lagos State N51 billion for road construction.

    “Agbaje displays ignorance. He said he has bold ideas. That is ‘bold inexperience’. He promised to provide internet services. He forgot that we cannot have internet without electricity. He said Lagos is the most indebted state. We are borrowing and using the money to develop Lagos.”

    Fashola also frowned at the insinuation that the APC is fielding a sick presidential candidate, saying that Gen. Muhammadu Buhari is hale and hearty. He stressed: “Buhari is not sick. He was the only APC presidential aspirant who sat down during the primaries for 24 hours. Buhari does not drink. We know those people who go abroad and when it is time for them to speak, you will not see them.

    “Buhari contested three times and he was rigged three times. Now that they know that he will win, they are saying that he is sick. PDP should pack and go. We are marching on to Aso Rock with your votes.”

    Fashola, urged Lagosians to avoid violence during the electioneering, lamented the shoddy distribution of the voter’s cards. He said: ‘Don’t fight. get your PVCs at the wards. India delivered 800,000 million voter’s cards. We are only 170 million. But, they cannot deliver in Nigeria. When APC wins, we will ensure that Nigerians get their voter’s cards in time. We will make sure that people get the cards as they are 18 years.”

  • Ambode, Agbaje: Who ‘ll Lagosians vote for?

    Ambode, Agbaje: Who ‘ll Lagosians vote for?

    In almost 16 years, Lagosians have sealed a pact with the progressive bloc. Will there be a clean break from the past as people prepare for the governorship election? Will the people sustain the tradition? Group Politcal Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU highlights factors that will shape the poll. 

    Who wears the crown in Lagos State on February 14? The contest is mainly between All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate Akinwumi Ambode and Olujimi Agbaje of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Asked to predict the outcome of the contest, Lagos prince and one-time legislator and Commissioner for Commerce and Industry Tajudeen Olusi said: “Lagos belongs to progressives.” But, PDP chieftain and former Works Minister Prince Adeseye Ogunlewe disagreed. He said: “Agbaje will beat Ambode.”

    Since 1999, only progressive parties-the Alliance for Democracy (AD), the Action Congress (AC), the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and APC-have ruled Lagos. Efforts by the PDP to win governorship elections have been futile. Olusi attributed the failure to the gap between the people’s expectation and PDP’s vision. He said the PDP-Federal Government has neglected Lagos in the last 16 years.

    The progressive beat, which started in the Second Republic, goes on. In 1979, a progressive, Alhaji Lateef Jakande of the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), defeated Ladega Adeniji-Adele of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN). In 1983, Jakande was re-elected, defeating Hakeem Habeeb of the NPN. In the Third Republic, the proscribed Social Democratic Party (SDP) was more popular than the National Republican Convention (NRC). But, owing to the split in the dominant party, a section tilted support towards the late Chief Michael Otedola of the NRC, who defeated the SDP candidate, Chief Yomi Edu.

    In 1999 and 2003, Senator Bola Tinubu of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) defeated PDP’s Chief Dapo Sarunmi and Mr. Funso Williams. In 2007, Babatunde Fashola (SAN) of the Action Congress (AC) and later, Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), defeated Senator Musiliu Obanikoro of the PDP and Agbaje of the Democratic Peoples Alliance (DPA). In 2011, the PDP candidate, Dr. Ade Dosunmu, also lost his deposit. He was defeated by Fashola.

    At the flag off of the APC governorship campaign in Ikeja, the state capital, Olusi said Lagosians are not assailed by collective amnesia. “They will vote for the right party and the party is the APC,” he added.  The elder statesman said President Goodluck Jonathan’s poor performance will be the PDP’s albatross in next month’s election. He explained that Lagosians who are affected by the grave economic situation will vent their anger on poll day, adding that many who are angry at the erratic power supply and collapsed infrastructure will reject the PDP. “Corruption is a big issue. As Obasanjo has said, it has ruined the country. This is another factor,” he stressed.

    At the PDP presidential campaign in Lagos, Ondo State Governor Segun Mimiko drew the attention of party supporters to the on-going Lagos/Ibadan Expressway project being undertaken by the Federal Government. But, the APC National Publicity Secretary Alhaji Lai Mohammed described the move as hypocrisy. “The latter-day construction of the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway is a vote-winning gimmick that has backfired as the project has only progressed at a snail-speed apparently due to lack of funds, ” he added.

    Other Lagosians who share the view that Lagos State has been neglected by the Federal Government are bitter at the PDP. Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) complained that people are weary of the President’s insensitivity to the plight of the state. He cited the traffic gridlock at Apapa, the sea port, and the agony unleashed by fuel lifting by thousands of trailers on daily basis. He said the socio-economic life of residents is dislocated, adding that hotels and recreational centres are worse hit.

    Besides, Fashola gave other reasons. He said Lagosians will not vote for Agbaje because his party opposed the creation of additional councils in Lagos. At Ikorodu, he told the huge crowd at the campaign held at Ogolonto that PDP will scrap the additional 37 councils, if it wins the poll. “You had one local government before in Ikorodu Division. Now, you have six. Do you want PDP to scrap the councils?” he asked. The crowd chorused: No.

    Prospective voters have also been beaming a searchlight on the two candidates, based on their pedigree and previous experience. Agbaje is a successful pharmacist. Ambode is a former Auditor-General for Local Government. He has worked in over 12 councils before he moved to the civil service, where he retired as the Accountant-General and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance.  Fashola paid tribute to the APC flag bearer for rendering effective service to the state. The governor recalled that, when the Federal Government withheld allocations to the state, he invented the financial strategy that made the local governments to survive. “He has worked with my predecessor. He has worked with me for six years as an accountant-general. Let me remind you. Which party and government frustrated the creation of new local governments in Lagos? It is the PDP. At the time their party and their government seized our money, this is the young man who was managing the finances and made those local governments to survive.

    “I was the Chief of Staff then. I was the one fighting the legal battle with Yemi Osinbajo. So, are you not seeing the team? Ambode in Lagos and Osinbajo in Abuja. Your local government will be safe, if Buhari is elected. Your local government will be protected, if Ambode is elected. Those who wanted to spoil it yesterday cannot come and ask for your votes. Go and tell those who are not here that the election is about another fight for freedom. It is about the survival of the local government, state and the country.”

    In Fashola’s view, it is dangerous to elect an inexperienced successor, warning that progress may be at a standstill. He said: “This state is too strategic and too critical to the development of Nigeria, to the prosperity of the West Africa sub-region, to the prosperity and stability of the African continent to be entrusted to a beginner or an experimental. We are voting continuity because we want to consolidate in what we have achieved.”

    At the Ikeja rally, former Governor Bola Tinubu also spoke on why Ambode is better than Agbaje. He said previous opportunities given to the pharmacist to learn the ropes were rejected by him in the past. He said when the party and the government offered him opportunities to serve as a commissioner, senator and deputy governor, he refused to take up the jobs. Tinubu, who predicted that PDP will lose the poll, said the challenge of post-Fashola period will require sound financial management. He said while Agbaje lacks experience in this regard, Ambode has been tested and he can now be trusted.  “Agbaje wanted to be governor in 2007. He contested in the AC. He failed. He went to DPA. He failed. He has gone to the PDP. He will fail again,” Tinubu added. Addressing supporters in Apapa, Ambode described the PDP flag bearer as a trial and error politician. He said: “We don’t need trial and error politician. We need experienced people to continue the progress we have made in Lagos,” he said.

    In terms of structure, APC also appears to have an edge over the PDP. The ruling party will lean on the incumbency power and a resilient public, which the federal might may not be able to confront. Today, APC has 40 members of the House of Assembly, 20 members of the House of Representatives, three senators, and 40 members of the State Executive Council. Until recently, the Chairmen of 57 local governments, their vice chairmen, secretaries, councillors and supervisory councillors belong to the ruling party. Their successors are pro-APC executive secretaries.

    The ruling party is also ahead of the PDP on the mobilisation field. A week after the flag off of the APC campaigns, PDP is holding town hall meetings in some local governments. The preparation by the opposition party may have been slowed down by the post-primary crisis that rocked the fold, following its rancorous shadow poll at Oregun. There was reconciliation, but the perception of Agbaje as an outsider who came to reap where he did not sow has not disappeared. Few weeks ago, his rival at the primaries, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, former Minister of State for Defence, maintained that the primaries that threw up the former Afenifere treasurer as the PDP candidate was flawed. “That was why I protested. That was why I wanted to go to court. I protested so that this will not repeat itself in the Lagos PDP,” the former minister said.

    Ahead of the poll, many big wigs have also defected from the PDP to the APC. When they defected, Dr. Abayomi Finnih, Chief Rafiu Jafojo, Chief Tunde Daramola and Dr. Aganga-Williams shed light on why the PDP cannot win Lagos. Jafojo said: ‘PDP is out of tune with reality. When I got to the PDP, I met a party in crisis. I left them in crisis. They do not have that intention of winning. They are using the chapter to bargain for appointments for few chieftains in the camp of their leader. APC is an organised party with clear vision and goal. It is like a movement. It is masses oriented. That is why Ambode will win.”

    A chieftain of the APC in Agbowa-Ikosi, Alhaji Isiaka Adekunle Ibrahim said the APC will profit from the sentiment that Nigerians are fed up with President Jonathan. “What is the logic, if you vote out Jonathan and you ask  Lagosians to vote for Agbaje, a PDP man? Many see Agbaje as a good man. But, his party is not good. The feeling is that the good man has joined a bad company,” he added.

    Adekunle-Ibrahim, an economist and banker, said it is unthinkable that the PDP is asking for an endorsement by the Southwest, of which Lagos is an important part. He said stakeholders are irked by the marginalisation of the region, despite the support given to the President in 2011. “The Southwest is bitter against the Federal Government. Our leaders were called rascals the other time at Ibadan. key positions have eluded us. What is the gain of the Southwest under the Jonathan Administration. How can Lagosians vote for the continuity of the government that has denied Lagos a special status?” he queried.

    Also, the APC chieftain said that many things have happened between 2011 and now that will make other non-Yoruba ethnic groups, particularly Northerners, to turn their backs against the PDP. “Go to Agege, Apapa, Idi-Araba, Obalende. They are for Buhari. If they are for Buhari, then, they are for APC. In Lagos therefore, they are for Ambode,” Adekunle-Ibrahim added.

    Ambode has even warmed himself to the non-indigenes when he promised to run an all-inclusive administration that will carry all the ethnic groups along. He told the crowd at Ikeja that he will not run a discriminatory government, but an administration that will cater for the welfare of all Lagosians, irrespective of religion and tribe. “APC has accommodated all the tribes. In Lagos, we have people from the six Southwest states as commissioners and special advisers. We have an Igbo as commissioner. We have northerners at the board and parastatals. We have them as council functionaries. We have them in the civil and teaching service. Ambode has given commitment that nothing will tamper with their interest. They will not vote the PDP because they trust that the APC will continue to cater for them.” he stressed.

     

  • Lagos APC condemns Agbaje’s plan for Lekki toll

    Lagos APC condemns Agbaje’s plan for Lekki toll

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State has taken a swipe at the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) governorship candidate for promising to reverse the toll gates at the Lekki end of the Lekki-Epe Expressway.

    The Lagos State government had franchised the Lekki Concession Company (LCC) to source funds and rebuild the highway to international standard under the Build-Own-Operate- and Transfer (BOOT) arrangement.

    But Agbaje said he would cancel the arrangement, if he succeeded Governor Babatunde Fashola.

    The APC, in a statement by its spokesman, Joe Igbokwe, said the promise by the PDP candidate could scare investors from the Centre of Excellence.

    “The threat is an irrational electoral promise directed at foreign investors, which stands to cripple the economy of Lagos and affect the wobbling Nigerian economy.

    “It is quite surprising that at this age and time, when the drive for foreign investment is needed to break the shackles of economic doom, an aspiring candidate to the Lagos State governorship stool should issue such naked threats to investors to boost his electoral chances.

    “Two days after Agbaje’s disastrous election promise to cancel the foreign-driven concession on the Lekki-Épé Expressway, newspapers carried a report that foreign investors, alarmed by the economic and political risks in the country, had pulled out N783.17 billion from the Nigerian Stock Exchange (SEC).

    “This is an alarming economic statistics that should worry every Nigerian but in his desperation to scoop votes from Lagosians, Agbaje is threatening to stop foreign investments in Lagos, such as the concession arrangement behind the construction and subsequent tolling of Lekki-Epe Expressway.”

    Picking holes in Agbaje’s statement, Igbokwe said the PDP-controlled Federal Government should explain to Nigerians why it planned to mount toll gates at six locations on the yet-to-be-built Second Niger Bridge.

    “Lagosians will like to know from Agbaje and his PDP why the Federal Government is promising a non-existent 1.8-kilometre Second Niger Bridge that will be tolled from at least six positions for 25 years while he is making a campaign issue of tolling a well delivered Lekki-Epe Expressway that meets the great needs of the beneficiary towns for a relief from endless traffic bottlenecks the PDP Federal Government has turned a blind eye to.

    “Again, Lagosians are aware that the dilapidated Airport Road, which the PDP controlled-Federal Government has abandoned while playing politics with completed world-class roads in Lagos are tolled.

    “But we find it alarming that someone who dreams of governing Lagos is issuing such economically disastrous threat to foreign investment in a state such as Lagos when the Federal Government under the control of his party has made the sing song of attracting elusive foreign investment the epicenter of its failed economic programme for the past 16 years.”

  • Agbaje promises ‘justice’ for Makoko, Badagry people

    Agbaje promises ‘justice’ for Makoko, Badagry people

    Lagos State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Mr. Jimi Agbaje has promised to review the 2012 ejection of some Makoko, Yaba Mainland residents by the government.

    At an interactive town hall meeting in Lagos Mainland Local Government, Agbaje assured the victims’ representatives of justice if he is elected.

    The town hall meeting, held at the Nigerian Army Officers’ Mess at Sabo, Yaba, was attended by civilians, soldiers, Christian and Moslem clerics, youth, artisans and others.

    During the question-and-answer session, a participant asked Agbaje what he would do about their case.

    “I will urge you not to bother yourself about what is happening now, the injustice can only last till May 29. I assure you that when we come in on May 29, there is also an eraser that will be used to rub off the injustice perpetrated in Makoko.”

    Agbaje also visited Badagry and Mushin as part of his tour of the 20 local governments, which began last Friday. In Badagry, where his running mate, Alhaja Safurat Abdulkarim, hails from, he vowed that he  would redress the marginalisation of its people in governance.

    A PDP government, he said, would appoint commissioners, directors and permanent secretaries from the area. He said PDP party elders zeroed in on Badagry to produce his running mate in recognition of its contributions to the state’s development.

    “Alhaja Safurat became the choice personality for the post because of her humility, character, commitment and experience as a teacher and an accountant,” he said.

    In Mushin, Agbaje reiterated his commitment to his three-pronged agenda, of: Health, Education and Security.  He decried the fallen standard of education, saying like the case of hospitals, the party in power has underfunded the sector.

    To the Igbo people in the audience, Agbaje vowed to stop the ‘deportation’ of indigent non-indigenes.

    “Lagos without non-indigenes is not Lagos,” he said. “You, my brothers and sisters from the North, the Southsouth, or the Southeast have contributed to the growth of the economy of Lagos.”

  • Lagos: Inside the Ambode, Agbaje showdown

    Lagos: Inside the Ambode, Agbaje showdown

    Dare Odufowokan, Assistant Editor, ex-rays the 2015 gubernatorial contest between the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Lagos State.

    WITH the 2015 governorship election in Lagos State fast approaching, prominent political parties in the state, especially the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), are all kitted for what pundits say will be an interesting political battle.

    Determined not to leave anything to chance, the two parties are daily planning and orchestrating how to outwit each other at the polls. For the APC, it is highly necessary for it to retain its hold on the politics of the state beyond 2015 while for the PDP, there is serious need for it to end its long wait outside power in the state this year.

    Akinwumi Ambode, a 51-year-old accountant and public finance management expert, is the governorship candidate of the APC while Jimi Agbaje, a renowned Pharmacist and Afenifere chieftain, is PDP’s choice. The two gladiators and their party chieftains have been traversing the length and breadth of the state seeking the votes of the electorates.

    For Ambode, the need to build on the achievements of Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola is the reason behind his ambition. According to the Epe-born Accountant, there is need for Lagos to sustain the current tempo of development if the state is to benefit fully from the labours of its past leaders.

    “I want to continue the good work of our current governor and the ones before him. I want to build on the efforts of the likes of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Raji Fashola. Lagos cannot afford to stop the current trend of development. We need to build on it until we get all the benefits therein,” Ambode said.

    Agbaje, joined the PDP late last year after he was allegedly promised the party’s governorship ticket by the leadership of the party at the national level.

    “I decided to choose the PDP to realize my political ambition based on the common and aggregated opinion among the core of my supporters across the state that the party was the most viable platform interested in causing the change desired by Lagos people,” Agbaje had said when defending his party of choice.

    Ahead of the general election, Agbaje’s emergence as the PDP gubernatorial candidate has set the stage for claims and counter claims over what he portends for the opposition party in Lagos State.

    Tough one for PDP

    While some talk about a keenly contested two-horse race between the APC and the PDP, for who will become the next governor of the state, others insist Agbaje’s candidature will not add any value to the party’s chances as it will still be roundly defeated as usual.

    Those optimistic about Agbaje’s performance in the polls are citing the fact that the structure on which he contested the 2007 election has now been collapsed into the PDP. With this, they feel the party is further strengthened to tackle the APC in next month’s election.

    But there are those who feel that with PDP as his party of choice, Agbaje should not bank on the support he enjoyed in 2007. “While Agbaje may be well loved by Lagosians in a way, his candidature is not enough to change how the people of Lagos feel about the PDP.

    The implication of this is that Agbaje will not make any meaningful impact at the election. He has disconnected from the people of Lagos the moment he joined PDP. He was loved as a progressive who meant well for Lagos by associating with those who mean well for Lagos. His current party is a big minus for him,” Liadi Abatan, former State Secretary of the DPA, Agbaje’s former party, said.

    And to further worsen the situation for the PDP, analysts believe Agbaje’s recent statement that if President Goodluck Jonathan fails to win next month’s election, the South-South could shut down the oil sector and this would affect the nation’s economy which is oil-dependent, has done a lot of harm to his candidature.

    The PDP governorship candidate made the highly criticized statement at a meeting in London organised by his supporters and the UK chapter of the PDP.

    “I was active in the politics of the South-West in 1999. The Afenifere of which I was a very active member, did not support Olusegun Obasanjo as President but in 2003, it was difficult for the Afenifere as an organisation to go out and tell people that they should not vote a Yoruba man into office and so what did they do? They said they would not present a candidate because they had their own son (Obasanjo) who was running for office. That is the politics of that country.

    “Now, in 2015, we are saying that the South-South has presented a candidate and we are talking about equity and some are saying that he should not be given a second term. This is a very difficult thing.

    “In argument, some have said ‘what will happen?’ Well, people will be upset and they have shown that they have the power to shut down the system. I am not saying it is justified but the reality is there. If the system is shut down, where are we as a country?

    “They say if the others don’t get it, they too could shut down the system. Yes they can shut down the system but ask yourself which of the two do you think we can survive with? And these are the realities that we have to face.

    “These are the realities that we have to allow. First, we have to sell the achievements of our person but we have to understand the politics of our country that we are still doing turn by turn and it must run in a way that is equitable,” he had said.

    But in a swift response, the Lagos chapter of the APC warned voters in the state to take a closer and critical look at the personality of the governorship candidate of the PDP candidate, berating him for saying that “South-South can collapse Nigeria’s economy” if President Goodluck Jonathan is not re-elected during the February 14 presidential election.

    “For Jimi Agbaje’s information, South-South crude oil has become a curse to Nigeria instead of blessing. Crude oil has ruined our capacity to reason, to think and to explore other areas like agriculture, science and technology, industrialisation, building and construction industry, etc.

    “Japan, Germany, France, Italy, South Korea, Spain, Netherlands, Turkey, Sweden, Switzerland, Singapore etc have no oil and yet they have given a good account of themselves in the global economy through commitments, power of critical thinking and dint of hard work.

    “Even in the Third World, there are many countries that are surviving without oil. In 1997, Dell computers made more money than Nigeria with just 12,000 workers. MEARSK Containers, a shipping company, Apple, HP make more money than Nigeria and yet Jimi Agbaje, a pharmacist, cannot think in the 21st century.

    “We have told anybody who cares to listen in Lagos that Jimi Agbaje is a pretender and a hustler who lacks the capacity and cognate experience to dream of governing a state like Lagos. Jimi has never been a counselor, he has never served in a local government, and he has never been a commissioner, a House of Assembly member or a special adviser. He has never served at the federal level either. So, where is the experience for Lagosians to trust him with the treasury of Lagos,” the party asked.

    But a chieftain of the PDP in Lagos, Olufemi Williams, said the party stands a great chance of winning the governorship election with Agbaje as candidate.

    Williams said an Agbaje candidacy would boost the PDP’s chances at the polls.

    “Jimi Agbaje is the best man for the job. He was not a member of the party but we convinced him to join us. Let us not deceive ourselves. I believe Agbaje is the man with the needed requisite to win Lagos for us. He is still as popular as he was seven years ago when he vied for the governorship slot and we all know he could have won if our election had been free and fair,” Williams said.

    Troubles within

    But in spite of his victory at the primary election, Agbaje is currently battling some serious issues within his party. And unless these issues are promptly resolved, his aspiration to rule Lagos may remain mere wishful thinking.

    Issues like the need to reconcile the several factions of the party and how the party will coordinate the governorship campaign are slowing down the progress of the party towards preparing adequately for the all-important February election.

    “We are preparing seriously. But up till this moment, some leaders are not ready to work with others to ensure Agbaje’s victory. Even after all the aspirants pledge their supports to him, some leaders remained aggrieved even after the candidate himself met some of them and pleaded for their understanding. Majority of them claimed they are not angry with him but with the leaders who imposed him on the party.

    There is also the problem of how to run the campaign. This is a pressing problem. Some have been wondering if the present structure established before the primary election to promote Agbaje would be retained. There are frantic calls for harmonisation to accommodate all interests in the party.

    Feelers, however, indicated that the Bode George/Ogunlewe faction of the party may be unwilling to accommodate other interests. A source, who said the party will commence its campaign early this month, indicated that moves by the party to resolve the matter have not yielded positive results.

    A member of the state executive committee who preferred anonymity, while assuring The Nation that all interests would be harmonized soon, said the party realizes the danger of the current situation.

    “This is nothing unusual in party politics. There was a primary election and people contested against themselves. Leaders supported different aspirants. Now we have a candidate and everybody needs to work together.

    It is a process and we are on that road to harmonization and reconciliation. It will be concluded soon. Yes, there are issues but we are working hard to resolve them. Are there no similar issues in the other parties? It is normal in party politics and democracy,” he said.

    Unlike what Agbaje is battling with, Ambode’s party, the APC has somehow managed the fall out of its keenly contested gubernatorial primary election better. Although there were some aggrieved aspirants at the end of the process, the party, sources said, was able to appeal to them to sheath their swords and support Ambode.

    PDP’s claim to fame

    But chieftains of the PDP say contrary to opinions that the party is not strong in the state, it boasts of a good number of political heavyweights in the state. Beside the likes of Bode George, Adeseye Ogunlewe, Musiliu Obanikoro, Remi Adiukwu-Bakare and other known leaders of the party in the state, the PDP will also be relying on the network of some grassroots mobilisers to defeat APC in February. These include:

    Ade Dosumu

    He was the former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime and Safety Agency, NIMASA. Dosumu was the party’s governorship candidate in the 2011 general election. He lost to Governor Fashola with a wide margin.  He is believed to have some political clout in some parts of Lagos Central Senatorial District.

    Owolabi Salis

    He is a United States based lawyer who participated in the 2007 primaries of the PDP but later fell out with the party when he could not achieve his aspirations. Soon after, Salis rejoined the PDP and participated in the 2011 primary elections. His wife is the senatorial candidate of the party in the Lagos East Senatorial District. His political base is the Ikorodu axis of the state where he is expected to help the party to victory.

    Adedeji Aganga-Williams

    Aganga- Williams is an Austrian based banker who once had interest in governing the State of Excellence. He also took part in the 2007 and 2011 PDP primaries but got nowhere after which he returned to his lucrative banking job in Austria. His political associates are expected to rally round the party’s candidate, Jimi Agbaje.

    Babatunde Olalere-Gbadamosi

    Olalere-Gbadamosi who hails from Ikorodu is a respected grassroots politician in the area. Although his name does not ring much bell within the PDP fold because he has no state wide structure on ground, he is nonetheless expected to add to the performance of the party.

    So, brimming with confidence, Agbaje said APC cannot win in 2015. According to him, it is time for the PDP to take over the governance of the state and reposition it.

    According to him, the APC has run out of ideas on how to move Lagos State ahead in terms of development, adding that the PDP is set to replace the ruling party in the state.

    “We have to look at the issues, come 2015 Lagos State is the economic hub in our country and region and the dynamics of the politic of Lagos is very different generally from across the country, what you find is that Lagosians have very high aspirations and  they are concerned and to know whatever they have to know or do to aspire that they have government that will make their aspiration come true.

    “They know what they are looking for, Lagos is about good governance, Lagos is about making things better for the people in terms of the ruling party in Lagos, they have been there for 16 years, therefore, we believe that they are now reaching a stage where it is the end of a cycle because they have run out of ideas and put themselves in a position where they are no longer in a position to deliver to the people.

    “If you go around Lagos today and talk to the major stakeholder, you will find out that their aspirations are not being met, talk to the youth, market women, civil servants and even the traders and professionals, everybody has a major grudge with the ruling party in Lagos.

    “Therefore, we believe in the PDP that we have a lot of answers to this thing, so for us, it is time for a change as far as governance in Lagos is concerned “We are looking at a Lagos that is the city state of the future, Lagos can no longer be compared to what I call just everywhere. We must begin to compete with those city capitals that we see across the globe. That is the way forward for Lagos”.

    Lagos as APC stronghold

    But the APC candidate for Ikorodu Federal Constituency in Lagos State, Barrister Jimi Benson is of the opinion that no matter how hard Agbaje and his party may try, defeat awaits them at the polls. He said that his party is poised to sweep all elective positions in the state during the 2015 general elections because traditionally, Lagos is an APC stronghold. He said the people of Lagos, as lovers of good things, will continue to keep faith with the party.

    According to Benson, the APC will benefit from the goodwill of its leaders in Lagos State like former Governor Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Babatunde Raji Fasola amongst others.

    “God has used the likes of Asiwaju Tinubu and Governor Fasola to bring meaningful development to our dear state. The people of the state are living witnesses to the great efforts of our leaders towards making life better for the people.

    “These and other goodwill is what will win the state for APC. Apart from that, take a good look at the candidates the party is presenting and you will agree with me that APC is the party to beat in this election. The fact remains that APC is the party of the people in Lagos State,” he said.

    Hon. Adeola Olamilakun is the APC senatorial candidate for Lagos West. He is representing Alimosho Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives. He believes PDP stands no chance in Lagos.

    “First and foremost, when you mentioned that PDP felt we have not done enough for the people and they are coming on board to show us the red card; don’t forget that Lagos is the fifth biggest economy in Africa and it is the most populated state in Nigeria.

    The local government, Alimosho Federal Constituency, which I am currently representing, is bigger than Bayelsa and Yobe as a state in terms of population. With that in place, we are of the firm opinion that if within a state, a local government is like a state, what that tends to show is that in terms of population, landmass, water front and everything, Lagos is big and large.

    Also, don’t forget that Lagos still remains the commercial capital of Nigeria. And if we have been opportuned to rule this state since 1999 and have done so much under a ten point agenda, that was put in place by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which was followed to the letter by Governor Babatunde Fashola, and to be continued by Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode; anybody that meant well for this state, will have no choice but to continue to support this progressive minded party, so that we can take Lagos to the enviable height of our dream.

    We are the fifth biggest economy, the fifth biggest city in Africa; if we are the fifth in Africa, then in the whole world, we have a position.

    There are basic things that have to be in place for you to qualify to be called a city. In terms of infrastructural development, I know that the average Lagos resident will score the government a minimum of 60 and 70 percent. And the other aspect of the economy which is the bane of our problem today, is electricity. We would have been involved in this process until the then Federal Government under the Obasanjo regime truncated the process, because they don’t want us to lead by example. There was an IPP project that was already in place, which could have contributed some megawatts to national grid, but it was truncated, it was stoped for their own selfish end. You see turbine being built by PDP governments in the later part of that regime.

    Their own states are there for comparison with Lagos. And anybody that has come in and out of Lagos, has agreed that Lagos has changed and changed for good,” he argued.

    This was similar to the opinion of the Deputy Chairman of APC in Lagos State, James Omolaja Odumbaku, who said the party had already coasted 80 percent victory as a result of its delivery on democracy since the beginning of the Third Republic in 1999.

    The APC chieftain also said that the achievement of the party in Lagos State gives it a broader chance of clinching the governorship seat once again. According to him, the achievements of the state government in the area of health, education, transport, infrastructural development and provision of social amenities are now reference points to all the states in the federation.

     FASHOLA’S PREFERENCE

    Given his rating as a performer, pundits are of the opinion that Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola’s support for any candidate will go a long way to determine who succeeds him.

    And amidst rumours that he may be displeased with the choice of Ambode by his party, Fashola recently said Lagos State is too big to be handed over to the PDP governorship candidate, Jimi Agbaje, to experiment with as he lacks experience.

    Fashola, who spoke on Tuesday at a Town Hall Meeting with artisans and tradesmen, said the All Progressive Congress, APC, candidate, Akinwunmi Ambode, should be trusted to govern and lead Lagos State in the right direction as he has the needed experience to do so, having beein in government for 27 years.

    Though the governor did not mention Agbaje’s name,  he was referring to him when he advised Lagosians not to trade experience in government business for experiment and trial and error that the opposition (PDP) wanted to bank on.

    According to him, Ambode is better suited for the state’s number one job because of his competence saying he worked with him for over six years as Accountant-General of the State and would start from where he handed over the baton to him.

    He said he could thump his chest and vouch for the governorship candidate of the APC in Lagos State as one who would be a worthy successor to him.

  • Ambode, Agbaje clash over public service experience

    Ambode, Agbaje clash over public service experience

    Ten of the 17 governorship candidates in Lagos yesterday reeled out their programmes.

    It was at a debate jointly organised by the Diocese of Lagos West (Church of Nigeria), Anglican Communion, the Diocese of Badagry and the Diocese of Lagos Mainland. It held at the Archibishop Vining Memorial Church Cathedral, GRA, Ikeja.

    Those at the debate were Akinwunmi  Ambode, All Progressives Congress (APC); Adeniji Victor of Kowa Party (KP); Jimi Agbaje, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP); Akele Ayodele, National Conscience Party (NCP); Ishola Aregbesola, Action Alliance (AA); Izuchukwu Edion, All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA); Jacobs Kayode, Mega Progressives Peoples Party (MPPP); Lawal Omoshola, Independent Democrats (ID); Ogunseye Bolaji, Alliance for Democracy (AD) and Michael Popoola, the running mate of the Labour Party (LP) candidate Olulana Olurotimi.

    Bishop Theologian, Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Rev (Prof) Dapo Asaju was the moderator. Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) President Femi Adesina, Managing Director, Excel Professional Services Limited, Dr Oladimeji Alao and Managing Director, Businessworld Newspapers, Ray Echebiri, were the panellists.

    After the candidates made their opening speeches, the panellists asked questions on what would be the state’s relationship with the Federal Government under them; how they would ensure harmony; what they think is wrong with education, and how they intend to generate funds to develop the state in the face of falling oil prices. Members of the audience also asked questions.

    Expectedly, the focus was on the two major contenders, Agbaje and Ambode, who threw mild barbs at each other.

    Agbaje believes that experience in public service is not a guarantee for good performance, Ambode believes his experience as a former Accountant-General and Permanent Secretary makes him the best candidate.

    Agbaje said the late  Chief Obafemi Awolowo and even President Goodluck Jonathan had no previous experience in public service before they won elections.

    He said his experience in the private sector, which includes managing a small scale business and becoming an industrialist, is enough.

    “I bring to you change…new ideas with a fresh perspective to move Lagos forward,” the PDP candidate said.

    But Ambode fired back, saying of Jonathan’s lack of previous experience: “he had no previous experience, but look at the result today. We’re not going there for trial and error.”

    The APC candidate said the emphasis should be on “relevant experience, not experiment”.

    Agbaje said his leadership would be based on transparency, openness and honesty, and not on “vested interests”.

    Ambode said the so-called “vested interests” have made Lagos safer and more prosperous. He said those with the “vested interests” are those who have the interest of the ordinary Lagosian at heart. He added that his administration would be driven by quality service, equity and justice.

    “Lagosians are looking for somebody who can take them to a more prosperous Lagos and can even make their own children more prosperous. We’re looking for a Lagos that will work for all of us. I have served under the last two governors, and you will see that in the last 16 years, we have had a tradition of excellence. It’s that excellence that I want to pursue.

    “Lagos is a safer and cleaner place. It’s been prosperous. There has been steady growth and development. We are looking for someone who is going to take it to a more prosperous level. My message remains Lagos. And what does LAGOS stand for? ‘L’ is for Leadership. We’re looking for strong leadership. ‘A’ stands for Accountability. I will be accountable to you. ‘G’ stands for Governance.

    “One of the basic tenets of good governance is to allow you to have a voice. And when you have a voice, it becomes a government of inclusion. We’ll create opportunities that will allow you to thrive. Everybody wants a comfortable life, and the government is ready to create more opportunities (‘O’) than ever before. ‘S’ stands for Service. We’ll give you selfless service.

    “The three major issues in my mission are security, to create more jobs, and integrate other sectors to allow the economy of Lagos to thrive. In the last seven years, the state government has committed N12billion to the Security Trust Fund, of which N4billion had been contributed by the private sector. We intend to improve on that. We’ll light up our streets, use modern technology to improve on the security of life and property,” the APC candidate said.

    Ambode said he would create an employment trust fund with N25billion to create access to funds by entrepreneurs, N1billion to be accessed annually by each of the state’s five divisions.

    On dwindling oil prices, Ambode said the PDP government had been unable to diversify its economy. However, two-third of Lagos’ income, he said, is from internally generated revenue.

    “We’re the only state not dependent on fluctuations in oil prices.” This, he added, was achieved despite that four of eight million people avoid taxes. He said his administration’s aim would be to bring the four million within the tax net.

    “I have the experience and the capacity. Lagosians should stand up and be counted at this crucial point of our history,” Ambode added.

    Agbaje said rather than make the non-tax-paying four million to pay, the state has “rather overburdened the four million tax payers”.

    The PDP candidate said his vision was to create “a global megacity of well-educated, healthy, skilled people living in a secure and prosperous environment”.

    He added: “It is also important for the state to bring opportunities to the people, irrespective of their socio-economic background, gender, tribe or religion.

    “People didn’t come to Lagos to look at Eko Bridge. They have come to realise their professional, commercial and entrepreneurial aspirations.

    “We cannot continue to talk about educated people and skilled people if we have not provided correctly in this area. Our state budget for education is one that provides 82 per cent of its budget on education on the current expenditure and three per cent on capital projects. All that we do with education budget is to pay salaries and overheads. But the education of today is about innovation and creativity.”

    Ambode disagreed. He said the three per cent is only the state’s contribution to SUBEB that is funded by the Federal Government.

    Agbaje went on: “Today we have a situation where the state spends about three percent of the budget on primary education.

    “It means it spends little or nothing on primary education. And that is the key; once you don’t have that foundation, then you build on nothing. We’re not talking about reinventing the wheel; we’re talking about bold ideas and new opportunities.”

    Agbaje said the current 1.5 per cent of the budgets spent vocational skills is like paying lip service to it. “We don’t want to create welders for burglary proof. We want to create welders for the oil and gas industry,” he added.

    The Bishop, Diocese of Lagos West, Rev James Odedeji, described the debate as the church’s way of encouraging the emergence of the best leaders in Lagos.

    “We seize this opportunity to call on all agencies involved in the conduct of the elections to be God-fearing in discharging their responsibilities. We call on INEC, security agencies, media and civil society organisations to be fair to all, and realise that they will give account of their stewardship one day to their creator,” Odedeji said.