TuesdayRapAround: Akinwunmi Ambode’s Inglorious Back-Pedal

TuesdayRapAround: Akinwunmi Ambode’s Inglorious Back-Pedal

If for anything, taking a reverse gear would be the last option for a moving train.

Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, in many respect, has won for himself the support of many residents within the shortest possible time. This is by virtue of some laudable projects he has managed to execute.

For being fortunate to be the governor of Lagos State, the commercial nerve centre of Nigeria, the eagerness and urgency to make huge impact in the sprawling city may be the driving force.

But beyond that, the need to also settle scores with behind-the-scene bookmarkers, actors may not have been unconnected with the formulation and implementation of certain policies and actions in the state.

The state governor, no doubt, happens to be one of the performing governors in the country – with far-reaching projects which have impacted positively on the socio-economic transformation of the state. As a complete departure from his predecessor, Babatunde fashola, who was famous for chasing high net projects with no thought for rural areas, the down-trodden in the society; In fact, Fashola was ever ready to displaced tomatoes, pepper, bread sellers and plant flowers instead. Examples of some of his high net projects still adorn the length and breadth of the sate – but sadly uninhabited. Tejuosho market, high net estates/homes which are far beyond the reach/means of the people etc, are some them.

Ambode, on his part, take the bull by the horns, though not without some short-comings. He embarked on projects to cater for the various strata of the society. In some areas in the state, streets that were never thought of being given attention, he came and turned them around with well-laid asphalt, solid drainage system, street lights etc. This, no doubt, shot his profile to high heaven – even members of the opposition parties in the state could not hide their admiration of what was happening in the state.

There and then, came the ill-thought, ill-advised Land Use Charge (LUC). Of course, no state or nation can survive or make meaningful impact without an efficient and effective tax system.

Admitted that there have to be a renewed tax system – all for more revenue generation so as to provide reliable financial base to be able to implement government policies and other programmes of action to make life meaningful for residents. But the way and manner the tax drive is implemented is very key – more important than anything else. It is one thing to collect tax, it is another thing to spend the collected tax. To this end, however, the Lagos State Government has failed over the years to justify how far they have gone with Lagos expenditure. There is no record on expenditure by the state; no transparency; no accountability; everything is business as usual since the days of Babatunde Raji Fashola. Of all things, this is one area the government of Ambode blended with that of Fashola – the official secrecy of Lagos State Government spending.

It is on paper that Nigeria’s exit from recession is still very volatile, dicy and that it is yet to have any meaningful impact on many sectors of the economy, especially the informal sector.

Or can our amiable Governor Ambode proves beyond any reasonable doubt that the unfortunate recession that forced Nigeria into the woods was caused by the people – the class of people that is now expected to bear the brunt of unfortunate anti-people LUC?

A simple arithmetic will show a layman that when you increase LUC, naturally shylock landlords will definitely double their house rent – thereby leaving the hapless people in the society to be at the receiving end. The manner and urgency with which the law was put together, passed by the rather rubber-stamp Lagos State House of Assembly and signed into law by Mr. Ambode without recourse to get input from members of the public, stakeholders, organised private sector, only showed how insensitive, out-of-touch, and self-serving they are and how they can be so careless dealing with certain sensitive issue.

More intriguing is the alleged inclusion or insertion of a private firm, Alpha Beta believed to be owned by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, in the said law with exclusive right/consideration to collect the revenue on behalf of the state government. This is akin to including a private firm in the Constitution of Nigeria – the same law that is binding on everyone. Though, it has been played down as a mistake by spokespersons for the state and the Lagos State House of Assembly, without mincing words, this is a great disservice to the state and generations unborn whose future are being mortgaged by few opportunists on the corridor of power and their cronies.

It is sad this is happening in a state which all other states of the federation are looking up to – for direction; and also under an unfortunate scenario where the state has been accused of deliberately concealing cost of projects being executed in the state.

Why would the Lagos State government opted to be too secretive on the actual cost of projects in the state? Do they have skeleton in their cupboard? Why too secretive? Why would residents pay taxes through their noses and yet, they won’t know how the monies are spent; what goes for what? Is the culture of non-openness, impunity and lack of transparency the new meaning of “Progressives” according to the APC adherents, especially in Lagos State?

One undisputable fact is – governance in Nigeria, Lagos and elsewhere in the country is a failure. Citizens already, are providing/procuring services the government is responsible for providing. For instance, the whole idea of digging private boreholes, building houses is an anomaly. Governments around the world provide water, housing, electricity as quasi-social good and it is the failure of governance that necessitate individuals and private concerns to drill boreholes, build houses, provide electricity which the Lagos government now wishes to tax at an exorbitant rate.

On one occasion, an official of the state government was reported to have said government will prevail on landlords not to increase their rent. This, pathetically, is misnomer. It shows the state and or the official is bereft of quality idea. Why would you, in your wisest sense, leave leprosy and be treating ringworm? Why are we faced with building collapse today? If government had been alive to its responsibility by providing the needed housing units with up-to-date standard and safety mechanism, construction quacks (those responsible for defective structures here and there) will not be having a field day today.

Too bad that those in position of authority (though in power with all the paraphernalia of office) failed to realise this simple logic, and yet went ahead to expose their ignorance in public domain. It is only in Nigeria governance is run in way as to compete with citizens, private businesses etc; and those making the law are so short-sighted that while in power, they soon forget they rose from among the same impoverished people they are now all out to torment, suppress, and made to face stringent political and economic conditions.

The LUC, accordingly, is a consolidation of all property and land-based rates and charges payable under the Land Rates Neighbourhood Improvement Charge and Tenement Rates Laws of Lagos State. It is a major effort at raising the $50 billion which the state Government says it needs within the next five years to transform the infrastructural landscape of the nation’s melting pot and former capital.

If and when the law comes into effect, property owners will find themselves saddled with charges that could rise to over 400 per cent of what they are currently liable to pay. Ambode had explained that the increase is justified by the steady improvement in the infrastructure of the state in the past 20 years. He also pointed out that since 2001, no rate increases have been imposed contrary to the requirement of the law which recommends an increase every five years.

Several organisations – including the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Lagos Branch, the Organised Private Sector – have protested and threatened to drag the state government to court. Some landlords associations are also considering initiating law suits to get the law repealed.

There is no arguing the fact that government has the right under the law to seek ways of shoring up its IGR, to continue to provide services to the people. The Lagos State government has been a pacesetter in this regard, not just to other states but also the Federal Government in the aggressive pursuit of IGR.

Apart from the hugeness of the charges, there is this BIG QUESTION MARK in the area of accountability. Where there is no transparency, accountability, probity, the essence of government is defeated.

This is the more reason why Ambode-led administration needs to be pro-people; this is because his lofty dream of building a $50 billion infrastructure city will not be occupied or inhabited by ghost – he still need people to dwell therein. There is need for governance with human face.