How Bola Tinubu is strangling Lagos State with Alpha Beta

                                           Tinubu and Fashola

During the mid-term anniversary of Gov. Raji Fashola, Democratic Peoples’ Alliance (DPA) Director of Publicity, Felix Oboagwina, noted that the Lagos state government has been harbouring waste in the system for paying no less than N36 billion to the Alpha-Beta Consultancy Limited from the internally-generated revenue of over N240 billion.

The need for Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) has been increasingly important for state governments following recent decline in price of crude oil, which impacted significantly on revenue allocation. Prior to the global financial crisis, most State executives were fond of relying on State allocations given by the Federal Government in Abuja from the nation's oil proceeds at the end of the month.

With regards to Lagos, Col. Buba Marwa, increased the state IGR to over N600 million from the N100 million he inherited. And by the end of the tenure of Bola Tinubu, IGR was over N10 billion.  Under the governorship of Babatunde Fashola, IGR in Lagos State was about  N480 billion. The revenue collection was contracted out to private consultants Alpha-Beta under Tinubu , Fashola  and present administration of Akinwunmi Ambode.

I will note that engagement of consultants in the area of revenue collection did not start with Gov. Raji Fashola or his predecessor. Col. Buba Marwa contracted revenue collection to Olusola Adekanola and Co. during his administration. However, whether this practice is ‘legal’ is a matter for the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).

However, the issue in this matter borders on probity and accountability. If I’m a Lagos state taxpayer, I will want to know more about the "process" undertaken to engage a consultant that is paid N6 billion monthly. The questions Governor of Lagos State should be asked are, why was Alpha-Beta selected as the preferred consultant?. Did the government invite consultancy bids for the contract?. How many consultancy companies submitted bids for the contract?. Considering that, Alpha-Beta has no known track record of revenue collection, what were the criteria used in selecting Alpha Beta.

Alpha Beta is owned by Ex- Governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu. Alpha-Beta charges 15% of the state IGR, what makes us think that another company couldn’t have provided same service at a lower cost - 5%? .  Bola Tinubu has been collecting 15% commission for Tax Collection since 1999, even while he was serving as a Governor in the State.  This is absurd and unlawful. This is a conflict of interest.

15 percent  of  yearly State  IGR of  N480 Billion  equates to  N72 billion/year  which  is a colossal amount of money to pay an individual firm from 2007 till today. And if such amount of money is channelled into any sector, it is inevitable that impact will be felt.

Lagos state government has refused to make available the details of the contracts they signed with Bola Tinubu’s Tax firm Alpha Beta.

Relying on the Freedom of Information [FoI] act as passed by the National Assembly , a concerned Indigene of Lagos known as Dr Adegbola Dominic  requested for the contract documents from the Lagos state government , but the state government responded saying that the FoI act is only for federal records and does not affect states.

For this reason, a group of concerned citizens of Lagos turn the garnet to bring Bola Tinubu to court in order to declare open his contractual arrangement with the government of Lagos State.

While Bola Tinubu is swimming in ill gotten wealth, our people are suffering  and living in

abject poverty . Lagosians are being strangled with multiple taxation, illegal taxes and levies, and touts posing as agents for collection and enforcement, especially at the Local Government Level.

 Doctors are always on strikes due to poor welfare and our Schools are under-funded thereby producing illiterates .The change that Bola Tinubu campaigned for during the election does not apply to Lagos State. It is continuity of Business as usual and corruption is endemic in the State.

So far, as Bola Tinubu holds his Political and economical grip on Lagos State, the political and economical development of the indigenous people will never materialise and therefore our people will be backward and remain in his bondage .

The time is now ripe for the indigenes of Lagos State to revolt against Bola Tinubu . We want to break away from the bondage and slavery imposed on the people of Lagos State.

FREEDOM
 No one can continue to suppress and oppress the indigenous people of Lagos State forever . Now, we are determined to free our people from the shackles of slavery imposed on us by Bola Tinubu .

Where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where any one class is made to feel that society is an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob and degrade them, neither persons nor property will be safe.

FREEDOM FOR THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE OF LAGOS STATE!, WE WANT TO BREAK AWAY FROM THE BONDAGE OF SLAVERY IMPOSED ON US BY BOLA TINUBU .