Poor Lagosians

Lagos Slums

Poor Lagosians living in the most uninhabitable conditions known to mankind. They have no access to education, poor sanitation, no representation whatsoever at all the level of Government, no access to health care and diseases is rampart. They have no future and are hopeless.

Tinubu Square

Picture of Makoko, Lagos

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 .

Lagos PDP Tackles Ambode Over World Bank Loan

The governor of Lagos state, Akinwunmi Ambode, has come under criticism from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over a loan his administration is seeking to obtain from the World Bank, amounting to N3.94 billion his administration obtained from the World Bank

The PDP urged Ambode to forget the decision until the government have properly looked into the outstanding loans obtained by the previous administration.

The PDP also accused Ambode of being too weak to fight corruption and block wastage in the government’s purse because of its continual engagement with Alpha Beta, a tax consultant firm allegedly owned by former governor of the state and godfather of the governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, which the party posited is milking the state of her revenue.

In a statement by the party’s publicity secretary, Taofeek Gani, made available to National Mirror, the party alleged that the firm is milking Lagos state government dry.
The statement further said: “The history of loans in the state is very embarrassing and has plunged the state into local and foreign debts running into trillions of naira.

“Why indeed will a state still run after World Bank loan when such state realises average of N27 billion as monthly IGR. Governor Ambode should have a rethink and be prudent.
“
Again we reiterate that this Ambode administration will not be different from the two previous administrations in the areas of amassing unwarranted loans and fighting corruption in the state. Governor Ambode does not have the will and cannot exert his authority to fight corruption in this state, otherwise all a governor should do in Lagos is to block the leakages and the monthly IGR now standing at N27 billion will definitely shore up.

“Until the services and activities of the firm in the state are probed, Lagosians will continue to hear huge figures of loans in spite huge IGR.

“It is also laughable that rather than probe the finance and administration of the state, the governor has decided to be diversionary by merely renaming the department. We ask to know whether this is also deliberate to cover up the numerous alleged frauds, mismanagement and embezzlement going on in the state since 1999?.”

Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress has stated that the PDP cannot provide any worthwhile opposition if its spokesperson continues to issue convoluted and fustian statements

Nigeria's Biggest Landlord

Does Tinubu owns illegal properties?

Editor’s note: Following the film aired on African Independent Television (AIT) Emeka Umeagbalasi hold an investigation of buildings worth billions of naira located within and beyond Lagos State supposedly acquired and owned illicitly by referenced former Lagos Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu. 

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the editorial policy of Naij.com from where this article was obtained.

Story highlights:

• The Nigeria’s biggest landlord
• Beyond the threat of lawsuit
• Are these properties exist in the country and in areas they are said to be located?
• Is Tinubu  Mr Clean or not?

(Elombah) – The attention of leadership of International Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law has been drawn to a lawsuit threat letter (for libel) addressed to the Management of Daar Communications Limited; owners of the AIT by solicitors of one Mr. Tinubu Ahmed over the former’s recent airing of a documentary alleging that the latter illicitly acquired and owned the following choice properties:

Oriental Hotel, Falomo Shopping Complex, First Nation Airline, Private Jets, Lekki Concession Company, Apapa Amusement Park, the Renaissance Hotel, the Radio Continental, the TV Continental, the Nation Newspaper, Ikeja Shopping Mall, Alpha Beta (IGR collectors), ownership of Tejuoso Market, School of Nursing & NNPC buildings, N4B property located at the Queens Drive, Lagos and other choice properties worth billions of naira located within and beyond Lagos State allegedly acquired and owned illicitly by referenced Tinubu Ahmed.

 

                                             Oriental Hotel in Lagos
These, according to the referenced broadcast, have earned the referenced citizen a satirical name – “the Nigeria’s biggest landlord”. The law chambers and offices of frontline lawyers and rights activists in Lagos State were also said to have been quartered in some of the referenced illicit choice properties in the State.

While the right of every Nigerian including the referenced potential libel litigant to approach a court of law in the event of any damage or harm to his or her name or reputation is constitutionally guaranteed; it is our considered view that the matter under reference goes beyond issuance of threat of lawsuit. By writing to the Management of AIT and threatening same with multi billion naira lawsuit of libel, the referenced Tinubu Ahmed is making Nigeria and Nigerians to believe that he is “Mr. Clean” who goes to the equity with clean hands.
The referenced letter of his also demonstrates that he is stainless and impeccable in character as well as incorruptible; that from the time he was a top public office holder in Nigeria till date, he lived and still lives within his legitimate incomes including the spent and unspent legitimate allowances he was paid as a top public office holder.

It further demonstrates that he has never stolen or criminally diverted public funds for private possession or ownership; and that his present incomes and properties (if any) are in commensuration with pieces of information contained in his  asset declaration form filled and submitted to the Code of Conduct Bureau when he  contested for the said public office in 1999

                                           CAD view of Falomo shopping center

Our informed questions are: are these properties exist in the country and in areas they are said to be located? If they exist, who acquired and own them? How much did the referenced Tinubu Ahmed worth in 1999 as declared and known to the Code of Conduct Bureau and how much does he worth today? As a former top public office holder from 1999 to 2007, what was his total salaries and allowances in accordance with relevant provisions of the Salaries & Allowances for Top Public Office Holders Act of the Federation of Nigeria 2002 as amended in 2008?

To instruct private solicitors to cause a letter of threat of lawsuit of libel to be addressed to a media outfit is not enough because sometimes court processes are used to cover social ills and intimidate whistle blowers to unceremonious silence and submission. This explains why we held that the reference matter goes beyond issuance of letter of threat of lawsuit of libel. The referenced Tinubu Ahmed owes Nigerians detailed and convincing public explanations, not just mere threat of lawsuit or lawsuit proper.

                                               One of Tinubu’s private jets

For Nigerians to be convinced that the referenced citizen is clean, incorruptible and impeccable and knows nothing directly or indirectly about the grave allegations under reference, he should come clean publicly and deny publicly too that he has nothing to do with the properties under reference directly or indirectly. The referenced citizen also owes Nigerians moral and legal obligations by publicly disclosing the totality of his legitimate salaries and allowances or those known to the law and Constitution of Nigeria from June 1999 to May 2007 when he held sway as a top public office holder.

The public disclosures being demanded will include how much he collected as severance allowances; how much he spent of the entire salaries and allowances in eight years as well as the remainder and their whereabouts till date. Part of the public disclosures will be to mention and identify company or companies and properties (if any) he owned prior to 1999 and their locations as well as those under his name and ownership from 2007 till date. The public disclosure of pre 1999 properties/companies (if any) should also include accrued profits and losses till date.

                                                          Ikeja shopping mall

It is only when the foregoing is dutifully, convincingly and publicly disclosed by the referenced Tinubu Ahmed that Nigerians will agree beyond further doubts that he is indeed Mr. Clean and an equity seeker with clean hands.

Also if the foregoing is done as publicly being demanded, the Management of AIT will bury its head in shame and lose its teeming viewers and supporters; even though the grave allegations were first made in 2012 by then Vice Chairman for Southwest (Segun Oni) of one of the registered political parties in Nigeria called PDP (source: Frontier News 2012).

                                                   First Nation Airline

But if the contrary becomes the case, then Nigerians will be left with no other option than to assert conclusively and rightly that the allegations do not lack in substance.