Gov. Babatunde Raji Fashola has done considerably well as the Governor of Lagos State. In fact, I would even say he is the best Governor Nigeria has ever had! I am 47 years and 4 months old; so I have seen many Governors mark time in our State Houses across our nation in the last four decades. In my opinion, Gov. Fashola has even done better than Alhaji Lateef Jakande who was celebrated nationally in the 1980s as an "Action Governor".
As an alumnus of the University of Benin, I am proud of Gov. Fashola's achievements. I didn't know him personally in UNIBEN. But I remember him as a lanky footballer. He always looked very smart in his kit. When he was chosen by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as his successor in 2007, few gave him a chance. Fewer still had even heard of him. I remember my surprise when I saw a billboard bearing his campaign poster and I immediately recognised him as that Law student whom I used to come across in the Social Sciences Faculty building of UNIBEN. The Law Faculty had no building of its own in 1983-1987 while we were students there.
Gov. Fashola has made Lagos a liveable city. I have lived in Lagos since July, 1974, when my Mum took me and my brother from Uromi, our home-town, to join our Dad in Lagos. I had my primary and secondary education in Lagos; I did my National Youth Service in Lagos; and I have worked and paid taxes in Lagos since 1989. I can bear witness to the transformation of Lagos since Gov. Babatunde Raji Fashola took the reins of leadership. It will be hard for any successor to outshine Gov. Fashola.
My only pain about Gov. Babatunde Raji Fashola is that he has been unable or unwilling to free himself of servile loyalty to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Imagine how much more Gov. Fashola would have done had he had the liberty to choose his cabinet and use ALL the resources of Lagos State for the benefit of Lagosians.
Indeed, some would even argue that, given the immense financial resources available to Lagos State by way of internally generated revenue, allocations from the Federation Account, and the credit facilities at its disposal (Lagos State accounts for about one-sixth of Nigeria's external debt), Gov. Fashola is probably under-performing! At least, my friend, Debo Adeniran, the Executive Director of the Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL) has said that much.
One issue which sticks out like a sore thumb is the role of Alpha Beta Company in the collection of taxes in Lagos State for which it receives a commission on all tax revenues. The exact amount being paid to the company has been a matter of conjecture. Some say it is 5% of the tax revenues, others claim it is as high as 15%. Even 1% is a huge proportion of the tax revenues of a state as commercially buoyant as Lagos. Alpha Beta Company is widely believed to be owned by persons closely connected with Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
What is the role of the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service if its statutory function has been ceded to Alpha Beta Company? One might have justified the need for a tax consultant in 1999, when civilians took over government from the military, to put in place an efficient tax administration system. A three-year contract would have sufficed. As it is today, Alpha Beta is merely a rent collector. It is amazing that such a blatant rape of the state's resources is being done with the support of the legislature.
How can anyone rationalise the barefaced corruption manifest in paying out tax revenues to an agent connected to a former Governor of the state?
I am in no doubt that, some day, relevant officials of the Lagos State Government would be called to account for the monies now being gleefully received by Alpha Beta Company. It's only a matter of time. I hope Gov. Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, has rehearsed well how he would extricate himself from complicity for allowing this rape of Lagos State.
Eko oni baje.
Eko di fure!
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