Twenty-five years after its creation; decades during which it grew into becoming Nigeria’s commercial nerve centre and Africa’s fifth largest economy, Lagos, paradoxically, has been reduced almost to begging for just one per cent of revenue accruable to the Federal Government, to address its infrastructural decay. ONE PER CENT! Despite the meagreness of the demand, the request is being shot at again and again by political shortsightedness. With the current economic recession, however, opponents of the proposal may soon realise the nation, rather than Lagos State, is the greater loser.
Lagos was at the centre of polemics nationally recently when the Special Status Bill for Lagos State was shut down at the Senate. The manner the bill, meant to provide Lagos with one percent of the revenue accruable to the Federal Government, was vehemently rejected, resulting a rancorous session made it a topic for discussion outside the Senate.
Though it was not the first time, the bill would be finding its way to the Senate but unlike the first time, it was able to scale through the committee stage to the floor of the Senate.


Those who are calling for a Special Status funding for Lagos premised their argument on the fact that there are too many pressures on infrastructure in Lagos largely due to not just the population, but the federal government not adequately servicing its assets in the state. And some of these assets are money-spinner for the Federal Government.
For instance, the ports, whether sea or air, generate huge sum of money for the federal government, yet, the roads that lead to them, let alone the ones that service the lead road, are left unattended to adequately, having ripple negative effect on other infrastructures within the state.
And because Lagos is the commercial nerve centre of Nigeria, it has continued to attract Nigerians from across cities and towns of the country, resulting in huge inflow of persons on a daily basis, with a good chunk targeting Lagos as their abode. To the promoters of the one per cent special fund, it would help the state to stay afloat and continue to be a commercial hub not only for Nigeria but Africa with the multiplier effect on Nigeria’s economy.
They draw their inspiration from the fact that though United States of America, Brazil and Germany relocated their capital, the former capital cities never suffer neglect the way Lagos is neglected by the Federal Government.
While introducing the Bill on the floor of the Senate, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, had argued that Lagos with strategic socio-economic significance and statistics showing that 6 of 10 international passengers arrive in it and 8 of 10 travellers depart from it, cannot be left alone to carry the burden.
Relying on a report from Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) in 2008, she said that 86.2 per cent of companies’ income taxes and 56.7 per cent Value Added Tax (VAT) were collected in Lagos.
“Key sectors of the economy namely: manufacturing, construction, telecommunications, financial institutions and insurance are domiciled in Lagos. Lagos also plays a major role as host to sporting, entertainment and cultural events. It is also the home of hospitality given the numerous hotels and restaurants located within the state.
“Compared with the rest of the country, Lagos has the smallest landmass of about 3,671square kilometers in Nigeria and the highest population density of about 2,649 persons per square kilometre. Although the National Population Census, according to its 2006 census, named Lagos the second most populous state in Nigeria, evidence shows that the state is also the transit state which plays host to millions of indigenes of other states in Nigeria who commute to Lagos for commercial transactions on a daily basis,” she added. With all these, she felt strongly that Lagos deserves a special funding status.
With the some of the points and arguments pushed forward by Tinubu on why Lagos should be considered for the Special Status Funding, it brings to the fore the misnomer of the state generating the revenue and the federal government spending it on its behalf.
When some senators on an oversight function in Lagos during the week stopped by at the Lagos House, Ikeja, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode used that opportunity to appeal to the Senate to revisit the Special Status Bill. He argued that the passage of the bill would translate to economic prosperity and well-being of Nigeria.
“Lagos being a cosmopolitan city and the economic capital of Nigeria must be assisted by the Federal Government to address infrastructure challenges confronting it.”
Ambode said that Lagos is home to every tribe in the country, and the passage of the bill by Senators should be viewed from the point of its importance to the country, and not just to Lagos.
He said: “Come December 12, 2016, it will be 25 years that the capital of Nigeria was moved from Lagos to Abuja. So, 25 years after, this is where we are. I welcome wholeheartedly when Senator Sani Yerima said anything that Lagos needs; the Senate will support us.
“So, I like to use this platform firstly to say a big thank you to the Senate President and the Deputy Senate President for allowing us to table our one percent special status because we have been struggling to put that up in the seventh Assembly, it was not done but it was through this eight Assembly that it was actually tabled and so we thank them for that.
“If we have about twelve Senators here and we are looking for two-third, we are saying here that it would not be out of place to revisit our appeal and our bill. Lagos is thoroughly cosmopolitan; it is a mini-Nigeria and then the wellbeing of Lagos is the total wellbeing of Nigeria and everybody has a stake here in Lagos and as a government, we have continually addressed the cosmopolitan nature of Lagos in a way that is suitable and comfortable for all Nigerians irrespective of tribe, creed or religion,” he said.
Full details at http://www.akelicious.com/2016/11/akinwunmi-ambodeunending-quest-for.html#more

Nice one my Governor

86.2 per cent of companies’ income taxes and 56.7% VAT were collected in Lagos, meanwhile they speedily allocated 3% of the sum collected to unproductive wastelands destroyed by their own people under the guise of religious expansion


Those perpetual zombies whose life's work is to defend the indefensible, do well and earn your keep. we need your long illogical gibberish you call comments here because the rest of us can see the naked foolishness of your so called "change" mantra unfolding everyday

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We All need full Resource Control. Our current system has created too many Lazy Governors



The Northern Governors should use Carrots/Groundnuts/Onions money to fund the NortheEast Development Commission



#Senator Samuel Anyanwu

OK, what a write up

Ayam not getting it

Northern elite of this days are d most lazy human being on earth.

Cool.

Well said ambode. The reason for the special status of 1 percent has been justified but for 3 percent Special status over 10 years for NE development still baffles me. Common contribution will be enough to settle the development of the region.