₦airaland Forum

Usbeel:
His people in daura? How those this reflect on you? Tribal difference is not good in politics, everyone loyal to Nigeria is among GBM's people.

mikeansy:
Yes I am and we are in a public forum

If u don't like me post ignore it or hug a transformer!

drnoel:
Fools u say. Fools u call me. Have u given ur own opinion now? So tell me between us 2 who is the fool, u eediot. U are a lowlife.

mikeansy:
If Buhari emerge APC leader then Christmas has definitely come early for Jonathan!

drnoel:
SOD- So Of Devil. Ur words are like poison. They could kill but we are covered by the blood of Jesus.

DONGOYARO1:
About 70% of our annual budget goes into recurrent expenditure !!! No serious country does that

Ahead 2015 general elections Fashola hits FG, TAN in a very hard way

Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola came hard on the President Goodluck Jonathan-led administration and members of the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN). He said their idea of transformation defied dictionary meaning. The governor said a government that spends an average of 65 per cent of its annual national budget on recurrent expenditure in the last four years cannot be adjudged to be transforming the country.

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FASHOLA, JONATHAN

Fashola cautioned the government against leading the country on the roads to Rwanda and Detroit in the United States of America, where insecurity, joblessness, poverty, corruption, division and lack of moral values prevail.
He said for Nigeria to start its journey of true reconstruction, reconciliation and rehabilitation as espoused by the Gowon administration immediately after the civil war, we must collectively rework our value system.

The governor spoke at the 2014 Leadership annual conference and awards ceremony organised by Leadership Newspapers yesterday in Abuja.
Fashola, in his paper titled: “Rebuilding the Nation: Lessons from Other Lands”, emphasised that the desired change which Nigerians yearn for was only possible through their votes. He told the gathering among whom were former of Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, Speaker of the House of Representatives Aminu Tambuwal, Governors Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta), Adams Oshiomhole (Edo), Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), and Senator Bukola Saraki that the 2015 general elections would be the defining moment for the country.
A change, he maintained, should begin with the coming elections, if Nigerians are truly desirous of change in the socio-political and economic outlook of the country.

Fashola said Nigeria politicians were behaving like Detroit politicians who preferred kicking the can around with excuses rather than confronting and addressing the problems facing the state.
“Detroit, the home of Ford automobile in the 1950 employed 250,000 people, but today it is bankrupt with about $20 billion debt, and hardly able to employ 20,000 people. “We must turn Nigeria around. We cannot keep this calm for another four years. The consequences will be grave, it will be global and it will be reverberating. “Nigerians must renew their own values and we must find our own solution from within us, and to be specific, that change must come from within our democratic process.”

The governor said Nigerians have not experienced the promise of this country because our values and moral codes have gone in different directions. Fashola said the Federal Government has failed to entrench true transformation as it has professed, describing the on-going Transformation Agenda as mere “slogan”. The governor said: “If truly there was a desire to make a change for the better which is what transformation means; it should be obvious as astatement of intention from the budget.

“Our budget spends more on recurrent payment of salaries, travel, and generally running government. I ask is this what transformation is about that? “The signs that there was not going to be any transformation in Nigeria were obvious to me since 2011; as mere slogan perhaps yes, but as a call to purposeful action the jury is out. “If we want change, the elections in 2015 are a good place to start. For me, these elections must not be so much about what the opposition brings as some people have argued.
“I know that what the opposition does might or might not be helpful, if you and I are happy with what we have now and some ambassadors said that they are, then nothing that the opposition does will change how it feels.
“Conversely, if we are unhappy with what we have, the logical thing to do is to attempt to change it with our votes and to change the next one too if we do not find what we want until we find what we all want. That is when the people would truly have attained power”, the governor asserted.

He said the promise of Nigeria must be fulfilled whether the present crops of politicians like it or not, noting that moral and ethical rebirth are the surest way to get the nation back on track. Chairman of the occasion Sir Amuka Pemu lamented that the civil service mass purge during the tenure of Gen. Murtala Mohammed marked the beginning of the problems confronting the nation today. He pointed out that lack of job security in the service turned the civil service into self service with the attendant abuse of public service and diminished integrity.
Amuka, who canvassed for simple decency and respect for the rule of law, added that with insecurity across the country and the fact that the Chibok girls were still in captivity, it was difficult for the country to celebrate its 54th anniversary and centenary.
The Group Managing Director of Leadership Newspaper, Azu Ishekwene, said despite the seeming fear and despair across the nation, Leadership Newspaper sees hope in the future of the country.
Posted by: Blessing Olaifa, Assistant Editor and Frank Ikpefan

michael2111:
Jonathan Fans should better start immediate prayer and fasting because i wonder how Jonathan will manage to win 2015 election.... Going by the 2011 Election result... Jonathan need to pray hard..

Buhari as no finance in 2011 he didn't share rice and other stuff, A new Party (CPC), No sitting Governor, House of rep or senator and he was still able to pull 12.2 Million Votes and Jonathan with just 22.5 million votes.. just 10 million votes difference...

Jonathan fans make una go pray ooo

Please note that Buhari can never lose any states he won in 2011

Very true. Nigerians should take a clue from how well he did in 2011 against GEJ with relatively no support and very limited funding on the platform of the CPC which was virtually a brand new political Party at the time. People mention his past defeats in 2007 and 2003 also without realising that Buhari had a mountain to climb back then as a very principled man trying to go it alone. Today, with the considerable might and finance of the biggest opposition Party in Nigeria behind him then I think even the usually dull and cretinous Jonathanians see the obvious and this is why they are trembling and shouting "APC should present Fashola" up and down.

If the PDP manage the internal election process well and Buhari emerges without serious rancour , which mean other powerful and wealthy candidates willingly fall in line behind Buhari, then the APC will be more than good to go.

VirginFinder:
You are a dullard!
That's why you choose to argue based on emotions and sentiments rather than facts.
You are nobody in Nigeria if you are not known in the South West. Live it with!

There are more Igbos anywhere in the SW than there are Yorubas in the SE.

I'm sure you speak Yoruba

Obinoscopy:
The APC Presidential Primaries where their Presidential Candidate will emerge will make frontpage. Not this one.

chimerase2:
u guys should should bring up a credible candidate not a serial loser I swear we could vote for here
And again not seeing buhari's declaration on FP doesn't make sense
Omo this is a declaration noting else

CaptJHMiller:
Then why did that of TAN hit the frontpage?
Why does rubbish topics to tonto, tiwa n Co hit front page, abi do those topics feed you in anyway?
This is the future of Nigeria, you, your kids we are talking here! Whether you like it or not, it has something to do with you.

NgeneUkwenu:
I am no longer bothered. All I know is by 17th. Feb next year, Seun and his moderators would have politics section all to themselves! Very sure!

seunmsg:
Am a christian and a Yoruba man and I support Gen. Buhari passionately. So tell me, how am I driven by tribal and religious sentiment?

Ibnsultan:
Instead of hobnobbing with d high & mighty, GMB has cast his lot with the ordinary man. People follow him out of hope & belief in his values"

musaibnabdul:
Back stage #NigeriaUnited
for #GMB2015

OfficialScatter:
Bros, Enough of this ethnic jargons. Is it only the Yorubas that support Buhari? Must everyone support GEJ/PDP, support who you want and allow others do same. You have only 1 vote, use it how you like and let others decide who they want. Simple!

Ogun’s IGR grows from N750m to N3b in two years

By Segun Adebowale / June 7, 2013 / 0 Comments

The commissioner said the government’s effort had continued to increase the number of people paying taxes in the state

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Governor Ibikunle Amosun

The Ogun State Government said in Abeokuta on Friday that the state’s monthly internally generated revenue had increased from N750 million in 2011 to N3 billion in 2013.
The Commissioner for Finance, Kemi Adeosun, said at a media briefing that the increase was as a result of the “ongoing financial engineering” in the state.
Adeosun said the financial engineering began in 2011 when the Governor Ibikunle Amosun-led administration assumed office.
The commissioner said the government’s effort had continued to increase the number of people paying taxes in the state.
“Enforcement of the residency rule has been strengthened with a number of court judgments being obtained against employers in neighbouring states, who failed to remit taxes due to Ogun,” she said.
Adeosun added that the ongoing infrastructure renewal, particularly in the areas of roads and schools, had continued to generate voluntary compliance with taxation laws by the residents.
“People are now able to see what the government is spending funds on and are therefore encouraged to pay taxes without necessarily being coerced,” she said.
The commissioner, however, said the state government had put measures in place to ensure that the IGR reached a monthly average of N5 billion before the end of the year.
She said government intended to attain the target by strengthening its cashless revenue collection policy, introduced in 2011.
She said: “This initiative has resulted in an increase in collection figures in tertiary institutions to the tune of N2.7 billion between January and March 2013 as against N908 million within the same period in 2012.
“Based on this success story, the policy will be replicated in the state hospitals, judiciary and other ministries, departments and agencies of government.”
Adeosun added that the revenue monitoring team would also be strengthened to assist key revenue-generating MDAs in co-ordinating their activities.
“This team will provide logistic, organisational and technological assistance in attaining revenue targets,” she said.
The commissioner explained that the Amosun-led administration had reduced the N87 billion debt inherited in 2011 to N61.6 billion in December 2012.
She, however, said government had already developed a medium term financial model which would ensure that the state’s debt grew only in proportion to the IGR growth.

8 OCTOBER 2014
Nigeria: The Success Story of Lagos' IGR Over the Years - Fowler
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INTERVIEW

By Ade Ogidan
Babatunde Fowler is the Executive Chairman of Lagos State Board of Inland Revenue. He studied in the United States of America at the University of Wisconsin, Whitewater, where he obtained his first bachelors' degree with a Bachelor of Science in Economics and a minor in Political Science in 1978. He completed a second bachelors' degree programme at California State University, Los Angeles and also a Master of Business Administration degree program at California State University, Dominguez Hills in 1981. He started out as a Marketing Intern with Avon Products Inc. New York working under the Vice President in charge of Africa. Having completed his formal education he was employed by Johnson and Johnson in New Jersey USA, under the MBA International Development Programme lasting one year, thereafter he was transferred to join Johnson and Johnson Nigeria between September 1982 and September 1983.He made a career change from International Finance and Marketing to Banking in January 1984. In the banking industry he had the opportunity to work and also head broad and varied areas of banking operations and business development in two major commercial banks over the next 20 years. Upon leaving the banking industry in 2004, Fowler joined the Lagos State Government and was appointed the pioneer Permanent Secretary/ Executive Chairman of the Lagos State Board of Internal Revenue on the 24th of November 2005, thereby upgrading the office of the Executive Chairman to the highest level in the civil service.

In this interview with Business Editor, ADE OGIDAN, he explains the rising profile of Lagos IGR and the concomitant challenges of tax collection in a developing economy. Excerpts.

HOW would you briefly describe the operational profile of your agency?

The main objective of the board that I run is to generate revenue for the government. Very easily put, there is no country, no state that can carry out its expected responsibilities without funding. Every leader who has a vision, whether it's in the United States of America, in Europe, or in Africa requires funding to carry out that vision. And taxation has come to the point now that abroad, where taxation has been imbedded for quite a while, it is a major political issue, either when they're going to raise tax or reduce it. And even when we remember the debate in United States of America whenever some opponents want reduction in tax but want more services, the citizens of America would ask a simple question, how? So, it's come to that level whereby they understand that without taxation, government cannot deliver services. And I believe in Lagos State, it has also got to that point whereby the people who are paying taxes can see the difference. They understand and see the services being offered and putting everything in a true perspective.

To get the true perspective of income generation, Lagos State, for example, currently receives an average of N8 billion from the federation account on a monthly basis. Out of this, N6 billion goes for payment of salaries every month. So, if you deduct N6 billion from the N8 billion we get from the federation account, Lagos State would be left with only N2 billion, which cannot meet requirements of government. If you look at what happened recently, that is, the Ebola scare, that was totally unprepared for. If Lagos State did not have other sources of revenue, there would be no way we would have reacted as quickly as we did. You know, provide isolation centres, import equipment required to treat the patients.

Besides and most importantly, we need to generate extra revenues to fulfill the our mandate, in terms of total service delivery.

The IGR build-up in Lagos State has become a relative success story. Over the years, how did you strategise to achieve the current feat?

Well,[b] let me first of all give my appreciation to two governors. First of all, His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu who had the vision. Who maybe, as an accountant and also as Governor, first of all realised that with the money from the federation account, there was no way there would be a provision for him to deliver on his mandate. The current Governor also followed his trend and supported the Board of Internal Revenue. Lagos is one of the few states that can be considered to be working. Even during the so-called global cash crunch, Lagos kept on working. And that's because of internally generated revenue. In 1999, the IGR averaged about N600 million per month. And if you look at the budget of the Lagos State government then, if I'm right, I believe it was about N17 billion per year. And as of last year, it has risen to N500 billion. And that's because the IGR increased to the point that Lagos State, apart from being able to deliver, or cover its current expenses, is also in a position to get loans form the World Bank and other agencies. And because they are sure we can pay back from our internally generated revenue, securing the facilities has never been an issue. So, maybe a road that would have taken the state 10 years to develop, Lagos state can take 200 roads in the same year and start renovating or constructing new roads at once. So, I can attribute the success that has greeted our IGR profile to visionary leadership the state has been enjoying since 1999.[/b]

As you rightly said, taxation has become a big issue globally and in Lagos State for example, it has being a big political issue. What were the initial challenges faced by your board, especially from the political front, in achieving the current IGR profile?

Well, initially, when we started, it wasn't a political issue at all. And we first of all spent the first year or two educating all the people on the laws relating to tax, the need to pay tax and we held meetings with various sector operators. We held meetings with professionals, artisans, with market women and religious leaders, among others, and they all agreed with us on our agenda, especially the fact that it's proper to pay tax. And as they started to pay the taxes, they could see the difference. So, it was not a political issue at all. It now got to a point, where for lack of a better word, Lagos State was leaving others behind. People came to Lagos and saw unimaginable changes and developments. And it was clear that it was because of the additional funds received through taxation. So, some politicians in other political parties, out of the need to explain their own failures, started a propaganda that Lagos was overtaxing its people. But this is far from the truth. Lagos is not overtaxing the people in anyway. Rather, Lagos has been doing the right thing. We are following the law and fixing taxes accordingly. We were able to overcome this challenge from these political antagonists as the people themselves could see the positive impact of taxation and compliance. I believe the people of Lagos know and would not accept the argument from these propagandists because it doesn't make any political or economic sense.

You said initially you held meetings with stakeholders and you mentioned religious leaders?

Exactly

Well, there is the raging controversy over the appropriateness and otherwise of taxing religious activities. What's your take on this?

The constitution does not provide for religious organisations to pay taxes for purely religious activities. But what has happened now is that most of these religious organisations have ventured into profit making businesses. A lot of them own secondary schools, some of them own universities, some of them own printing presses, bookshops, and they operate these ventures as commercial concerns to make profits. So, on those businesses, they are subject to tax. And they've all agreed to pay tax. So, we've got within Lagos, religious organisations that engage in commercial activities, paying their taxes. And then, we have no problem with them whatsoever.

They've been responding positively?

Yes, they've been responding positively.

There may be no problem in getting the formal sector employees to pay tax based on the pay as you earn system. But how have you been making inroads into the informal sector?

Well, the informal sector in our books, is divided into two. We've got the informal sector as we generally term it when it relates to market women, transporters, drivers, mechanics, artisans and others. And then, we have got the professional informal sector, that is, those skilled upper-end professionals that work for themselves like the doctors, dentists, accountants, the real estate agents, among others. Now, when it comes to the earlier group, we have no problem. The market women pay their taxes. They welcome our staff into the markets. They have 24 mini stations in all the major markets in Lagos State. The mechanics welcome our officials. Now, where we do actually have a problem are the latter group of professionals in the informal sector, who are not under PAYE. A lot of them either undeclare their incomes or don't pay any taxes at all.

Talking about welfare there have been issues involving disaffection among your staff over poor welfare, highhandedness and all of that. What's your take on these issues?

No, I'm not aware of ... that you have highlighted. But, I can tell you a few things we do or have done for our staff. Coming from the private sector, we believe that agencies or organisation within the private sector actually care for their staff better than the public sector. Now, in some degree, it may be right but I can tell you that staff of the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service are well-looked after. Let me first of all start from the area of intellectual operations. For all our staff, we require that they are members of an association, which is the Charted Institute of Taxation. We have provided for them in the past, free lessons. We also pay for their exams. We also pay for their inductions. And they are entitled to 'uncapped' medical allowances if need be. Now, as public servants, we're also entitled to receive healthcare from the government hospitals. However, if it arises that the situation is beyond that care, we also cover other expenses. We basically meet or do more than if they were working in a 'bank'. I used to work in the banking sector and I know the benefits that used to accrue to staff in the banking sector... ... are quite generous. And I can tell you that our staff benefit more than that. Now, in terms of high-handedness, I'm not too sure how that would have come about. But we do have meetings with all our staff from time to time and that issue has never come up. But if you know of any specific situation, then, you can let me know and we would look into it.

You organisation has been working assiduously to generate so much revenue for the state. And there is this impression that politicians are frittering away the much that is being realised mainly on mundane political issues. We now have the electioneering campaigns coming up and much is expected to be expended. So, people say from historical ascendants, there could be deceleration of development in the state. Do you think there should be a formula for political campaign expenditure in the country that would not injure state revenue?

Well, let me first of all answer that question in two ways. First of all, let me give a profile on how money is expended on governance. Every year, the Governor would present a budget to the House of Assembly and within that budget, they will state where and how the money is to be spent. So, whether we have an election year or not, the Governor cannot approve expenditure that has not been approved by the House of Assembly and under no circumstances will money be spent on pecuniary political activities. Now, people who desire to win a political office have the right to raise funds, to spend their funds the way they deem fit. But I think it's got to a point now that the Nigerian people can tell the difference, whether this man or woman is trying to buy my vote because he or she wants power or whether this man, this party, has a vision that would improve the level of standard of living or bring development to their state or to their country. So, I think we've gone past that era - there might be people who would continue to expect bags of rice, bags of garri, some money in an envelope, to vote for this party or the other. But I think that a large percentage of people now realise that after the election, what next?

Should there be a formula for electioneering campaign funding?

Well, to my mind, if there is a formula, the question would be, even if they say you're allowed to spend, let's say N20 million to become a senator, not everybody will even have up to N20 million. So, you have people who may not have to, you have people who would have more. So, if you cap it, under which medium? If you spend N20 million on posters, it's different from spending N20 million on TV or N20 million in newspapers. They would go different instances and they are targeting different individuals. I believe that the citizens, the voters, ought to tell the difference between someone who is overspending and we ought to ask why this person is so desperate for power. Let me put it this way, if someone wants to become a governor, who wants to serve or wants to become senator and wants to serve and can be seen to be spending N50 million to get elected, you ask yourself, how much do we pay a senator? If his desire is to serve, he should come out with issues and policies and programmes that he is going to implement, not on the strength of money he or she can spend, because, if your salary, when you get into office is N10 million for one year and you're spending N50 million to get that position, people ought to ask why. And people should also look at the track record of people who have come out. And there is one aspect that I continually talk about and that is the so-called professionals. Instead of sitting on the sidelines, they should come into politics. You don't have to come into politics to occupy a particular position, you can just come into politics, give your opinion, give your voice and just advice how you think the party can improve to serve the people better.

Now, back to taxation, I think over-taxation is a concern to the people just as multiplicity of tax is. In fact, the latter is becoming a major issue, especially in Lagos State. There are complaints, especially from the informal sector about this. We have various taxes and levies, especially from the third tier of government. And there was a time when Lagos State tried to do a harmonisation. To which extent is this harmonisation initiative being effected?

Let me first answer the first question. There is nothing like over-taxation. The tax laws that we operate in Nigeria are federal laws, meaning that the taxes collected in Lagos State are the same that are collected in other states. So, the type of tax, the percentage or the rate of tax is the same nationwide. And then tax is based on profit and income. So, if you don't have any income, you don't pay any tax. If your organisation does not make any profit, your organisation doesn't pay any tax. So, it is a percentage of that income or profit that is taxable. Now, the question is why pay tax? The government is expected to provide a conducive environment for living and businesses, like security, healthcare, education, good roads, among others. If you have shops and there is no road that can take the people who want to patronise you to that shop, you won't sell anything. So, government has made roads that will encourage your business, government has put in adequate security, police, to make sure that you can buy and sell without being harassed. And when you now make an income or you earn a salary, it's that percentage of that that you pay as tax. So, there is nothing like being overtaxed.

Now, on the issue of multiplicity of tax. In Lagos, there is no such thing. Like you said, in the third tier of government, there was a law passed by the House of Assembly which has highlighted all the taxes that local government can charge. And anytime an officer from the local government comes to ask for a payment, you should be able to ask them, let me see the scale, let me see the taxes that you are empowered to collect. All the local government chairmen have signed and have agreed to this. And this has become a law passed by the Lagos State House of Assembly. So, any payment that is asked for that you doubt, you can contact the office of the Special Adviser on Revenue and Taxation or contact my office, I would come and find out what the issues are free of charge.

What is your projection for revenue generation for Lagos State, especially in the next four or five years?

Okay, my projection come in twofold. First of all, I will call my projection in terms of policy. Right now, in what we call the organised private sector - those are the oil companies, the banks, those who are under PAYE, we have close to 90 per cent tax compliance. In the unorganised informal sector, especially among professionals, it is very low. So, my projection in the next four or five years, first of all, if I put figures to it, is that we would have a 99.9 percent tax compliance across all sectors - organised private sector, informal professionals, informal skilled, government, including federal government agencies that pay taxes that everyone signs up and we have 99.9 percent. Now, in terms of figures, what that would be, I was reading the papers yesterday and an international agency said that they expect our internally generated revenue to hit close to N400 billion by the year 2016. Currently, as of last year, we have about N240 billion. I believe that if we have an increase of 20 percent per year, that would translate to anywhere between N350 to N375 billion by the year 2016. And I believe that as businesses continue to grow within Lagos State, that means more people would be employed, more people would pay taxes. And I believe yes, we do financial projections but based on the level of our activities within Lagos State, we should be in that region of N375 billion in the next four to five years or in excess of N400 billion

Explicit01:
Southwest is the highest when it comes to IGR, this is because of the proximity of their states to lagos. Southwest remains the head when it comes to commercialization and industrialization but I think southwest won't have a chance if lagos is removed cos the likes of ogun, oyo, osun, ondo etc are not any better than other nigerian states.

Ogun, most industrially developed state in Nigeria - Jonathan

14.Mar.2014 DISQUS_COMMENTS

President Goodluck Jonathan has described Ogun State as the most industrially developed state in the country and attributed the state’s new status to the economic plan of the Senator Ibikunle Amosun-led administration.

The President further expressed the readiness of the Federal Government to partner with the state government in its rebuilding mission.

Speaking at the commissioning of the Procter and Gamble multi million dollar plant in Agbara, Ogun State, Jonathan, who was represented by Vice President, Namadi Sambo, affirmed that the Amosun-led administration was creating a conducive environment for business to thrive in the state.

“I believe Ogun State is the most industrially developed state in this country. We will partner with you. We will work with you based on synergies and policies that allow for business to thrive”, he said.

The president revealed that the contract for the construction of a standard guage fast train that would connect Lagos through Ogun State to Ibadan had been awarded, adding that, “Olorunsogo Power Plant in Ogun has been successfully completed and privatised”.

While pointing out that plans for the long awaited Lagos-Sokoto Road had reached an advanced stage, the president emphasised that, its designs were being completed and the work would be executed under a Public Private Partnership arrangement.

“Federal Government is building an additional power transmission system, as well as investing in development of gas infrastructure to support the efforts of the state government”, he said.

In his remarks, Amosun disclosed that the commissioning was the 43rd he would be performing in less than three years of his administration, stating that the newly commissioned multi million dollar investments would create 2000 direct and indirect job opportunities for the people of the state.

He charged all industries resident in the state to be up and doing in their Corporate Social Responsibility to their host communities, while reiterating that his administration would not shirk its responsibility in providing security and enabling environment for investors.

ola6:
When did we become like this? In trying to be "wise" we became "foolish" ( Romans 1:22 ESV Claiming to be wise, they became fools). How can we still allow a military man who simply dropped his khaki for agbada, who is OVER 70 YEARS OF AGE, who is bereft of ideas and creativity, to rule us and "Yorubas" (the hungry and compromised ones) are saying yes? undecided
t
WHAT IS WRONG WITH MY PEOPLE? ARE WE BLIND?

soroptimist:
i commend the folks represented in Yoruba Youth Congress for their patriotic act of endorsing the man of the moment Gen Muhammadu Buhari

I know without any shadow of doubt that this endorsement was done with a lot of critical thinking and Nigeria's future at heart




ADDENDUM: Did anyone notice the speed with which the sorrowful children of sa.TAN have been jumping on this thread to shoot down the patriotic act of the folks in YYC?

Press Release | 2 June 2012 Last updated at 00:42 CET
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Yoruba youth group berates ACN over opposition to change of UNILAG to MKO Varsity

By Yoruba Youths Congress (YYC)


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A Yoruba youths group, the Yoruba Youths Congress (YYC) has accused the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) of supporting the protest that greeted the renaming of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) after the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola.

The group said it was appalled that the same ACN government in Lagos State that was able to quell the Lekki Toll Gate protest, using armed Mobile Policemen kept mute when protesters blocked Third Mainland Bridge, making life unbearable for millions of road users.

In a statement issued today by its Director of Media and Publicity, Comrade Funmiso Babarinde, YYC said; "With the seeming underhand support the ACN people and their allies gave to the protest and the party's denial of Abiola's son the ticket to contest the House of Reps, it must now be clear to all Yoruba sons and daughters that CAN and its allies never loved Abiola genuinely."

While commending the Federal Government for recognising Abiola's matrydom for democracy in Nigeria, YYC urged the government to initiate all required legal steps to perfect the change of name.

The group also urged the Federal Government go a step further by releasing the results of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, at least to put the records straight.

"Before, it was clamour for MKO Abiola to be immortalised. Now that it has been done by naming a prestigious institution like the UNILAG after him, what else does these characters want?

"Why is it that these people always like to present we the Yorubas as troublemakers, who will can never be satisfied by anything?

"Or must everything be approached with intent to win cheap political points?

"Was it not from UNILAG that Abiola moved to Epetedo, Lagos for the Epetedo Declaration that led to his arrest and eventual death in detention?

"Definitely, these ACN people, who are obviously behind the protest do not mean well for MKO Abiola and the course he died for and our people should be conscious of the hypocrisy of ACN and its leaders," YYC said.

Omimah:
Yoruba people have always been known to be religious tolerant. They have been known for not considering the religion of a person before voting for him. In fact nobody uses religion to campaign. But today there are some people that go about in the South West saying the leaders of APC are moslems, and are planning to bring Islamic fanatics like Buhari, Atiku or Kwankwoso as their flagbearer. How can we help to rd-orientate the Yoruba people that are thinking along this line?

Omimah:
Buhari will ever get the votes of the South West and those of the North Central, North East and North West. The only places that would be taugh for him are the South East and the South South. I will however, ask APC in the South West work on some Yoruba people bringing religion into the polity of the Yoruba people. Yoruba people have always been known to be religious tolerant. Gbawe, take note of this.

Splashme:
[size=13pt]Such association is non-existent in Yoruba land. It's not known. They are on their own. [/size]

Press Release | 2 June 2012 Last updated at 00:42 CET
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Yoruba youth group berates ACN over opposition to change of UNILAG to MKO Varsity

By Yoruba Youths Congress (YYC)


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A Yoruba youths group, the Yoruba Youths Congress (YYC) has accused the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) of supporting the protest that greeted the renaming of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) after the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola.

The group said it was appalled that the same ACN government in Lagos State that was able to quell the Lekki Toll Gate protest, using armed Mobile Policemen kept mute when protesters blocked Third Mainland Bridge, making life unbearable for millions of road users.

In a statement issued today by its Director of Media and Publicity, Comrade Funmiso Babarinde, YYC said; "With the seeming underhand support the ACN people and their allies gave to the protest and the party's denial of Abiola's son the ticket to contest the House of Reps, it must now be clear to all Yoruba sons and daughters that CAN and its allies never loved Abiola genuinely."

While commending the Federal Government for recognising Abiola's matrydom for democracy in Nigeria, YYC urged the government to initiate all required legal steps to perfect the change of name.

The group also urged the Federal Government go a step further by releasing the results of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, at least to put the records straight.

"Before, it was clamour for MKO Abiola to be immortalised. Now that it has been done by naming a prestigious institution like the UNILAG after him, what else does these characters want?

"Why is it that these people always like to present we the Yorubas as troublemakers, who will can never be satisfied by anything?

"Or must everything be approached with intent to win cheap political points?

"Was it not from UNILAG that Abiola moved to Epetedo, Lagos for the Epetedo Declaration that led to his arrest and eventual death in detention?

"Definitely, these ACN people, who are obviously behind the protest do not mean well for MKO Abiola and the course he died for and our people should be conscious of the hypocrisy of ACN and its leaders," YYC said.

Deadpan:
LIES!!

2015: Yoruba youth congress endorses Buhari for APC presidential ticket

on October 14, 2014 / in News 12:15 pm / Comments


The Yoruba Youths Congress (YYC), a socio-cultural group, on Tuesday announced its endorsement of Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (Rtd) as the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate.

Olalekan Hammed, the National Leader of the group, announced this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan.

Hammed said that the group believed Buhari was good enough to fly the APC presidential flag, having considered his past records.

“Retired General Buhari is an attested disciplinarian who was able to curtail corruption during his regime as the Head of State of the nation between 1983 and 1985.

“His landmarks as the Chairman of the Petroleum Trust Development Fund (PTDF) are also still very evident in tertiary institutions of learning in the country,” he said.

According to Hammed, the group also considers and appreciates that the former head of state did not increase petroleum pump price during his tenure.

The group, however, urged Buhari to reserve 40 per cent of his appointments for youths if he was elected as the president in 2015.

“The youth have come a long way and we have seen the need to be given the chance to offer our ideas for the growth and development of this nation,” he said.

Buhari, a former Military Governor of the defunct North Eastern State, was also a one time Federal Commissioner for Petroleum Resources.

Buhari was a former leader of the Congress for Progressive Change which later merged with other parties to form the APC.

BluIvy:
By the way wouldn't a Buhari/Fashola ticket be a Muslim/Muslim ticket which will give the likes of FFK ammunition to blast and attack APC with the same PDP supporters crying Christian marginalisation in APC?

THINK PEOPLE THINK!

ovadoze:
Bros, are you Tinubu or the leader of APC, why re u posting with so much venom??

aljharem:
Shut up and answer the question

What has apc done in Lagos for the past 16 years

Apc is owning 1 trillion naira apart 4 trillion naira expenditure

Lagos’ transformation into a mega-city: A visionary Governor
Posted by FutureLagos on May 8, 2014 in All, Around the World, Cities, Economy, Public Space · 0 Comments



By Alkasim Abdulkadir

Lagos bustles with abundant energy not simply from dawn not until dusk, but to another dawn again – the cycle never breaks and its residents love to describe it as the city that never sleeps. It is the city of Fela Kuti the Afrobeat maestro, renowned for his scathing social commentary, it is also where Aliko Dangote (originally from Kano) now oversees his $20 Billion fortune.

However, appalling slums and a housing deficit, ubiquitous traffic congestion, a high crime rate and ocean surges are just some of the issues bedeviling Lagos. But the city is changing and slowly but surely evolving for the better.

The story of Lagos is tightly knitted with that of Nigeria itself – the economic downturn of the early 70s and 80s led to a massive migration to urban areas. This led to a huge overstretching of the city to what it is today – 21 million people crammed into a space of just 356,861 hectares.

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Lagos in the 90s

By 1999, it had reached its point of elasticity – it had to reinvent itself or begin a fast decline. In 2007, Babatunde Fashola – a lawyer and an official in the former government – became governor of Lagos and in a matter of months people began to notice the difference. The simple fact that urban planning, which redresses the obsolescence of city spaces, could be applied to Lagos, shocked residents and non-residents alike.

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Maintained garden, Lagos Island

Within a short time garbage dumps were turned into gardens. One example is the ubiquitous traffic gridlock of places like Oshodi; this area was transformed by demolishing illegal structures and evicting squatters. Thus Eko Oni Baje, ‘Lagos must not spoil’ in Yoruba, became the mantra on the lips of every man, woman and child. And the world took notice too, global brands and luxury franchises from Porsche, to Radison Blu and Ermenegildo Zegna all came flocking.

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Oshodi in the 90s

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Oshodi now

In spite of the strides the current government has taken, its most ambitious project to date is the Eko Atlantic City; promoters of the city describe it as the new financial epicenter of West Africa. Some have even called it the Manhattan or Dubai of Africa. When the Eko Atlantic City is finally built it will comprise seven districts on the oceanfront, harbor lights, a business district, Eko Drive, Marina Avenue and Downtown area. The Business District will spread across 1.3 million squares meters of land and will include banks, insurance companies and other multinationals in the oil and gas sector. The Nigerian Stock Exchange will also have a department there.

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Artist’s impression of Eko Atlantic

The task of building this city falls into the hands of the South Energyx Ltd under a Build–Operate–Transfer (BOT) model for a period of 35 years, before ownership is transferred to Lagos state. However, the Eko Atlantic vision comes with a price tag –a massive $6 billion. Financing these developments has been an innovation itself in the development of the country’s urban spaces. The funds have come from a consortium of banks, including First Bank, First City Monument Bank and Guaranty Trust Bank and it is also expected that proceeds from the sale of lands will go towards building the city’s new infrastructure.

But Eko Atlantic city won’t solve Lagos’ perennial housing problem, with a current population hovering above 20 million this figure will hit 27 million inhabitants by the year 2020. These numbers should be enough to scare any city administrator into taking some big steps.

There are many innovative individuals and groups who share Fashola’s vision for Lagos. These include the urban renewal enthusiast and architect Kunle Adeyemi, whose floating school is one of the iconic features of the stilt slum Makoko. His school design floats on more than 200 plastic barrels and has been nominated as one the inspiring building designs of the year 2014 by the London Design Museum.

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Lagos Water Community, NLÉ

Also assisting Fashola’s dream is Otto Orondam who said he is tired of criticising the threatened future of the country and as such his intervention project ‘Slum to School Africa’ is providing access to education and educational materials in Lagos’ slums, assisted by an army of volunteers they have enabled thousands of slum kids to get an education.

Fashola says that “There is no finish line in this journey, it is a continuous desire to make things better than we could ever imagine.” The grinding and the bustle of the city goes on from dawn to dawn, and city administrators and residents continue to walk the talk that Lagos must outgrow its slumification and finally become a city its people can be proud of.

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Lagos Island

Eko oni baje o!