Democratic Socialist Movement

For Struggle, Solidarity and Socialism in Nigeria

By - DSM

NO TO ADDITIONAL TAX BURDEN ON POOR LAGOSIANS


National Conscience Party

Lagos State Chapter

NO TO ADDITIONAL TAX BURDEN ON POOR LAGOSIANS

The Lagos State National Conscience Party hereby call on the Lagos State Government to immediately withdraw the proposed bill that will empower the Lagos State Government to impose an additional tax burden on the residents through the Community Development Associations (CDAs) This was made known recently by the Lagos State Commissioner for Rural Development, Lanre Balogun at the second interactive forum with the CDAs, which was reported in the Daily Independent of Thursday July 13, 2006. He said that the token sum to be collected would be used for infrastructural development and the enactment of the law would go to a large extent to encourage the CDAs to carry out this function effectively and efficiently.

The Lagos NCP wishes to state emphatically that the CDAs are not constitutionally mandated to tax the residents. The primary responsibility for taxing the citizens with the aim of improving the level of infrastructure is reposed in local, state and the federal government. So it will be illegal and unconstitutional for CDA to tax residents under any disguise.

We are also of the view that there is no justification for another tax since the citizens have been over burdened with numerous taxes and yet enjoying nothing thereon. Lagos State has received over N250billion from federation account alone in the last 7 years. This is in addition to over N150billion it has generated internally outside what is generated by the Local Government. The same State Government has recently collected a loan of $200milion (N28billion) from the World Bank for infrastructural development. Despite all these huge sums at its disposal, there has been no meaningful development in the state as most of these monies have found their ways into private pockets of dubious contractors and top government functionaries. The roads are so bad, schools are in a deplorable condition, the hospitals have no drugs and its personnel are seriously demoralized due to poor wages, no decent housing for poor masses etc.

We call on the Lagos State government to commit the public resources to providing infrastructures such as good roads, qualitative schools, hospitals, houses etc., in order to improve the lots of the citizens.

We also call on the labour, civil society and pro-masses organisations to condemn the planned extortionist agenda and mobilise for mass resistance should the Government go ahead with the provocative and reprehensible action.

Segun Sango
Chairperson, Lagos State NCP