Agbaje owes Lagos N1.6m tax, says Fashola

Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, on Wednesday, described the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, as a serial tax defaulter.
Because of this, he urged the electorate not to vote for Agbaje because “a serial tax defaulter will ruin the economy of our state”.
He revealed, at the 8th Lagos State Taxation Annual Stakeholders Conference held in Ikeja, that the pharmaceutical company belonging to Agbaje, JAYKAY, owes the state government N1,629,064.62
Fashola said it was unlawful for anyone to evade tax, alleging that the PDP governorship candidate refused to pay tax for four years and that he began to pay the land use charge in 2013 and 2014, when the general election was approaching.
To the governor, the N1,629,064.62 could have been used to provide facilities for Lagosians.
He said: “You will remember that in 2007, he claimed that he was in DPA and later crossed to PDP. You know that he manages a pharmacy called Jaykay Pharmacy, located at 9, Randle Close, Apapa. His pharmacy has not paid Land Use Charge for 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. They paid in 2013 and 2014 because they discovered that the election would be holding in 2015. His pharmacy owes this state N1,629,064.62.”
Fashola, who explained that it was illegal for any citizen to evade tax, said any politician who promises tax free administration is a liar and should be ignored by the electorate.
He described Agbaje as a cheat and tax defaulter who denied some tax complaint Lagosians the opportunity to fully enjoy the facilities provided through their taxes by evading tax payment for four years.
He added: “Let us do that mathematics to see how many facilities that funds would have provided in our hospitals and stationary in our schools. But this was the same person who was complaining that the state government spent three per cent of its budget on education. Local Government is responsible for the management of the primary schools and yet, he has withheld their taxes. This is the man who wants to be your next governor. And I will advise you that you avoid deception and tax evader.
“All those who have paid their taxes have shown that they are lawful citizens. And anyone who has failed to pay tax is a bad citizen. He is also a cheat; such person benefits from the commonwealth – the roads, hospitals and other facilities provided by funds generated from taxes paid by the residents. Land use charge is grand rent and tenement rate; they were consolidated.”