The Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party in Lagos, Deji Doherty has condemned the government of the state and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for sinking the People of Lagos deeper into debt.
Doherty said this can only have a severe long term negative effect on the economic situation of citizens in the state.
Doherty was speaking during a meeting with some Party leaders on Monday 17th at the Lagos State PDP Secretariat GRA Ikeja.
He reiterated his earlier warning to both the Fashola and Ambode led government when they both took various domestic and external loans which in turn were secured against the Internally Generated Revenue of the State and allocation from the Federal Government.
The PDP Chairman said that the state as at today is owing an excess of N3 Trillion Naira, this is a combination of both External and internal Domestic debts.
The Chairman said that the scary situation on ground today is that Lagos State has no infrastructure or evidence of social improvement to show for it. What we have are abandoned projects littered all over the State e.g. The Metro line from Badagry to Lagos island which is uncompleted having been under construction for over 10 years.
Doherty said: “The debt profile of the state is increasing geometrically while unemployment, social amenities, health and educational facilities, transportation networks and infrastructural assets are nonexistent.”
“What makes the situation unpalatable is that the poor hardworking masses and private sector are now being victimized, overburdened and exploited by the various internal revenue generating ministries of the state, multiple taxation is the order of the day and this is a derogatory situation which needs to be stopped immediately.”
“The consequences of this financial rascality with state finances can only be imagined as we are fast approaching the debt versus revenue threshold of the state. This is unacceptable.”
Doherty ended by advising the APC/ Sanwo-Olu led government to stop mortgaging the future of the state and that of our unborn children. He cited an example of the citizens victimization by the lagos state government by the introduction of a sharp hike in the Lekki link Bridge toll gate fees, which has been digitalized but is also laced with a harsh anti-people penalty fee of N1000, which anyone who hasn’t or doesn’t buy the e-pass is forced to pay per vehicle. This goes against the standard rules that govern the collection of toll fees management world wide and is exploitation in its rawest form.
He called on the governor to cancel this draconian and exploitative penalty fee and instead open up a toll lane for vehicle operators to pay the normal toll fees in cash, especially the citizens that live in other parts of lagos state who only come to the Lekki axis occasionaly.
He ended by insisting that financial exploitation of citizens in Lagos State must come an end.
