The Democratic Peoples Alliance has queried the administration of Governor Babatunde Fashola for paying no less than N36 billion to a private company- Alpha-Beta Consultancy Limited from the internally-generated revenue of over N240 billion Lagosians paid in taxes in the last two years.


http://assemblyonline.info/?p=1314

Erm Fashola is the next best thing after Obama! Just ask around this forum.

I am sure those people are just haters of fashola.

babalobi:

The Democratic Peoples Alliance has queried the administration of Governor Babatunde Fashola for paying no less than N36 billion to a private company- Alpha-Beta Consultancy Limited from the internally-generated revenue of over N240 billion Lagosians paid in taxes in the last two years.


http://assemblyonline.info/?p=1314

Are you the same babalobi (Prof at Ibadan) of MFM with all those prayer points online ? If so, I read your story and it
was really moving. God is good all the time !!!!

Your article or DPA did not point out what the real problem is.

What is wrong in paying a tax collection company N36 billion for a 2 year period?

If they are the ones in charge of collecting taxes, paying their workers who go around Lagos state collecting tax, who look into companies record, etc.

DPA should point out the number of workers the tax company has and what are all the services the tax company provides or does not provide, that is if their numbers are acurate

I do not think Fashola is clean, though. DPA seem to have spent more time promoting their candidate, i guess the game for 2011 election has begun.

The Opposition Democratic Peoples’ Alliance (DPA) has described Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola’s tenure so far as a bag of mixed blessings, but insisted that the party’s Candidate Mr, Jimi Agbaje would have run a more humane, more democratic, more transparent and more accountable government had he won the 2007 governorship polls.

DPA, in a statement by its Director of Publicity, Felix Oboagwina, said that the two years have shown that Lagos can still work, although it blasted the government for harbouring waste in the system and paying no less than N36 billion to the Alpha-Beta Consultancy Limited from the internally-generate d revenue of over N240 billion Lagosians paid in taxes in the last two years.

“You can count the number of businesses that make N2.1 billion a month on one finger. If you pour N36 billion into any sector for two years, you would solve its problems forever. But it is scandalous that this amount goes into private pockets,” DPA pointed out.

It acknowledged Fashola’s commendable achievements. But DPA said he had plagiarised its Candidate’s programmes and had failed to justify the colossal income accruing to his regime in the last two years.

The party felt its own Governorship Candidate in the last elections would have run a better government.

“Mr. Jimi Agbaje spent eight years preparing to govern Lagos and encapsulated his ideas in a blueprint he tagged ‘Caring, Thinking, Working.’ This programme Fashola has plagiarised without acknowledging its author,” DPA said. “If the photocopy has turned out so well, imagine how glorious the original would have been.”

According to DPA, Fashola was governing Lagos in a time of unparalleled earnings, enhanced internally generated revenue and oil windfall, and citizens should expect much from him.

However, the party complained that the Governor had failed to block areas of wastage, encouraged corruption and dehumanised Lagosians.

“Fashola’s programmes may be good but he has shown insensitivity to the human factor in governance. His programme implementation has failed to consider adequate rehabilitation, compensation and alternatives for displaced people being thrown out of homes, shops and businesses,” the statement said. “The unemployment rate has shot through the ceiling, with no visible plans for jobs, mass-oriented low-cost houses or an identifiable poverty alleviation programme.”

The party regarded the government’s much-vaunted BRT scheme as a bag of mixed blessings and evidence of one-way thinking that had failed to consider the complexity of the state’s transport problem. DPA said it had partially alleviated transportation headaches but led to increase in traffic holdups and transport fares,

Warning that the regime had failed to make accountability, transparency and quality control count in government contracts, DPA scored the regime low in failing to manage the human factor in the repercussions of development and for exhibiting impunity in its dealings with the public.

In all, DPA felt that Fashola could “shine as a performing Governor simply because of the ineptitude of his colleagues in other states; after all, in the country of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.”



here is the article form the website

politics in Nigeria is really going nuclear

I think what the spinners are doing with this news is to create a 'perception of wrong doing' without actually saying he has done any wrong so that they wont bother to provide evidence

What this does is to convict the politician in the court of public opinnion without proving a genuine case of wrong doing

I think spin doctors have graduated to a new level

mikeansy:

politics in Nigeria is really going nuclear

I think what the spinners are doing with this news is to create a 'perception of wrong doing' without actually saying he has done any wrong so that they wont bother to provide evidence

What this does is to convict the politician in the court of public opinnion without proving a genuine case of wrong doing

I think spin doctors have graduated to a new level

I disagree.
I think this is quality opposition. Disagreeing with a person simply based on issues.

I will still vote fashola, but well done DPA.

noetic2:

I disagree.
I think this is quality opposition. Disagreeing with a person simply based on issues.

I will still vote fashola, but well done DPA.

opposing for the sake of opposing?

he paid 36billion into alpha beta . . . .why is it wrong to pay the money might be nice to explain

I don't care about Fashola . . . .Lagos is still Lagos, not New York yet.

noetic2:

I disagree.
I think this is quality opposition. Disagreeing with a person simply based on issues.

I will still vote fashola, but well done DPA.

Quality opposititon ? The article did not point out what was wrong with paying that amount within a two year period to the company (let us assume their number is right)? Is this not what you call outsoursing?

My main issue with the article is that they spent 50% of the article talking about their own candidate. In the U.S you do not see the Republicans mentioning the name of McCain when they oppose the Democrats. And you did not see it with Democrats mentioning (whomever  the Democrats candidate was), against a policy of Bush they disagreed with.

This is what you call campaigning for a candidate (not party) in the name of accountability

mikeansy:

opposing for the sake of opposing?

he paid 36billion into alpha beta . . . .why is it wrong to pay the money might be nice to explain

I don't care about Fashola . . . .Lagos is still Lagos, not New York yet.

There is no legal or constitutional basis for using a firm to receive governments revenue. This has been clarified by the federal government.

who owns alpha betta?. . , . is it not tinubu?. . . , .do u know who tinubu is?

moneygurl:

Quality opposititon ? The article did not point out what was wrong with paying that amount within a two year period to the company (let us assume their number is right)? Is this not what you call outsoursing?

My main issue with the article is that they spent 50% of the article talking about their own candidate. In the U.S you do not see the Republicans mentioning the name of McCain when they oppose the Democrats. And you did not see it with Democrats mentioning (whomever  the Democrats candidate was), against a policy of Bush they disagreed with.

This is what you call campaigning for a candidate (not party) in the name of accountability

You easily forget that the subject here is nigerian politics. . . where the "issues" have always been zoning, fedral character and compensation.

For the first time in the history of modern nigeria, a political disagreement is based on issues. DPA is accusing fashola of plagiarising their candidates program, which took him 10 years to develop.

Everything is wrong with paying a company commission based on government's revenue. . . .its simply called corruption. The inland revenue of the lagos state government is legally empowered to receive such income. . . . . . how do u think it is done in other states?

noetic2:

You easily forget that the subject here is nigerian politics. . . where the "issues" have always been zoning, fedral character and compensation.

For the first time in the history of modern nigeria, a political disagreement is based on issues. DPA is accusing fashola of plagiarising their candidates program, which took him 10 years to develop.

Everything is wrong with paying a company commission based on government's revenue. . . .its simply called corruption. The inland revenue of the lagos state government is legally empowered to receive such income. . . . . . how do u think it is done in other states?

How can FIRS say it is illegal?  no Wonder  they are a useless and under performing department, they might want to know that outsourcing in the 21st century is a good thing.

How can DPA prove that all the things Fashola is doing is plagiarism? From the look of things a lot of the plan was carried over form Tinubu. And during the campaign in 2007, Fashola laid out his plan during the campaign so how is that stealing someone else's idea?

And for DPA, that is a very childish claim on their part and you claim political disagreement on issue, lol. It seems they are trying to say this is our idea but he is not implementing it properly, then that is not disagreeing on issues.

It is not Commission, it called payment for service (outsourcing). Till today no opposing political party- DPA, PDP has been able to prove the company is in a way related to Tinubu.  They might be right but still there has been no prove.

As for other state, they do not have IRS, that is why they seat and wait for federal allocation

noetic2:

You easily forget that the subject here is nigerian politics. . . where the "issues" have always been zoning, fedral character and compensation.

For the first time in the history of modern nigeria, a political disagreement is based on issues. DPA is accusing fashola of plagiarising their candidates program, which took him 10 years to develop.

Everything is wrong with paying a company commission based on government's revenue. . . .its simply called corruption. The inland revenue of the lagos state government is legally empowered to receive such income. . . . . . how do u think it is done in other states?

after due explanation then you have a point

moneygurl:

How can FIRS say it is illegal?  no Wonder  they are a useless and under performing department, they might want to know that outsourcing in the 21st century is a good thing.

The question is not whether it is good or not, . . , . . is it LEGAL?

yaradua's rigging to power is GOOD from pdp's perspective, but is that legal?. . , .is rigging an acceptable norm in a developed democracy?
An act might be good but does that make it acceptable or legal?

How can DPA prove that all the things Fashola is doing is plagiarism? From the look of things a lot of the plan was carried over form Tinubu. And during the campaign in 2007, Fashola laid out his plan during the campaign so how is that stealing someone else's idea?

And for DPA, that is a very childish claim on their part and you claim political disagreement on issue, lol. It seems they are trying to say this is our idea but he is not implementing it properly, then that is not disagreeing on issues.

There is no crime in what they have said. All they are saying is given the chance, they would do better. This is what opposition in democracy is all about.
What has the PDP in lagos said to fashola in the last two years?. , . . .NOTHING
What has the AC as a whole said to Yaradua in the last two years?. . . . , NOTHING. . . .

They have no issues to antagonise them for. . . .all they talk about is marginalisation, go-slow, zoning and federal character. For the first time a party is addressing concrete issues and simply saying "we can do better". . . . .whats the crime in that?

It is not Commission, it called payment for service (outsourcing). Till today no opposing political party- DPA, PDP has been able to prove the company is in a way related to Tinubu.  They might be right but still there has been no prove.

This has been reported in media circles over the past year. . . . neither tinubu nor fashola ever denied this.

noetic2:

The question is not whether it is good or not, . . ,  . . is it LEGAL?

yaradua's rigging to power is GOOD from pdp's perspective, but is that legal?. . ,  .is rigging an acceptable norm in a developed democracy?
An act might be good but does that make it acceptable or legal?
There is no crime in what they have said. All they are saying is given the chance, they would do better. This is what opposition in democracy is all about.
What has the PDP in lagos said to fashola in the last two years?. ,  . . .NOTHING
What has the AC as a whole said to Yaradua in the last two years?. . . . , NOTHING. . . .

They have no issues to antagonise them for. . . .all they talk about is marginalisation, go-slow, zoning and federal character. For the first time a party is addressing concrete issues and simply saying "we can do better". . . . .whats the crime in that?
This has been reported in media circles over the past year. . . . neither tinubu nor fashola ever denied this.

The FIRS has not proven what Lagos state is doing is illegal. They could take them to court but have not. Please point out were in the constitution it states ways a state govt. must go about  in collecting their revenue?


Nobody said it was a crime for DPA to mention that was their idea. But they have not been able to prove it. All what Fashola has been doing about the whole mega city has been drummed up since Tinubu was in power. You can accuse their candidate for plagiarism, too.

They are allowed to point out they can do better, but they are pointing out their candidate two years after the election and 2 years to the next.

The media has been reporting it, not opposing party been quoted in the papers? Pls post links or articles if you can find it.

imagine if Tokunbo Afinkuyomi had won that election?
just imagine??

moneygurl:

The FIRS has not proven what Lagos state is doing is illegal. They could take them to court but have not. Please point out were in the constitution it states ways a state govt. must go about  in collecting their revenue?


Nobody said it was a crime for DPA to mention that was their idea. But they have not been able to prove it. All what Fashola has been doing about the whole mega city has been drummed up since Tinubu was in power. You can accuse their candidate for plagiarism, too.

They are allowed to point out they can do better, but they are pointing out their candidate two years after the election and 2 years to the next.

The media has been reporting it, not opposing party been quoted in the papers? Pls post links or articles if you can find it.

are u serious at all?

I think Il have to support noetic on this one and the reason is simple. No country will succeed if there is no quality opposition. Also, no country will succeed if all the opposition talks about is marginalisation or nepotism or tribalism. I am glad DPA's critism is based on issues not any of the above. They have not come like PDP did claiming Fashola is not a Lagosian, neither have they come to say attack Fashola's background like a lot of people did during Tinubu's era claiming he wasn't really the son of the woman he claimed to be his mother. That is dirty politics. I am really proud of DPA. Whether they will win in 2011 or not is another issue entirely but its good for us.

@moneygurl,
Im glad you are comparing our democracy with that of the US, thats how it should be. We should aim high but we all know we are not yet there. However, with DPA's approach, it shows that we are getting there. For you to appreciate what DPA has done, just wait till 2010 and you will begin to see amala politics from PDP and AC and co and see the way it is played in other states then you will realise that DPA has done real well.

As per Alpha Beta, everyone knows it belongs to that fraudulent man. Infact I don't blame Fashola if he is really paying them that amount. I know for one that the guy's croonies are compensated with contracts. I am just glad that Fashola makes sure they do the work they are paid for. We all know what will happen if they are not compensated.

To be honest, I didn't vote Fashola and I never liked him even in his first few months as governor because of the guy who came before him but I am impressed with his work and I must say that he has also done well, playing the politics and doing the work. In Naija, that is a very difficult thing to balance.

Did anybody watch Channels TV interview with Governor Fashola on May 31 to commemorate Democracy Day?

When asked about the 15% commision (of N14 Billion monthly currently) being paid to Tinubu's Alpha Beta Consortium, he denied it but failed to confirm the actual  %  being paid.

When asked about Dredging/Sand filling works going on around Adekunle axis, he claimed Environmental impact analysis was done but failed to mention when and who did it.

When asked about the unfullfilled promises of street lighting works to be done by L.G.A's , he said the councils were at liberty to decide whatever infrastructure work to do.

e.t.c

We need more rigorous opposition from DPA and also PDP to keep the AC government on its toes and provide more for the people.

After watching the interview I concluded that Fashola is just a little more than Tinubu's puppet.

I quite appreciate what DPA's is doing and they are the only visible opposition in Lagos state. Jimi agbaje i want to believe is a man of immense intellect and despite DPa not have any poliitcal office is still doing a decent job in opposition. We should not all be carried away with the media hype around Fashola (although he he is on the right track), we should be able to level constructive critisicm at his policies and programmes.

15% to Alpha beta in my opinion is outrageous and sumthing around 5% will suffice. They should comeout to tell us the structure of alpha beta and how the 15% came about. Fashola is not finanicially clean in governance as well as his boss Tinubu we should all bare that in mind. Lagosians should raise the bar of governance and not compare Fashola to other governors as Lagos is and will forever be different to other states.

Well done DPA as their attacks on Fashola is not personal attacks like PDP but policy attack!!

Opposition in NIgeria? The Opposition are usually just DETRACTORS, TWISTER, and most likely all has to do with BADBELLE-ism ( The reasoning of the average Nigerian when their mini-gods are opposed in any situation, or asked to explain themselves.   

The headline says QUERIED. He has not been convicted yet. It is left to him to explain why and how the contract was awarded and if it was done in all transparency. I also feel that whatever Fashola does(just like any of us), he cannot please everybody. There will always be some who will ask why he did what he did the way he did it because they will always feel that there are other ways of doing those things. People will always claim that there are easier ways to get these things done.

Let us also understand that Fashola is only a man, who is prone to the same kind of temptations and emotions that we are prone to. He may decide to favour friends and former colleagues in the awarding of contracts and business opportunities. As far as i am concerned, this is a very grey area that i have no answers to. My opinion is that as far as these friends or colleagues DO THE JOB TO THE HIGHEST STANDARD, there should not be any problems. If i one day become a governor and i have a friend who i know does his jobs impeccably and to the highest standards, why will i not 'employ' him to do some work for my government?

ElRazur:

Erm Fashola is the next best thing after Obama! Just ask around this forum.

I am sure those people are just haters of fashola.

?? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
A tad dissappointing that all you saw fit to contribute was that. Did you even read the article?

people talk of Fashola as if he is some kind of Messiah

if only people remember that this guy was Tinubu's Chief of Staff before he became Governor, our expectations of him will be measured and everybody will be just fine.

The man did not fall from heaven, he is a Politician.

It's interesting reading thru the responses on here and how people appear to conveniently ignore the slightly anti-Fashola posts. Nothing wrong with the government subcontracting tax collection if it cannot do it itself; though Fashola could have tried enpowering the FIRS if he really is that good. However, when the work is subcontracted to a related company (and Tinubu's company would definitely qualify as related) then it begs questions as it reeks of corruption.

When people fail to acknowledge the bad alongside the good in a government, it's only the start of a dictatorship. Tinubu will hold on to power in Lagos at least for some time to come. But since Fashola is doing the will of the people, perhaps it's all good . . . maybe not.

mikeansy:

people talk of Fashola as if he is some kind of Messiah

if only people remember that this guy was Tinubu's Chief of Staff before he became Governor, our expectations of him will be measured and everybody will be just fine.

The man did not fall from heaven, he is a Politician.

I am still a tad confused when people metion this "messiah view". A lot of the times instead of debating issues people just blame everything on a "messiah view" carried by those they are discussing with. I have always seen that as nothing short of snubberry under the guise of "interlectualism" and it gets quite irritating, really does. Where is this mass "worship" people speak off? Since when did commendation become "worshipping"? Gosh LOL. At the end of the day in most cases the so called "worshipping" is as a response to Issues going on in the state. New laws passed in the lagos legislature, infrastructure being built, projects that will create jobs, etc, people respond to this positively. Do you want them to cry about such news? And if people decide to do what you might see as "worshipping", what has that got to do with the issues? In this case it seems there is actually something to answer and instead of making it about that the supposed "educated" are turning it into petty squablles instead of pushing to get the ISSUE heard, how mature. People should please get a grip and stop telling others what to think or how to feel, what you can do instead is present a debate based on substance and issues.

If there is indeed a breach of law or question to answer then why don't we work to see how we can obtain some answers from the government? Won't that be better for creating better transparency, accountability and citizen involvement? Can't things ever go beyond people's ability to string words together in an agreeable manner? Or do such abilities end there without any backing due to actual convictions, morals and substance?

Epiphany:

The headline says QUERIED. He has not been convicted yet.

No one has so far said he is guilty or has been convicted so I fail to see why you felt this ought to be mentioned. But then again, I am on nairaland afterall.

Epiphany:

It is left to him to explain why and how the contract was awarded and if it was done in all transparency. I also feel that whatever Fashola does(just like any of us), he cannot please everybody.

Why in the world would any person( adult, mind you) feel the need to raise the above? FACT: NO SINGLE HUMAN BEING SHOULD, I REPEAT, SHOULD EXPECT TO PLEASE ANYONE OR SHOULD EXPECT ANYONE TO PLEASE ANYONE.
Now that we have established that the above applies to all HUMANS, why should fashola try to please everyone? The article is simply stating that he likely is in fault for paying a third party company for handling services it ought not to. What has that to do with PLEASING EVERYBODY?

Epiphany:

There will always be some who will ask why he did what he did the way he did it because they will always feel that there are other ways of doing those things. People will always claim that there are easier ways to get these things done.

The article states why the question was asked. Apparently, it is illegal and hence the question, unless you are going to say Fashola should never be told he when he is making a mistake of some sort.

Epiphany:

Let us also understand that Fashola is only a man, who is prone to the same kind of temptations and emotions that we are prone to. He may decide to favour friends and former colleagues in the awarding of contracts and business opportunities. As far as i am concerned, this is a very grey area that i have no answers to. My opinion is that as far as these friends or colleagues DO THE JOB TO THE HIGHEST STANDARD, there should not be any problems. If i one day become a governor and i have a friend who i know does his jobs impeccably and to the highest standards, why will i not 'employ' him to do some work for my government?

I don’t care if Fashola is a nitwit. The article is clear for all to read. This group believes that his action is against the law. Is Fashola somehow above the law now?

I am in the mood to type here, so do not feel attacked. I am merely trying to get you to maybe THINK that maybe you are making the wrong person a MESSIAH here. He is a mere mortal, fallable in ALL WAYS and possibly, wrong in this case. Can the group sue and many convict? Definitely! If that happens, does that then mean they are EVIL people for doing that? ABSOLUTELY NOT!!! Will Fashola become some sort of DEMON if convicted? RUBBISH THINKING!!!

abeg may una LEFT d guy jare

The onus is on the Opposition to win the next election to implement this? Are you kidding me? What is wrong with suggesting Fashola implement this NOW to save the public money NOW? What is this?? What the heck has godfather-ism and all the other mumbo-jumbo to do with this? Clear simple thinking is needed here! The opposition raised a case, if Fashola is in the wrong, all he needs do is Change and move more towards doing things legally next time, and possibly save us money if that will happen. Simple!!!

Why do we pride ourselves in over-complicating even the simplest things so we can claim things are ever difficult and impossible in our own idea of Nigeria.

If he likes, he can steal the money, so far he is being productive, I am least bothered!

The opposition raised a case, if Fashola is in the wrong, all he needs do is Change and move more towards doing things legally next time, and possibly save us money if that will happen. Simple!!!

Why do we pride ourselves in over-complicating even the simplest things so we can claim things are ever difficult and impossible in our own idea of Nigeria.  

You are talking as if you dont have faintest clue about politics. Why dont you tell obama that he seem to offering jobs to a lot of Guys from Chicago. They are his cronies, George Bush did the same thing when he was in the white house, why would Fashola do anything  different it is politicking, the onuses is on the opposition to win the next election if they want to effect any change.