Jimi Agbaje, a tax defaulter - Raji Fashola

The PDP governorship candidate, Mr. Jimi Agbaje has been accused by the governor of Lagos State, Raji Fashola, of defaulting in his civil right to the state by not paying his taxes.

 

Fashola made this disclosure yesterday at the 8th annual Lagos State Taxation stakeholders Conference in Ikeja.

Fashola urged the residents of the state to reject “a serial tax evader” in the forthcoming governorship election.

 

He added that it was irresponsible for any politician seeking public office to evade tax and still claim to be a law-abiding citizen.

Fashola said, “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 roads, hospitals and other facilities provided with taxes paid by other residents.

“I know that you have to vote next month, but look at that candidate that will take over from me. And be careful of who to vote for. You will remember in 2007, Jimi Agbaje claimed that he was in Democratic People’s Alliance and later crossed to the 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.

“Let us do that mathematics to see how many facilities the funds would have provided in our hospitals and stationery in our schools. But this was the same person who complained that the state government spent three per cent of its budget on education. Local governments are 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. I will advise that you avoid a deceiver and a tax evader.”