Agbaje, a tax defaulter —Fashola

 Governor, Babatunde Fashola

The Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, says the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democracy Party, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, is a tax defaulter.

The governor said this on Wednesday at the eighth Annual Lagos State Taxation Stakeholders’ Conference in the Ikeja area.

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.”

The Director, Media and Publicity, Jimi Agbaje Campaign Organisation, Mr. Felix Oboagwina, said Agbaje had been commended by the Commissioner for Finance, Ayo Gbeleyi, for paying the Land Use Charge on his residence and wondered why the government was bringing up the matter less than a month to the elections

He explained that Agbaje was no longer in charge of the Jaykay Pharmaceuticals and could not be held liable for any tax-related issue.

He said, “Although he founded JayKay Pharmaceuticals, Mr. Agbaje left the directorship of the company in 2006, and this is on record with the state. He is no longer involved in the running of the company. And today, he is not even an Executive Director.

“We have a letter signed by Ayo Gbeleyi, the Commissioner for Finance in Lagos State, where Agbaje received commendations for fulfilling his tax obligations.”