The Lekki Estate Residents and Stakeholders Association (LERSA) in Lagos State has called for special consideration for Lagos in the sharing of Value Added Tax (VAT) remittances.
The President of LERSA, Chief James Emadoye, said in Lagos on Friday that such consideration would help the state to adequately address its infrastructural challenge.
Emadoye said that there was the need for Lagos to be allowed to keep about 80 per cent of its VAT earnings for the development of infrastructure.
“It is unappealing to generate billions and put into consolidated funds to be shared in some manners with states that contribute little or nothing.
“If allowed to keep a substantial amount of about 80 per cent of what it earns for the development of the state, it will go a long way in the development of infrastructure in the state,” he said.
A former Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, in 2017 said that Lagos accounts for 55 per cent of the revenue generated by the Federal Government from Value Added Tax receipts.
According to Adeosun, the remaining 45 per cent is being collected from the remaining 35 states with the FCT, Rivers, Kano and Kaduna responsible for 20 per cent, six per cent, five per cent and one per cent, respectively.
On flooding in Lekki, Emadoye said that the association was intensifying efforts to identify major blocked drains.
He appealed to the residents to liaise with their mini resident’s associations and LERSA to tackle the challenge.
“LERSA has set up an environment committee to tackle major problem areas and react as the need arises,” he told NAN.
The LERSA president urged Lagos State Government to revisit approval of building plans in Lekki axis to eliminate poor building and collapse.
He said that the government could set up a town development ministry that should ensure that streets and drains plans would be properly laid out before the commencement of building.
He said that the idea would beautify streets and reduce flooding.
“The major challenge here is that there has been a lull in approval of building plans; the government needs to lift that, so that lands that need to be regularised can be regularised.”
He decried traffic congestion at the Lekki toll Gate, and called for efforts to tackle it.
He also urged completion of the tolled road to give the residents value for their money.
