Member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos, Kunle Oshobi, has claimed that Atiku Abubakar, its presidential candidate and not Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was responsible for the increase in the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).
Oshobi disclosed in an article on Sunday that claims by Tinubu and his associates that the IGR of the state increased from N600 million monthly in 1999 when he became governor to N6 billion monthly by the end of his tenure in 2007 is false.
He wrote: “Many of us would have come across claims by the presidential candidate of the APC, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and his spin doctors stating that Tinubu increased the internally generated revenue (IGR) of Lagos State from N600 million monthly in 1999 when he became governor to N6 billion monthly by the end of his tenure in 2007.
“While it’s true that the IGR did increase, the IGR in 1999 was actually N1 billion a month contrary to the claims of Chief Tinubu and the increase in IGR had little to do with his efforts. Rather Lagos state being the commercial nerve center of the country was benefiting from the rapid economic growth being enjoyed under the Obasanjo/Atiku led PDP administration of the time in which Atiku was firmly in charge of the economy.
“The point to note is that over 70% of IGR in Lagos state is from the proceeds of income tax of workers resident in the state and it was the increased employment rate in the state based on the economic policies of the Obasanjo/Atiku administration that was directly responsible for the increase in IGR and not due to any particular effort of the Tinubu administration.
“With the return to democracy in 1999 and the economy with a GDP growth rate of just 0.58% was left in ruins after several years of military mis-rule.
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Oshobi noted that fixing the economy was a priority of the Obasanjo administration, arguing that Atiku was in charge when the administration embarked on an elaborate reform programmes that brought about economic prosperity.
He said with the phenomenal economic growth enjoyed under that dispensation came millions of jobs that were created across the country and Lagos being the commercial capital of the country became the chief beneficiary of the jobs created.
He added: It is therefore laughable today that Bola Ahmed Tinubu who enjoys claiming credit for the increasing the IGR of Lagos and uses the claim as a means of propaganda to promote himself for the presidential race is using the achievements of his main rival in the race to campaign.
“It was the Alhaji Atiku Abubakar led economic team that was responsible for implementing the economic policies that stimulated the economic growth which resulted in the rapid increase in Lagos State IGR.
