Obafemi Hamzat, the Lagos governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has promised to end arbitrary levies in the state if elected governor.
Hamzat, who is currently the Lagos deputy governor, made the pledge on Thursday during an appearance on The Platform, an Independence Day programme organised by Covenant Christian Centre.
He said his administration would ensure businesses can start, survive and grow without being weighed down by unauthorised charges.
“What we will do is to make sure that any levy that is unauthorised, that is not known, that even we can’t track, must go,” Hamzat said.
Hamzat promises clearer business levies
The APC candidate said his administration would establish an economic council to coordinate with local governments because they “are attending to the same citizens”.
He said businesses should know exactly what they are required to pay so they can plan their budgets without unexpected charges.
“Nobody should stand at junctions to collect anything from anybody,” he said.
“So, businesses must know: what am I going to pay? And the moment I pay it; they must leave me alone. We must not be pulling the rug on businesses.”
SME training
Hamzat also promised expanded training and support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
He said many businesses fail not necessarily because they are unprofitable, but because their owners lack basic management skills, including bookkeeping.
“What we have realised is that a lot of SMEs don’t last long, not because they are not making money, but they don’t understand bookkeeping,” he said.
He added that some business owners also lack the skills needed to manage employees effectively.
Hamzat said the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund was working with King’s Trust to expand support for businesses.
“So, we will make sure that people know what to pay and we take it up from there,” he said.
Hamzat’s Lagos governorship bid
Hamzat emerged as the Lagos APC governorship candidate in May after securing 657,917 votes at the party’s primary.
He defeated Lanre Jim-Kamal, his sole challenger, who received one vote. Another aspirant, Samuel Ajose, withdrew before the primary.
In his acceptance speech, Hamzat unveiled a development agenda tagged “My Lagos Dream”, focusing on job creation, infrastructure, education, healthcare and security.
