The Lagos State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has vehemently opposed the alleged newly introduced fees for parking on setbacks by an agency-Lagos State Parking Authority (LASPA), describing it as a clear signal that the ruling party does not mean well for residents of the state but only create avenues to fleece them of their hard earnings at the slightest opportunity.
In a statement signed by the Lagos PDP Publicity Secretary Hon.Hakeem Amode, the party queried the rationale of seemingly multiple taxation foisted on residents by government in an insensitive manner.
Considering the harsh economic implications it portends for the people and given prevailing austerity.
“The Lagos PDP outrightly condemned a demand by an agency of the state- Lagos State Parking Authority (LASPA) via the social media, asking residents to pay an unjustifiable exorbitant fee for parking on the setback on their private properties.
“The current economic situation occasioned by the ineptitude and ineffectiveness of the ruling party APC, had continuously push people into poverty and had rendered a lot of business moribund, thereby increasing the number of unemployment in our dear Lagos state.
Amode raised an eyebrow on the development stating that it’s clearly an assault on the people’s sensibility, given the biting situation of the economy.
“The habit and attitude of the state government to turn every department and agency of the state to revenue generating centre, shows that APC government does not care about the welfare of the people in the state but bent on making money from them at their individual detriment.
“Recently, the state increased the public transport fares and waste collection rates without recourse to the fact that the state economic crunch had prevented employers from increasing the salaries of workers.
“A government that is sensitive to the people’s welfare should know that the current economic situation required government to shore up compliance in the area of revenue generation, encourage voluntary tax payment rather than levying surviving businesses and individual through the exorbitant parking fee which its calculation had no justification,” Amode said.
He added that by all available parameters, the development in Lagos has direct connection with the need to satiate the greed of a personae, whose life depends on the state’s treasury, “revenue drive by the APC government in Lagos, only aimed at filling the gold pot of the emperor of Lagos.
“The APC government should run a government with human face because the government is primarily for citizens’ welfare and capacity development, which eventually helped the society to have citizens who are committed to the development of their community and the state at large.
“We asked Lagosian to free the state and the people of the state from the hands of the entitled emperor and his cohorts, who are bent on impoverishing the citizen to achieve their selfish ambitions.
Persuading people to set themselves free, off APC led government suffocating grip, PDP echoes the importance of residents decision to repose their trust in the party’s candidate, Dr. Olajide Adediran and his Deputy Funke Akindele when choosing the government of the state at the next polls.
“Our policies and program will have human face and the people of the state wouldn’t have to wake up to the intimidation and harassment currently being practice by the current APC government in Lagos State.”