The
Lagos State Government has commended the distinguished Senator
representing Lagos Central Constituency, Mrs Oluremi Tinubu, for pushing
the need for Lagos State to be recognized and rewarded with a Special
Status and Grant into the forefront of national discourse even if the
import of that request is lost on a number of her colleagues.
The
State Government said in a release signed on Thursday by the
Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Steve Ayorinde, that
history would remember Senator Tinubu kindly for her thoughtfulness and
courage in promoting the bill that sought a special recognition for
Lagos State as the commercial capital of Nigeria as well as one per cent
of federally generated revenue in view of its socio-economic importance
to the entire country.
The
statement quoted Governor Akinwunmi Ambode as saying that without
prejudice to the decision of the Senate to stand down the bill,
Senator’s Tinubu’s informed position and push will remain an important
contribution as well as a reference point in the national economic
discourse.
“At
a time that our country needs courageous voices that seek solutions
that can benefit millions of Nigerians irrespective of where they are
from, what the distinguished Senator Oluremi Tinubu has done is to draw
attention to how Lagos State can provide more succour to Nigerians being
the home to the largest assemblage of Nigerians. She has drawn
attention to how Lagos deserves to be assisted so that the state can
further provide assistance to millions of Nigerians. It is a pity that
this import was not seen from that perspective by the majority of her
colleagues,” the statement quoted Governor Ambode as saying.
It
stated that in spite of the set-back the bill suffered on Wednesday,
the fact remains that Lagos State has always played a special role to
Nigerians as individuals and to the country as a whole.
”
The truth of the matter is that as the most populous Nigerian state and
the commercial heart-beat of the entire West Africa; a state that would
have been the fifth largest economy in Africa if it were an independent
country, Nigeria needs Lagos in order for other parts of the country to
continue to benefit from Lagos.
“A
special status and a special grant are fair requests that would have
encouraged and rewarded Lagos State for what it contributes to the
federal purse. A yes for the bill would have provided an opportunity to
truly reflate the economy and empower Lagos State in serving as home to
more than 21 million Nigerians and as hub to the largest volume of
businesses and foreign direct investments in Nigeria. But clearly, a
spectacular opportunity has been missed by ignoring this important
bill.”
The
statement quoted Governor Ambode as adding that in spite of the
rejection of the bill, Lagos State would continue to be special and will
not be deterred in continuing to play the important role of serving as a
conducive and secure home for Lagosians as well as local and
international visitors where opportunities are limitless and lives and
property are safe.
No comments:
Post a Comment