By Foster Obi
Africa’s richest business magnate, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has said that doing business in any other part of the country is hell describing Lagos as the most convenient and peaceful state for doing business.
Dangote made this remark at the forum “Lagos Means Business,” organized by the Lagos state government. “I am not advertising for Lagos, but try another state, you will see hell,” he said candidly.
He appealed to Lagos residents and business community to continue to pay tax to support the efforts of the government.
At the forum, the state governor, Akinwumi Ambode assured every Lagosian that he would make their taxes work for them with a transparent and incorruptible government with good value for taxes paid.
“If the vision of a prosperous Lagos is to be achieved, the State must retreat from borrowing to finance its infrastructure and pay back later in the future with high interest rate,” he said. He also appealed to residents to embrace the Land Use Charge and ensure that commercial property owners pay the charge.
The governor explained that pensioners, owner occupiers, NGOs, churches and Mosques are exempted from the payment of Land Use Charge. “The good part of the arguments trailing the Lagos Land Use Charge is that the State Government is ready for dialogue and will welcome the complaints of dissatisfied members of the public in this regard,” he noted.
