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Following the controversy trialing the inclusion of Alpha Beta to collect remittances in the revised Land Use Charge (LUC) Law, Lagos government and the State House Assembly on Wednesday said the company was inserted “in error”.
Critics of the law had argued that the inclusion of Alpha Beta was a sign that the Ambode regime had interest in the firm.
Under the Rules Governing the Distribution of the Lagos State Land Use Charge, the law states: “Alpha Beta or any other designated person(s) or corporate body, which has the responsibility of monitoring the revenues of the state through the collecting banks shall provide a report to the Accountant-General of the state.”
But in reaction, Chairman of Assembly Committee on Information, Hon. Tunde Braimoh, claimed that Alpha Beta was mentioned in error, noting that the process of promulgating the new law “is not complete until gazetting when the official copy will be available and the law properly cited.”
Braimoh assured the state that the correct position “will be reflected before the law is gazetted. The process of gazetting itself is being expedited in view of these issues.”
At a news conference at the Bagauda Kaltho Centre, Alausa, he said there was misinformation about the new law.
He explained that the law “is a progressive enactment duly made by the House of Assembly and handed over to the executive for implementation in the overall interest of the people.”
Braimoh dismissed the humongous figures in circulation, saying many of the calculations were based on arrears of many years of non-payment.
Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Kehinde Bamigbetan, explained that the law took a long process to be made, noting that it “was initiated as a bill”.
“The bill passed went through the first reading, second reading, public hearing to which all stakeholders were brought together to debate it.
“Some concessions we have seen were part of the debate expressed by the stakeholders about the need to protect the vulnerable segment of the society. Having made the law, the House of Assembly has handed it over to the executive to implement.
“The second important part is that a lot of relieves have been built into the law but many people are confusing arrears with the actual figure. If you see those figures, ask whether it is for one year or arrears of several years of non-payment.
“The humongous figures that are being bandied around particularly in the social media relate to the arrears of many years of non-payment which are computed together.”
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