Obafemi Hamzat Promises to End ‘Unauthorised Levies’ in Lagos if He is Elected

Obafemi Hamzat, governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos, says his administration will end arbitrary levies in the state if elected.

Hamzat, the Lagos deputy governor, spoke on Thursday during an appearance on The Platform, an Independence Day programme organised by Covenant Christian Centre.

He said his administration would ensure that businesses can start, survive and grow without being burdened 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.

He said the state government would establish an economic council to coordinate with the local governments, because they “are attending to the same citizens”.

According to the deputy governor, businesses in the state should know exactly what they are required to pay in so they can plan their budgets accordingly.

“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.”

He also promised to provide training for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), noting that several businesses fail because their owners lack basic management skills.

“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.

Hamzat added that many small business owners also lack knowledge of how to manage staff, saying his administration would expand training and other forms of support for them.

He 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,” Hamzat said.

In May, Hamzat emerged as the Lagos APC governorship candidate after polling 657,917 votes at the party’s primary,

He defeated Lanre Jim-Kamal, his sole challenger, who received one vote at the party’s primary. Samuel Ajose, another aspirant, withdrew from the race before the exercise.

The deputy governor unveiled a development agenda tagged “My Lagos dream” in his acceptance speech, saying his vision is centred on job creation, improved infrastructure, education, healthcare and security for residents of the state.

He said Lagos must sustain its position as Africa’s leading commercial hub through strategic investments and people-focused governance.