SAN FRANCISCO October 05, (THEWILL) – The Nigerian Senate on Wednesday voted against a bill seeking to accord special status to Lagos state as well as make the state entitled to federal grant. After the bill was called for a second reading, the Senate went into a rowdy session as most of the senators who spoke on it took a sectional angle.
The bill, SB 112, sponsored by Oluremi Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress, APC senator representing Lagos Central, could not make it to the committee stage as it was rejected during plenary after failing a voice vote called by Senator Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over the session.
In his contribution, the senator representing the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Senator Philip Aduda argued that if special consideration would be given to Lagos state, the same thing should be extended to Abuja.
But arguing for the bill, the Senate Chief Whip, Olusola Adeyeye asserted that Lagos state deserved a special status because of its economic significance to the country.
His words, “We have a governor that banned alcohol, and if my own people consume alcohol, that governor should not enjoy a kobo of value-added-tax, VAT, from my area.
“If it is 13 percent for Bayelsa and Delta, it should be so for Lagos state from VAT.”
Adeyeye described the FCT as a “rotten, spoilt child” because “the city does not pay tax to the federal government”.
”The FCT is a rotten, pampered child. But I withdraw my statement on that.
“The FCT is being subsidised by the federal government. That must end.”
This did not go down well with Aduda who called for a withdrawal of the statement. Ekweremadu, who is the Deputy Senate President, also requested Adeyeye to withdraw his comment about the FCT, which he did.
At the end of the heated debate, Ekweremadu called for a voice vote to which a majority of members yelled “nay”. He called for a voice vote two additional times, but the lawmakers voting “nay” remained adamant.
