I’m vindicated on Agbaje’s tax evasion – Fashola

Commenting on reports that the PDP flag bearer had paid N500,000 out of the N1.6 million he owed as tax, Fashola said: “After denying that JK is not Jimi Agbaje, he has gone to pay N500,000 out of the N1.6 million tax default. He is still owing the government. He published some receipts, so it is true now that he owes some money. He must pay because that money belongs to the local government,” the governor said at an interactive session with newsmen in Marina at the weekend.
“He is not prepared to lead and he cannot lead, I am surprised at the level of his preparation after eight years and if you look at his records from his business, he has not grown the business. If you look at my records, from my appointment as the Chief of Staff, people can go to the Chief of Staff’s office and check my records, I added value. When I took over from Alhaji Lai Mohammed, I added value. That is what leaders do, they add value to what they meet.
“Even if you look at my records from when I took over from Governor Bola Tinubu, I have added value. I have added more roads, more schools, more hospitals. I have increased the revenue, we have employed more people in the public service. I have raised salaries. I implemented the pension law. The job is not finished. I have never pretended that the job is finished. That is why I said the person I trust to continue from where I will stop is Akinwunmi Ambode.
“And if you look at  Ambode’s records, he has moved from a council treasurer to local government auditor general, later to accountant general. That is how it must be. What has his opponent grown from? Those are the issues”, he said.
Fashola assured Lagosians that the Mile 12-Ikorodu road would be completed before the end of his administration, adding that the major construction work had been completed.
“The road has been completed already. The only remaining part of it was just to paint the BRT bus stops. Except people want to wine and dine over it, the road has been completed,” the governor said.
Fashola said unless Nigerian leaders live above board by imbibing and showing high level of moral authority, it would be difficult to stop corruption in the country.
While admitting that corruption is a heinous crime, he said  capital punishment would not stop it.
“There are so many levels of corruption and I think the Nigerian people or nation must reach an agreement about what we want to do about it. So I don’t think sentencing people to jail or death is the answer to the problem.  
The answer first is to provide enough for the people and to lead them with a moral authority so that every citizen will know that it is bad to cheat and when they break the rules, there will be consequences,” he said.