We Can’t Eradicate Ghost Workers —LASG

The Lagos State Government says there is no way it can eradicate ghost workers from the civil service totally.

Issues of ghost workers had continued to be a thorn in the flesh of the government as several attempts to curb it had not yielded much fruit. Government officials who aid and abet ghost workers have continued to devise new means to outwit their employers.

Despite the fact that the government had adopted the pay-at-sight method to eradicate ghost workers, they still exist in the system.

At a news conference on Thursday, the Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Rotimi Oyekan admitted that government could not eradicate ghost workers totally, but could only manage it.

“Ghost workers are not only found in the Lagos State Civil Service. We have started a process to manage ghost workers. We will do what we have to do to reduce it and ensure that it does not have adverse effect on us,” he stated.

On Land Use Charge, LUC, Oyekan said property taxation being an acknowledged source of revenue for all governments worldwide was an important source for internally generated revenue for the state government.

“The Land Use Charge came into being by virtue of government’s desire to harmonise four different previously existing land charges into one single charge to be administered through a Trust Deed for and on behalf of the stakeholders i.e. the state government and local governments.

“Upon commission, the revenue collected from this source by the Lands Records Company (LRC) had impressively increased from about the targeted sum of N250 million at the first anniversary to N500 million in 2008, to about N2 billion and N3.02 billion in 2009 and 2010, respectively,” he said.

According to him, enumeration and assessment of properties state-wide aimed at creating a common platform for uniform property taxation and devoid of inconsistency and complaints, had hit the 95 percent mark.

“By implication therefore, virtually all the properties in Lagos State will get their Land Use Charge Assessment Notices by the end of each year. However, as provided in the law, any property owner that is yet to receive billing on the Land Use Charge to date has the duty and responsibility to continue the payment of tenement rate on his property. Should such bill be sent in the same year of payment of the tenement rate, he is expected to deduct the amount already paid from the amount billed and pay the balance on the Land Use Charge,” he added.

On the Lagos Mortgage Finance Scheme, the commissioner said government was putting things in place to ensure affordable housing for the poor in the state on mortgage basis spread over 20 years.

“Housing is a major challenge in Lagos with its large and growing population. Providing affordable mass housing and developing new towns is part of the Ten Point Agenda of the Lagos State Government.

“The government’s strategy to reduce the housing shortage is by promoting the supply of affordable and quality houses for low and medium income earners as well as the entrenchment of a mortgage culture. Initiatives of the government to promote mortgage finance includes the establishment of a Mortgage Board, the establishment of dedicated mortgage registry and courts, partnerships with the private sector in the development of large housing estates with the State providing land as equity, computerisation of Land Registry and Land Information Systems and legal framework for property ownership and transfer,” he stated.

The commissioner disclosed that a housing policy was currently being developed to deliver affordable mass housing stock to low and medium income earners, saying that one objective was to boost housing supply by providing a range of different housing types, at affordable prices and stimulate demand for houses by initiating programmes such as providing land subsidies to private developers or creating opportunities for intermediate renting.

“The state has already entered into agreements with a number of private development organisations with the government providing land as equity while the other parties construct residential schemes and in some cases provide long-term management of the housing estates and infrastructure.

“The other objective is to create, in partnership with the private sector, a long term fund that enables citizens who are employed have access to credit to acquire their own homes. The government intends to take a lead role in developing a safe and profitable mortgage market by setting up appropriate infrastructure, institutions, processes and implementing necessary reforms,” he added.

According to him, “the mortgage board was recently established to generate a conducive environment for accessible and affordable mortgage or charge for the benefit of citizens of the state to acquire their own homes. The government intends to use the mortgage market to make long-term finance available and affordable as well as enhance the use of market mechanisms to improve the housing delivery system.”

—Kazeem Ugbodaga