LASPA General Manager, Adebisi Adelabu had in a statement also debunked rumour the state government is using the agency to gather funds for campaign for Bola Tinubu.
By Jeffrey Agbo
Lagos State Government has said that the parking levy collected by the State Parking Authority (LASPA) is constitutional contrary to the belief of rights lawyer, Femi Falana.
Mr Falana (SAN) had on Sunday said LASPA was illegal, adding that the state government lacked the constitutional competence to set up a body for the management of parks under the current democratic dispensation.
His comments followed a letter LASPA addressed to a food and snack company stating that it had charged the firm the sum of N290,000 for the parking lot outside its business premises.
Reacting to Falana’s comments, Adebayo Haroun, the spokesman of the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Lagos, Moyosore Onigbanjo, said in a statement on Monday that the Local Governments and Local Council Development Areas assigned their powers to collect such levies to the state government.
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“The Lagos State Parking Authority Law, 2018 empowers the Local Government and Local Council Development Areas in Lagos State to assign their powers in respect of collection of fees relating to parking to the State Government. Accordingly, by a mutual agreement, the Local Government Areas and Local Council Development Areas in Lagos State have assigned their powers to the State Government to collect fees on parking in Lagos State,” the statement said.
LASPA General Manager, Adebisi Adelabu had in a statement also debunked rumour the state government is using the agency to gather funds for campaign for Bola Tinubu.
The statement said, “The Lagos State Parking Authority (LASPA) has noticed the malicious publication on the social media about the state government’s tax regime. It is all sheer propaganda to undermine a good initiative of the Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo- Olu Administration.
“LASPA is an Agency established under the Lagos State Transport Reform Law, 2018, and Act of the State Assembly in 2019 to regulate and manage all forms of parking activities within the State by redesigning and restructuring the current parking culture and implement state-wide parking policies which will address the peculiarities of the State, while also adhering to International Parking Standards.
“It is important to set the records straight on the essence and functions of the Authority, which, amongst others, are to: monitor all private and public parking facilities for compliance purposes; charge fees on private commercial parks, non-commercial parks and other parking lots on any facility as identified by the Authority; and to issue permit for development of private and public parking facilities.
“The Authority upon commencement of Operations has employed several Lagosians, irrespective of tribe, religion or party affiliation.
“The allegation that the State is using the Authority to raise campaign funds is reckless and mischievous. It is a fraudulent attempt to deceive the public and incite the people against the government.
“Parking is a universal phenomenon; it is not a creation of the Lagos State Government.
“The business entity that misinterpreted the Demand Notice from the Authority recently and posted erroneously on social media has since apologized to the Authority for misinforming the public.”
