Fashola, Dangote, Ajumogobia, Others to Attend UNILAG Law Faculty Lecture

The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola (SAN), President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote and former Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr. Odein Ajumogobia (SAN) are among dignitaries expected to grace the second public lecture of the Department of Commercial and Industrial Law, Faculty of Law, University of Lagos (UNILAG).

The lecture, which will hold on Friday, April 6 at the J. F. Ade-Ajayi Auditorium, UNILAG, will have Fashola and Dangote as special guests of honour while Ajumogobia will chair the event.

The lecture, with the theme: ‘Funding Governmental Services in a Federation: The Inevitable Admixture of Law and Politics,’ will be delivered by Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Mr. Ade Ipaye.

Head of Department of the Commercial and Industrial Law, Prof. Ige Bolodeoku, said the Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Dr. Babatunde Fowler, is also expected to speak at the event.

He said Ipaye, a former Lagos Attorney-General and renowned tax law expert, would examine sources of funding to government from the legal and political perspectives, as well as their adequacy and opportunities.

“The lecture will examine the legal and political aspects of funding of governmental services. It will look at the challenges, and explore areas Nigeria is doing well and not doing well. Are we underutilising funding opportunities for government? If that is the case, what can be done?

“The lecture will look at policy and public expectations. Are the people overtaxed? Is there is justification for paying more or less? We believe the lecture will open a fresh vista on what we should do going forward. It will also educate those in government on areas they could look at and how to be more efficient,” Bolodeoku said.

The professor of law said there was the need to examine how the government can generate enough revenue to meet the country’s infrastructure gaps, as well as citizens role within the political and legal contexts.

He said the speakers and guests are expected to share their experiences from the private and public sectors, while the legal experts would dissect the relevant laws and map out the way forward.

“The lecture will help those in academics know where to intervene as researchers and be able to articulate properly how relevant laws can be made more effective. Without practical experiences, we’ll only be postulating,” he said.