The Convener of Pro-Nigeria, Mr. Lai Omotola, has broken silence on the Value Added Tax, VAT war going on currently between the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, and the Rivers, Lagos, Ogun, Ekiti, and Akwa-Ibom States.
It will be recalled that a Federal High Court in Portharcourt gave a ruling that state governments, not the FIRS, have the constitutional power to collect VAT. To take advantage of the ruling, both Lagos and Rivers quickly passed bills authorizing the state to collect VAT.
Reacting to the development, Omotola in a statement said that PNG was in full support of states collecting VAT.
“We in PNG support the development and the subsequent stand by Lagos State and Rivers State in creating a law to enable their states to collect VAT. Others who have joined in the bid are states like Ogun, Ekiti and Akwa-Ibom States.
This is a welcome development because we feel that it is lawful and it is in sync with the intention of our founding fathers that every state should be collecting VAT.
It will also show fiscal restructuring towards economic development and at the end, Nigeria as a country will be better for it.
The group also condemned the reception given by President Muhammadu Buhari to the former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode at the Presidential Villa following the defection of the latter to the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC recently.
According to Omotola, the President should show reason why Nigeria should still believe in his fight against corruption and believe him as the upholder of basic morals on the account of his red carpet reception to Femi-Fani Kayode at the Presidential Villa. “Our concern is that this same man is currently having a battle with the Nigerian state via the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on corruption charges. Although the law states that one is innocent until proven guilty, it is morally unjust for a President to receive with a red carpet and stand beside a person against whom the EFCC has established a case, stating unequivocally that he had defrauded Nigeria; and the same matter is still in court; therefore, to now see him being honoured by the President has thrown hope for this country into the wind.
Vanguard
