……Say Collection Of VAT Within State Powers
As hearing on the matter of Value Added Tax (VAT )collection between the Rivers State Government and the Federal Inland Revenue Service( FIRS) at the Court of Appeal gets underway, Southern Governors have thrown their support for Governor Nyesom Wike and his Lagos Counterpart, Babajide Sanwo- Olu for enacting laws enabling their states to collect VAT declaring that it is the constitutional right of States to collect VAT .
The Governors who met in Enugu on Thursday also praised the efforts of states in the region for enacting the anti- open grazing law and asked those who are yet to enact the law to do so.
The meeting ended with a communiqué read by Chairman of the Forum and Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu.
Other Governors at the meeting were Ifeanyi Okowa, Delta, Babajide Sanwolu, Lagos, Gbenga Oyetola, Osun, Emmanuel Udom, Akwa Ibom, Nyesom Wike, Rivers, Dapo Abiodun, Ogun and the host Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State.
Some states were represented by Deputy Governors . They are Rauf Olaniyan, Oyo, Bisi Egbeyemi, Ekiti, Philip Shuaib, Edo, Ude Okochukwu, Abia, Kelechi Igwe, Ebonyi, Placid Njoku, Imo..
The communiqué reads :
The Nigerian Southern Governors’ Forum at its meeting of today, Thursday, 16th September 2021 held in the Government House, Enuqu, Enugu State reviewea tne state or the nation and the progress of implementation of the decisions reached in her previous meetings and further
resolved as follows:
- Expressed satisfaction with the rate at which the States in the Southern Nigeria are enacting or amending the Anti- Open Grazing Laws which align with the uniform template and aspiration of Southern Governors and encouraged the
States that are yet to enact this law to do so expeditiously. - Encouraged the full operationalization of already agreed regional security outfits; which would meet, share intelligence and collaborate, to ensure the security and safety of the region.
- Reaffirmed its earlier commitment to Structural and fiscal federalism as resolved at the inaugural meeting of the
Forum held on Tuesday, 11th May 2021 at Asaba, Delta State and emphasized the need for the Southern States to leverage the legislative competence of their respective State Houses of Assembiy as well as representation in the National assembly to pursue its inclusion in the Nigeran Constitution through the ongoing constitutional amendment. - Folowing from paragraph 3″ above, the meeting resolved to support the position that the collection of VAT falls within the powers of the States.
- Expressed satisfaction with the handling of issues around the Petroleum Industry ACT (PIA) and ownership of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) by the larger Nigerian Governors’ Forum.
- Reiterated their earlier position that the next President of Nigeria must come from the Southern part of Nigeria in
line with politics of equity, justice and fairness. - The Forum thanked the host Governor, Rt. Hon. IfeanyiUgwuanyi, and chose Rivers State as the next host for the
Southern Governors’ Forum meeting in November 2021.
