Southern Governors Support Collection Of VAT By States

 Governors of Southern States of Nigeria, under the aegis of Southern Governors Forum have resolved to support the position that the collection of Value Added Tax, VAT falls within the powers of the states, contrary to the current practice  done by the Federal Inland Revenue Service.

The resolution by the Southern Governors Forum is part of the six point communique reached at its meeting  held at the Government House, Enugu, Enugu State.

The meeting of the Southern Governors Forum which reviewed the state of the nation and the progress of the implementation of the decisions reached in its previous meetings, expressed satisfaction with the rate at which the states in the Southern Nigeria are enacting and amending the anti open grazing laws which allowed a uniform template and aspiration of Southern Governors and encouraged the states that are yet to enact the law to do so . 

Reading the communique after the closed door meeting to journalists, the Governor of Ondo State and Chairman of the Forum, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu SAN, said the meeting reiterated its earlier position that the next President of Nigeria most come from the southern part of Nigeria, in line with politics of equity, justice and fairness. 

According to the communique, the Southern Governors agreed to encourage the full operationalization of already agreed regional security outfit which will meet share intelligence and collaborate to ensure the security and safety of the region.

Governor Akeredolu opined that the meeting also reaffirmed its earlier commitment to stick to fiscal federalism as resolved at the inaugural meeting of the forum held on Tuesday 11 May, 2021 at Asaba, Delta State and emphasize the need for the Southern States to leverage the legislative competence of their respective State Houses of Assembly, as well as representation in the National Assembly to pursue its inclusion in the Nigerian constitution, through the ongoing constitutional amendment.

The communique according to the forum's Chairman, expressed satisfaction with the array of issues around the Petroleum Industry Act, PIA and ownership of NNPC by the larger Nigerian Governors Forum.

The forum thanked the host Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and chose Rivers State as the next host for the Southern Governors Forum meeting in November, 2021.

Present at the meeting were the  Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom  Wike, Governor of Delta State, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa,  Governor of Akwa Ibom State    Emmanuel Udom, and Governor of Osun State, Isiaka  Oyetola.

Others were the Governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Governor  of Bayelsa State, Duoye Diri, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State and Governor Oluwaseyi Abiodun of Ogun State.

 

While Oyo, Ekiti, Edo, Imo, Abia, Ebonyi States were represented by their Deputy Governors.