South-South Governors Resolve To Join VAT Dispute In Supreme Court

GOVERNOR’S of South -South States of Nigeria have resolved to join the suit currently before the Supreme Court of Nigeria over collection of Value Added Tax (VAT) between Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and Rivers State.

This is part of the six point communique that was read out to journalists by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, who presided over the meeting of the South-South Governors Forum held at the Government House, Port Harcourt on Monday.

The governors declared that they unequivocally support collection of VAT by State governments in Nigeria.

“The BRACED Council met on Monday, October 4th, 2021. After an extensive deliberation, the council resolved; unequivocally supports the decision for States to collect Value Added Tax, and resolved to join the suit before the Supreme Court.”

The meeting that was also attended by Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike; Chief Udom Emmanuel, Governor of Akwa Ibom State; Godwin Obaseki, Governor of Edo State and Senator Douye Diri, Governor of Bayelsa State, also approved the South-South Regional Security architecture which would be inaugurated very soon.

Most of the states within the BRACED Commission, the economic think-tank of the region, have already established their State security outfits.

The BRCAED Council also called on the president and the Federal Government to uphold the tenets of the law establishing the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) by appropriately constituting its board.

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In addition, the Council expressed the hope that the Federal Government will make the forensic audit report on the NDDC public and be courageous enough to deal justly and fairly with the report with the view to strengthening the capacity of NDDC to meet its obligations to the people of the region.

Also contained in the communique is the demand by the Council on President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Assembly to take necessary measures to review some unfair aspects of the recently signed Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) in the spirit of fairness and equity.

“It (Council) urged that the amendment should include clear definition of host community and that the trustees should be appointed by State Governments.

“Council regretted that the President and the Federal Government has generally failed to give reasonable consideration to requests made by the region during the dialogue with the special federal delegation led by Professor Ibrahim Gambari, Chief of staff to the President.

“Notable among the requests were the relocation of the NNPC subsidiaries and IOCs Headquarters to the Niger Delta, and a completion of a number of federal projects in the region, notably roads.”