- Scold Southern colleagues for confusing sales tax with VAT
BY VICTOR BUORO – The Northern Governors Forum (NGF) has knocked Governors Nyesom Wike of Rivers State and Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State for stoking the embers of Value Added Tax (VAT) fire currently threatening accruals into the Federation accounts’ coffers.
Consequently, the Forum has rejected the VAT laws recently passed by the Rivers and Lagos States governments which had already received overwhelming backing from the Southern state governors.
Rising from its emergency meeting in Kaduna on Monday, the governors also lashed out at their counterparts in the South for ignorantly confusing VAT collections with sales tax.
Chairman of the Forum and Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, who read their resolutions after over four hours engagement at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House in Kaduna, said if every state is allowed to enact VAT laws, it will result in multiple taxation and ultimately increase in prices of goods as well as collapse in interstate trade.
However, the governors noted that the matter is already in court for determination, adding that they would wait until the Supreme Court makes a declarative verdict on the controversies surrounding the contentious VAT issues.
On power shift to the South in 2023, the Forum said though some members fully support the agitation to promote peace and unity in the country, the unbending stand by some southern governors insisting that power must go to the West is not only offensive but also condemnable.
Noting that there is no provision for such an arrangement in the Constitution, the Forum urged caution and understanding by all stakeholders as the nation approaches the 2023 general elections.
The Forum also commended the Nigerian Armed Forces for sustaining their onslaughts against bandits, and expressed willingness to work in synergy with the Federal Government towards ending the spate of Insecurity in the Northern region.
In addition, the Governors’ resolutions indicated the need to regularly take stock of efforts at tackling and curbing banditry, kidnapping and insurgency within the region while charting the way forward for sustainable development and growth.
Further explaining their resolve to critically consider existing and emerging national issues with a view to coming up with a position, the Forum assured that it would adopt the best possible approach to ensure the region’s interest is properly promoted and protected within the polity.
Besides the 19 States Chief Executives, other stakeholders who attended the one-day meeting include the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Alhaji Muhammadu Abubakar III, Chairman of the Northern Council of Traditional Rulers, and some prominent Royal Fathers across the northern region.
