South-south Governors Forum, yesterday, declared support for state collection of value added tax (VAT) as ordered by a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The forum, comprising governors of the six Niger Delta states of Rivers, Edo, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Cross River and Delta, also resolved to join the suit currently before the Supreme Court.
The governors’ resolve is contained in a communiqué presented by the governor of Deltat State, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa after the forum’s closed-door meeting in Port Harcourt.
The communiqué reads: “After an extensive deliberation, Council, bearing in mind that most of the BRACED states have established their state security organs, approved the regional security architecture, which would be launched soon.
“Unequivocally supports the decision for states to collect Value Added Tax (VAT) and resolved to join the suit before the Supreme Court.
“Urge the president and the National Assembly to take necessary measures to review some unfair aspects of the recently signed Petroleum Industry Bill to ensure fairness and equity. It urged that the amendment should include a clear definition of host communities and that the trustees should be appointed by state governments.
“Called upon the president and the federal government to uphold the law establishing the Niger Delta Development Commission by appropriately constituting its Board. In addition, it expressed the hope that the federal government would make the forensic audit report public and deal justly and fairly with the report with a view to strengthening the capacity of the NDDC to meet its obligations to the people of the region.
“Regretted that the president and the federal government had generally failed to give reasoned consideration to requests made by the region during the dialogue with a special federal delegation led by Professor Ibrahim Gambari, Chief of Staff to the President. Notable among the requests were the relocation of NNPC subsidiaries and IOCs headquarters to the Niger Delta and the completion of a number of federal projects in the region, notably, roads.”
The meeting was chaired by Okowa with the governors of Rivers, Bayelsa, Edo, Bayelsa, and Akwa Ibom in attendance. The governor of Cross River State, Prof Ben Ayade was absent.
