The governor of Rivers State, Mr. Nyesom Wike, has urged the Supreme Court to expedite action in determining the case before it wherein the federal government collects and distributes value added tax generated from the state.
The governor made the appeal during a march-past and parade held yesterday at Sharks Football Stadium, Port Harcourt, to mark Nigeria’s 62nd Independence Day anniversary.
Wike said the urgency and judgement in favour of the state would further provide more financial resources to accelerate the economic growth of Rivers State.
“We have also not given up in our determination to right the injustice associated with the collection and distribution of value-added taxes generated from the State by the federal government just as we again call on the Supreme Court to please, treat this matter with the urgency that it requires,” he said.
The governor further stated that since 1999 when the country returned to democracy, it has continued to witness deliberate constitutional distortions, institutional weaknesses and widespread corruption that prevent Nigerians from enjoying robust democratic practice.
Nevertheless, he said: “This is not to say that Nigeria has not made any progress as a nation. Certainly, we have achieved some visible developmental strides and economic progress as Africa’s largest economy.
“The fact that we have remained together despite the recurrent conflicts and crisis of confidence is also worth celebrating as an achievement.”
Continuing, he said: “But after 62 years, Nigeria deserves more than what it has achieved and Nigerians likewise deserve much more than what their leaders have delivered to them with the country’s enormous natural and human resources.
“And with compulsive corruption, insecurity, low export earnings, protracted forex crisis and an economy so close to bankruptcy the untold suffering and hopeless future among Nigerians will continue if something is not done to improve the quality of political leadership in our country.
Wike lashed out at the All Progressives Congress-led federal government for its failure in the past seven years to keep the economic and social conditions within Nigeria from deteriorating.
“Life is sacrosanct, but the present federal government has failed in the most basic duty to the nation to protect the lives and property of its citizens.
“Under their watch, infrastructure across all sectors, including roads, education and healthcare has collapsed.
“Tertiary education has remained comatose for over seven months and with no employment opportunities, the Federal Government continues to toy with the future of the youths,” he said.
However, he said things could be better if there is the right political leadership in place that has the courage, decisive and is purposeful in driving the country on a new path.
“However, let’s not forget that before the present deplorable state of affairs, we experienced significant economic growth, relative prosperity, a stable educational system and a relatively better quality of life for our people, under the Peoples Democratic Party.
“This showed that Nigeria’s current economic, social and security situation can rapidly be resolved with new leadership that is courageous, decisive, purposeful and able to take the country in a new direction that would curb corruption, stop unsustainable debts, and drive economic growth to create jobs and prosperity for all citizens,” he said.
