By Ayo DADA
Adamawa State has announced its preparedness to consider the stance of Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike on the collection of Value Added Tax (VAT) in the state, making it the first northern state to show interest in the move.
The Rivers Division of the Federal High Court in August held that the state government should take charge of VAT instead of the federal government, after Mr Wike’s administration filed a suit seeking the power to do so, over illegality claims.
The court, presided by Justice Stephen Pam, noted that the Rivers government and not the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) was authorised to collect VAT.

Mr Wike subsequently signed into law the bill on VAT in the state. Also, the Lagos state Governor just signed the Lagos State version of the bill into Law
Also showing interest, Solomon Kumangar, the Director-General, Media and Communications, Adamawa State Government, stressed that it will improve the northeastern state’s Internally Generated Revenues (IGR) and reduce its reliance on federal allocations.
This comes even as FIRS opposed the ruling, as it already filed an appeal against it.

“Anything to extend and improve on our IGR is welcomed. So, we are keen on joining the River State Government should the Federal Government appeal the judgment, which granted Rivers State the right to collect VAT in its domain,” Mr Kumangar said in an interview with PUNCH.
The Director-General who explained that the state was overstretched by impact of COVID-19 and insurgency, said the court’s ruling on tax collection by states rather than the federal government will enable states with financial challenges to extend their IGR.
“Whatever will bring improvement to the IGR is a welcome idea for an insurgency ravaged state like Adamawa,” he reiterated.
He stressed that tax collection by states “is the only way to assist the states, which are heavily dependent on federal allocations, to be able to wean themselves and meet their financial obligations to the citizens.”
Mr Kumangar further maintained that “if there are areas where revenues can be exploited and extended, surely the state government will welcome it. Surely it’s a case of interest to us and we would like to be joined.”
Adamawa state government must be commended for their bold statement in support of the states rights to collect VAT. Northern citizens must understand that Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, the governor of Adamawa is more patriotic to the course of northern citizens than those from the region that attack any progressive moves from the southern governors to protect and to improve the lot of their citizens.
The way the north sat down in secret, and sometimes in the open to plan to keep power in the Fulani north perpetually, and enslave the rest of the country by taking over the army, the federal civil service, the federal capital territory, the customs and almost all the federal parastatals, deceive the citizens of the region with religion to keep them in ignorance and abject poverty, they can do the same to plan for the upliftment of the region, academically, socially, and economically.
The north must come to the realization that the unitary system of government with so much power in the center (Abuja), is surely coming to an end, thanks to the impunity of the Fulanis in power, led by Mr. Buhari. His lopsided appointments, his selective war against self determination advocates from Yorubaland and Igboland, while he looked away from the terrorism from his kinsmen against the indigenous people of Nigeria, his open advocation for open grazing led by his Sharia attorney general, Malami, have opened the eyes of the southern governors and many leaders from the southern region.
If they didn’t know before, almost every Nigerian now know why the north is vehemently against the restructuring of the country, which is to continue to depend on the south for the survival of northern Nigeria, while they continue to hold on to power due to the many defects in our union aided by a corrupt and false constitution.
The time for the north to sit up and plan for the present and future development of the region in all ramification has come, and it is now.
There is no going back in restructuring Nigeria, may it be through the legislature or the courts, Nigeria will be restructured. The Gombe governors of Nigeria better listen and understand…
A word is enough for the wise.
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