The Kogi state government has called on the Rivers State and Lagos State governments to disembark on the move to secure exclusive rights to the collection of the Value-Added Tax.
According to the state government, the move by the two states could affect the development of states across the country.
The VAT controversy has been generating barrage of reactions from Nigerians.
The New Diplomat had reported that a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, Abuja granted an order, restraining FIRS from collecting VAT in Rivers state on the grounds that only the Rivers State Government has the exclusive powers to collect VAT within its territory.
Since the order, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has vowed to ensure that the FIRS has access to the VAT in the state.
Similarly, the Lagos State house of assembly passed the VAT during Thursday’s plenary.
In another move, the Lagos State Government has joined Rivers State in battling FIRS at the Appeal Court.
Reacting to the development, the Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Kingsley Fanwo, during an interview session with the ARISE TV said the state is not in support of VAT to be completely retained by the state.
He further added that the move by the two states “shows that some of our leaders are insensitive, self-centred and trying to make policies that will further divide the country.”
In his words, “We are not created equally, and God that created us did not give us equal potential, and we have to support one another.
“Kogi is bordered by about 10 states of the federation and a gateway to the north, south, to everywhere. And you know that thousands of vehicles transverse the state on a daily basis. It’s the mineral capital of Nigeria. When you look at our advantages, we should even be at the forefront of fighting for VAT to be completely retained in the state.
“But I think we should take it beyond this when you look at the development of the south-west in those days — the cocoa house — and the groundnut pyramids in the north, the whole of Nigeria is reaping the benefit till today. And what we need to do at this material time as leaders is to stop thinking about ourselves alone.
“The position of Governor Yahaya Bello on this is very clear: we will not jump on that bandwagon to call for the retention of VAT completely in the state. We are not created equally, and God that created us did not give us equal potential, and we have to support one another.*”
