VAT War: South South states join Rivers at Supreme Court

The governors of South South states of Nigeria – Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Edo and Delta – coming under the acronym, BRACED Commission, have resolved to join the Supreme Court suit by the Rivers State Government, demanding the order of the court for states, and not the Federal Government, to collect Value Added Tax (TAX).

All the state governors except that of Cross River state, Ben Ayade, were present at the meeting presided over by the forum’s Chairman, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta with Nyesom Wike, Rivers, as host.

The BRACED commission is an initiative to foster integration, socio-economic and infrastructural development of the region.

In a communique read by Okowa, the governors, among other pressing issues, also said they would soon unveil a joint security outfit. They called on the federal government to publish the report of the forensic audit of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and urgently appoint a substantive board for the commission.

“Bearing in mind that most of the BRACED states have established their states’ security organ, we approve a regional security architecture which will be launched very soon.

“We Unequivocally support the decision for states to collect value added tax, and resolved to join the suit before the Supreme court.

READ: Northern governors reject power shift, school Southern counterparts on VAT

“Council urges the President and National Assembly to take necessary measures to review some unfair aspects of recently signed Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) to ensure fairness and equity.

“We urge that the amendments should include a clear definition of Host Communities and that the Trustees should be appointed by State Governments.

“Council calls upon the President and the Federal Government to uphold the law establishing the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) by appropriately constituting its board.

“In addition, we express the hope that federal government would make the forensic audit public and deal justly and fairly with the report with a view to strengthening the capacity of NDDC to meet its obligation to people of the region.

“Council regrets that federal government and the President have generally failed to give reasoned consideration for the requests by the region following a dialogue with s special federal delegation led by Prof Ibrahim Gambari, Chief of Staff to the President.

“Notable among the requests were relocation of NNPC subsidiaries and IOCs headquarters to the Niger Delta and completion of a number of federal projects the region, notably roads,” Okowa read out from the communique.