VAT: Kogi opposes Rivers, Lagos, says states should stop thinking about themselves

Kogiflame
Kogi State State Government said it would not join Rivers and Lagos states in pushing for the retention of value added tax (VAT) in states.
Commissioner of Information Kingsley Fanwo stated his government’s position during an appearance on Arise Television which was monitored on Friday by Kogiflame in Lokoja
He said despite the advantages Kogi had on VAT, Governor Yahaya Bello was against it because the potentials of states across the country were not equal.
“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 potentials, and we have to support one another,” he said.
“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.”
He called on states that were already thinking of following the steps of Rivers and Lagos States to start thinking about the nation instead of thinking about themselves.
There have been controversies over VAT after a Port Harcourt Federal High Court, in its judgment last month, held that the Rivers State government had the powers to collect VAT within its territory.
The judgement has since pitched the Rivers State Government against the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), who has appealed the judgement at the Court of Appeal.
On Thursday, the Lagos State House of Assembly empowered the state government to start collecting VAT.
Although there are concerns that the furore the judgement has created might be sending the wrong signals to investors, some Nigerians believe that it is laying the foundation for fiscal federalism.