By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Southern Governors have express support for the decision of Rivers and Lagos States to collect Value Added Tax (VAT) and taking on the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) in courts.
The Southern Governors’ Forum (NSGF) also expressed satisfaction with the pace at which new or reworked anti-open grazing laws are being rolled out in the South, based on the resolution of the Forum at a previous meeting.
SGF Chairman and Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredólu conveyed the viewpoints in a communique issued after the end of the meeting in Enugu on Thursday.
He said the SGF made resolutions on the following topics:
1. Anti-open grazing laws
Expressed satisfaction with the rate at which the states in the South are enacting or amending the Anti-Open Grazing Laws which align with the uniform template and aspiration of Southern Governors and encouraged the states that are yet to enact this law to do so expeditiously.
2. Regional security outfits
Encouraged the full operationalisation of already agreed regional security outfits; which would meet, share intelligence and collaborate, to ensure the security and safety of the region.
3. Fiscal federalism
Reaffirmed its earlier commitment to structural and fiscal federalism as resolved at the inaugural meeting of the Forum on May 11, 2021 in Asaba and emphasised the need for the Southern states to leverage the legislative competence of their respective state Houses of Assembly as well as representation in the National Assembly (NASS) to pursue its inclusion in the Nigeran Constitution through the ongoing constitutional amendment.
4. VAT collection by states
Following from paragraph 3 above, the meeting resolved to support the position that the collection of VAT falls within the powers of the states.
5. PIA and NNPC
Expressed satisfaction with the handling of issues around the Petroleum Industry ACT (PIA) and ownership of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) by the larger Nigerian Governors’ Forum.
6. Presidency to be rotated to the South in 2023
Reiterated their earlier position that the next President of Nigeria must come from the South in line with politics of equity, justice and fairness.
7. Next meeting in Rivers in November
The Forum thanked the host Governor IfeanyiUgwuanyi and chose Rivers State as the next host for the Southern Governors’ Forum meeting in November 2021.
