Ebonyi State governor, David Umahi, in the face of the raging controversy, has backed the policy which allows only the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to collect Value Added Tax (VAT), instead of states.
Umahi, who stated this at a State Dinner organized in honour of the former Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and Nigeria Ambassador to the Republic of Benin, Tukur Buratai, on Sunday night, said Ebonyi State support the FIRS to continue to collect VAT on behalf of the Federal Government.
At the Banquet Hall of the Governor’s Lodge, Ocho Udo Centenary City, Abakaliki, Umahi said Ebonyi State is against any state collecting VAT.
“Evil will continue to thrive if good people keep quiet, we must make Ebonyi State very exceptional by rising to the challenges. When we shout True Federalism, I say, I agree, but it should be administrative restructuring. Ebonyi State is not in support of any State collecting VAT. We are in support that FIRS should continue to collect tax and share.”
Governor Umahi was apparently reacting to the recent push by the Rivers State government to be collecting VAT instead of the Federal government of Nigeria, through FIRS.
The governor, while urging the country’s leaders to speak up against dissenting voices that are capable of polarizing the nation, said he is open to debate with any PDP governor who feels he has delivered more democracy dividends to his citizens than his government in Ebonyi State.
“People are taking special interest in Ebonyi State and her Governor, positively and negatively, but it is very important to be in the news than for you to say there are thirty-six states, you will name 35 and say what is the other State, we have aborted it, we are now a State to reckon with and we have no apologies.
“When I say I have no apologies, you can talk everything about me but you cannot say we have not delivered and so when people open their mouths in PDP to talk about APC, they should know that I belong to APC and if they like, let PDP offer any of their best governors to come for debate with me and I will defeat any of them, not to be talking and talking. You don’t sit on people’s sweat and resources and be talking nonsense.
“We have no regrets taking our people to the centre. We have always played at the centre, we are not playing party politics, we are playing politics that will be an advantage to our people, criticize me, no problems but we need resources, we need friendship with the centre.”
