Wike Outlaws Open Grazing In Rivers

Wike Makes Surprise Appearance At PDP BoT Meeting
Nyesom Wike

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has assented to the Valued Added Tax, Open Rearing and Grazing Prohibition, and three other bills recently passed by the Rivers State House of Assembly.

He gave his assent to the laws – including the Child’s Rights Amendment Law, Residents Registration Agency Law, and Naming and Renaming of Infrastructure Law – on Thursday in Port Harcourt.

According to the governor, the judgement of the Federal High Court in the state capital has sufficiently addressed the illegality of VAT collection across states by the Federal Government via the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS).

He stated that the collection of taxes meant for states by the Federal Government has choked the states financially and turned them to be beggars.

“Of course, we are all aware that the states have already been strangulated,” Governor Wike was quoted as saying in a statement by his spokesman, Kelvin Ebiri. “Most states depend on allocation from the federation account.

“States have been turned to beggars; hardly will any day pass that you won’t see one state or the other going to Abuja to beg for one fund or the other.”

Governor Wike believes concerns should be on establishing whose duty it is to collect VAT and the constitutionality of such a position before talking about who is going to suffer.