Salihu Tanko-Yakasai a.k.a Dawisu, who was Kano State Governor’s media aide, has taken sides with Rivers State’s governor, Nyesom Wike on the VAT issue.
Wike said on Wednesday, September 8, during a stakeholders’ meeting with oil companies and business owners in the state that companies based in the state are to start paying VAT to the state government.
He accused the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) of threatening and bullying companies based in the state and warned that any organization that doesn’t pay VAT to the Rivers State government would be sealed off.
Wike then told companies to start paying their Value Added Tax to the state starting from this September.
This comes one month after the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt held that Rivers State Government had the power to collect VAT within its territory.
The FIRS applied to the court for a stay of executive but the judge rejected the application.
Wike also pointed out that Kano State keeps 100% of what it generates in tax but Rivers State is only given a percentage of what it generates on tax.
“Have you seen the injustice in this country?” Wike queried.
Reacting to Wike’s stance on the VAT issue, Dawisu said he is in support of the governor.
Dawisu added that any northerner who is attacking Wike on the issue doesn’t mean well for his region.
He said this should make those in the North look inwards on how to revive their economic status.
He wrote: “Any northerner that’s attacking Wike on this VAT issue does not mean well for his region. On this I’m with Wike 100%. It’s time we look inwards & do some soul searching on how to revive our economic status in this country. To me, this is a wake-up call to Arewa leaders & followers.”
His tweet led to a debate among northerners, with some supporting and others opposing.
Twitter user, Abdulshaheed suggested: “States like Kano can increase tax on alcohol and bear (sic) parlours to like a 1000% and ensure strict enforcement. Millet moving down south to the breweries will also be heavily taxed. Las las breweries will be sent out of business n alcoholism will be reduced.”
Earlier today, after a photo emerged of Kano Hisbah destroying crates of beer, comedian Alibaba weighed in on the VAT controversy by saying the North cannot keep destroying in their states what is generating money in other states yet they collect the same funds from other states when it’s shared.
