₦airaland Forum

2elliot:
Is chaos a new thing for them? The 1960's wild wild west nko?

LET ME USE BISI AKANDE AS AN EXAMPLE
Recently, Chief Bisi Akande, former national chairman of the APC, recently summarised the discontent with the 1999 constitution thus: “The 1999 Constitution is Nigeria’s greatest misadventure since Lugard’s amalgamation of 1914.
However, with due respect I've for AKANDE I found him so hypocritical for making such statement that ridicule his past. Akande was a member of the 1977 Constituent Assembly that debated and produced the 1979 constitution — which, as you would find out, is 99% what we have as the 1999 constitution today! In 1977, Akande was elected to represent Ila and Odo-otin local governments in the Constituent Assembly. The same 1999 constitution which is a photocopy of the 1979 constitution. Factually and logically, Akande has described the document he helped produced as “a bad relic of military mentality”. This isn't the issue with only Akande but with all the sociocultural groups making noise here and there, mostly their people or themselves took part in producing previous constitutions which were used to produce 1999 constitution.
Military mentality? Again, let us look at that closely. The constitution drafting committee set up by Gen. Murtala Muhammed in 1975 was headed by Chief FRA Williams. He was not a major general, in my records. (Awo declined to serve on the committee because he wanted to run for president.) The report of the committee formed the basis for discussions at the 1977 Constituent Assembly. Notable CA members were Chief MKO Abiola and core Awoists such as Chief Bola Ige, Chief Abraham Adesanya and Chief Bisi Onabanjo. It was chaired by eminent jurist, Justice Udo Udoma. This is what Akande, himself an elected member, calls “military mentality”. Is this not hypocrisy criticising 1999 constitution without looking back to the sins of these people in the past, since they know most youths are not interested in history or they didn't read history are now trying to change the narration of the mayhem they put us in!
Under the cloned constitution, Akande was elected governor of Osun state in 1999. Under the same constitution that “promotes corruption”, Akande ruled Osun state for 4yrs. He lost his re-election bid in 2003 partly because he refused to be corrupt under he constitution he claimed is corrupt. He refused to pillage state resources for electoral gain and I'm very much sure he was guided by the same constitution. He did not buy a private jet or houses in Dubai and America. Yet he believes that the 1999 constitution “breeds and protects corrupt practices and criminal impunities in governance”. This is very sad!
In conclusion, I would like to emphasise one point: I have by no means suggested that the 1999 constitution is perfect. I am not that daft. My point is that there are too many statements being made by those against the constitution that are not based on facts. The 1999 constitution was NOT written by the military. I also hasten to say that nobody can write a perfect constitution. Even if Prof. Ben Nwabueze, a well-respected constitutional expert, writes a new constitution today, loopholes will surface in a matter of time. That is why laws are dynamic. As loopholes appear, you plug them. Meanwhile, is the 1999 constitution that horrible?
The same people that are amending God's commandments are expecting perfection from fellow human!

Try to identify mad people out of this text; the military did not write any constitution — apart from promulgating the enabling decrees.
On November 11, 1998, Abdulsalami inaugurated the Constitution Debate Co-ordinating Committee (CDCC) to “pilot the debate, co-ordinate and collate views and recommendations canvassed by individuals and groups and submit report not later than 31 December 1998”. It was not headed by a soldier but by Justice Niki Tobi, with Dr. Suleiman Kurmo as deputy chairman. There was no single military man on the committee. They went round the country to collect memoranda from the public through town hall meetings in Benin, Enugu, Jos, Port Harcourt, Kaduna, Kano, Ibadan, Lagos and Sokoto. They excluded military formations.

After all the frenetic debates — up and down, north and south, east and west — the Tobi committee submitted its report to the military government. Tobi said: “In the light of the memoranda and the oral presentation on the 1995 Draft Constitution, it is clear that Nigerians basically opt for the 1979 Constitution with relevant amendments. They want it, and they have copiously given their reasons for their choice in the different memoranda and oral presentations.
So they recommended to the Provisional Ruling Council the adoption of the 1979 Constitution with relevant amendments from the 1995 Draft Constitution.” Abdulsalami accepted the recommendation.
When the 1999 constitution was finally published, three of them sat down and placed it side by side with the 1979 constitution. They then did a clause-by-clause analysis. The trio were: Mr. Victor Ifijeh (the current MD of The Nation newspaper who was THISDAY editor then), Alhaji Yusuph Olaniyonu (SA to Senate President Bukola Saraki who was THISDAY politics editor at the time) and THISDAY features editor. They did a word-for-word reading and laughed themselves to stupor: this is pure plagiarism of the 1979 constitution!
There were only a few notable differences in the two documents, such as the 13% derivation for oil-producing states and the number of states in the federation. While the 1979 constitution spoke about 19 states, 1999 said 36 states, logically. They were only reflecting the realities on ground. FEDECO in the 1979 document changed to INEC in 1999 constitution therefore it can be concluded that the 1999 constitution is a replica of the 1979 constitution.
The biggest irony abt the contentious nature of our constitution is the vicious condemnation of the 1999 constitution by some prominent Nigerians who mostly took part in the previous constitution starting committees or got favour & protection by the system.

ogododo:
https://independent.ng/endsars-panel-report-shameful-for-fg-to-call-press-conference-when-white-paper-hasnt-been-released-ubani/

Likewise, the shame goes to those who allowed the report to be leaked before being presented to LASG. This is the highest unprofessional misconduct from the people that are supposed to uphold law!

slimjohn2k5:
Distraction from the invasion of her mother's house

Her name was there long before the invasion, she was just sworn in!

BAT all the way!

kettykings:
Was this how Singapore was formed or Israel.

Why does Nigeria not follow rule of law what happened to plebiscite and referendum. Why is Nigeria such and off case

Because Prof. Ben Nwabueze was the man who drafted the constitution that took away powers from regions and handed it to the central government because his brother Aguiyi Ironsi was the head of state then but some ignorant or selfish people limit their accusations to only Abdussalam Abubakar constitution that give birth to current democratic govt. Today, they're shouting restructuring that they helped to destroy. We won’t forget.”*.

The Igbo man is known to enjoy blaming the Hausa fulanis, Yorubas and indeed every other Nigerian tribe and Lord Luggard/Britain for their seeming claim of being in third class citizen status in Nigeria. In their perpetual attempts to play the victim card, they recount the political events of Nigeria from 1914 to the present in a half-baked and highly selective manner which cleverly avoids the mention of the roles played by their elite who by all natural laws of judgement were actually responsible for the woes that befell not only the Igbo race but the entire Nigeria nation.
However, the national archives have the complete and unedited history of Nigeria regarding the political events beginning way back from even before 1914.
Shortly after the 1914 Amalgamation of the Northern and Southern Protectorates, it started getting clear that the country was bound to fail as the amalgamation in question was done with colonial fiat without the consent and consensus of the different tribes which were over 300. This prompted the political leaders to start asking for de-amalgamation so as to forestall the future danger which the forced amalgamation portended.
To that end, Ahmadu Bello, speaking on behalf of the Northern protectorate in 1944 described the amalgamation as "The mistake of 1914 which if allowed to remain will ultimately lead to unstoppable bloodshed and a failed country".
Awolowo, speaking on behalf of the Yorubas and Western minorities, described Nigeria as a mere geographical expression not qualified to be called a country let alone a nation. Awolowo added that if the amalgamation could not be reversed, then Nigeria should be structured as a strictly federal state so as to enable each tribe enjoy autonomy this freedom from being dominated by any one single tribe.
But Nnamdi Azikiwe, speaking for the Igbos, denounced Awolowo and Ahmadu Bello, terming them ethnic champions. He accused them of nursing a sectional agenda against the unity of Nigeria, and he declared further that the Unity of Nigeria was non-negotiable.
After moving the motion for independece in 1953, Anthony Enahoro proposed that a secession clause should be incorporated into the future constitution of Nigeria so as to give legal backing for any tribe to peacefully exit the forced union if it feels marginalized in future. According to Enahoro, such provision in our constitution would instill in all Nigeria's future leaders the fear of the consequences of misgovernance. But Azikiwe, speaking on behalf of Igbos, rose against him in the parliament and labelled him an agent of disunity, and enemy of Nigeria. At a later date, Awolowo too made a case for secession clause, but Azikiwe again resisted him and instigated the colonial authorities to threaten him and Enahoro with charges of treasonable felony if they didn't stop proposing secession clause for the future constitution. While Azikiwe did all these, Igbos cheered and urged him on because they felt the future Nigeria was theirs to dominate and lord it over every other tribe
Before independece, Tafawa Balewa too had in a public speech described Nigeria as a British experiment and Nigeria's unity as a British intention which Nigerians themselves don't believe in. But Azikiwe kicked and demonized him too. Had Azikiwe co-operated with Enahoro, Awolowo, Ahmadu Bello and Tafawa Balewa about the secession clause, Nigeria perhaps would not have been this misgoverned.
It should be noted that there were many Igbo members of the parliament in which Azikiwe fought against Awolowo's secession clause proposal in the link above, but not a single one of them rose against Azikiwe or condemned him.
Igbos initially never wanted to hear anything like secession in Nigeria because they so much believed, though falsely, that they were the most educated tribe.
As an evidence of Igbo domination agenda hence their initial resistance to the idea of secession; here is a quote:
"From all indications, the god of us Igbos have destined us to rule the whole of Africa"

Lattop:
Yoruba Leaders are just too useless, too silent on Igboho matters, the likes of Obasanjo, Alaafin and many others shouldn't have been silent this much on his matter

Do u want them to take arms and release him from Benin Republic Prison?

TheRareGem1:
You can't prevent president from assenting to that bill. Greedy people.

You have a sensitive brain.
After APC Governors meeting, the 3 are delegated to convince the President not to assent direct primary bill sponsored by NASS.
Idiot Governors who are not sensitive to democratic inclusiveness of common man!

excellence44:
you have Hausa in Niger state

Seeing itnin that aspect is very wrong. There are Hausas everywhere, many lived outside Hausa majority states when their parent worked there under colonial administration.
Current Niger state Governor is also Hausa man!

Rugaria:
Everytime one is pointing out the extreme negatives of the North, you guys will start shouting Dangote Dangote... Is Dangote equivalent to the North or is he the only person from the North? Just a handful of legitimate success stories. Dangote can't even be mentioned as a success story. A man who uptil to this day depends on government patronages to move? Tell me something new..

Read this and learn that Dangote is born in a wealthy family. This is little from his Great Grandfather;
DANGOTE'S GRAND FATHER DEPOSITED 20 CAMELS OF SILVER COINS IN FIRST BANK IN 1929
Old Receipt Reveals Dangote's Grandfather as One of the First Nigerians to Deposit Money in a Bank

- Dangote's grandfather was one of the very first Nigerians to use a bank, according to an emerging old receipt

- Alhaji Alhassan Dantata opened an account and made a deposit in Kano state

- His deposits were said to have been carried by camels

The grandfather of Africa's richest man, Aliko Dangote, was one of the first persons in the country to transact with a bank when they were established.

According to an old receipt shared on Twitter by Nigeria Stories, the businessman had made a deposit when the Bank of British (now First Bank) opened a branch in Kano state in 1929.
Dangote's grand father was the first person to open a bank account and make a deposit in Kano Photo Credit: @NigeriaStories
Alhaji Alhassan Dantata showcased great wealth even in the manner of his deposit at that time.
He deposited 20 camel loads of silver coins.

The emerging information has sparked debate on social media as many argued back and forth in the comment section of the poster of the receipt, Nigeria Stories.

@YOUNGYUPPIE22 reacted:

"Where are both the motivational speakers and pastors that has lied to us about Dangote's wealth?
"They should better come and clear this out."
@sidiq_elkanawi wrote:

"In fact this man Alhaji Alhassan Dantata is Dangote's Great grandfather, Dangote is 4th generation not 3rd generation in the family."
@MrsUbuzor commented:

"Okay. The Dantata my parents use as reference when they want to tell us that they can’t afford some demands as they’re not Dantata."
@thesurrogate2 stated:

"I schooled somebody last year, that Aliko Dangote was not from a poor background. A lot of these useful idiots have never heard of the Dantata family. Honestly, I knew him as Aliko Dantata, until I returned to Nigeria and was told he bears Aliko Dangote."
https://www.legit.ng/1416294-old-receipt-reveals-dangotes-grand-father-one-first-nigerians-deposit-money-a-bank.html

excellence44:
When will the real Hausas juggle to lead this country? We've seen angers, fulanis, and numpe lead this country with the help of Hausa but when is it going to be their own turn?
Names. And. Tribes
Balewa. Gere Bauchi state
Gowon. Angers plateau
Buhari. Fulani Katsina
Babangida. Nupe Niger
Abacha. Kanuri. Bornu
Abdulsalam. Nupe Niger
Yaradua. Fulani Katsina

Abdussalam Abubakar is a typical Hausa man not in anyway Nupe.

Justmesagi:
Are u not Yoruba? If u are not, what positive thing do u like about them?

I'm not Yoruba but I admire the commitment of some of their women I have lived with in marriage, well discipline and respectful!

Hassanmaye:
Let me ask you a simple question, can this thing even by mistake happen in the north though the Muslims are the majority; why? Because we don't tolerate shit sir, not even father CAN can try it, I cant magine this thing happening in the West despite the Yoruba Muslims are the majority

Simple search about infringing Muslims right in Yoruba Land will give u the concept of silent oppression of Muslims in SW. Recently, the owner of the Lagos collapsed building denied one Engineer a job because of his being a Muslim!

Peter Obi isn't a marketable project except in the East, he can't be sold in the North, West and south-south. He has nothing to show when he was Governor that can market him today. He was flop in terms of good governance.
Atiku made a mistake of running with Obi in 2019 just because of Igbo votes, dividing Yoruba votes would have been better for him since Easterners and South-south will automatically vote for PDP.

bigpriik:
Southeast is useless,southeast is unproductive, southeast is a parasite but you will not let them go...

We won't let them go because, they're the people who insisted on this structure that everyone is complaining must enjoy the fruit of their labour.
Prof. Ben Nwabueze was the man who drafted the constitution that took away powers from regions and handed it to the central government because his brother Aguiyi Ironsi was the head of state then but some ignorant or selfish people limit their accusations to only Abdussalam Abubakar constitution that give birth to current democratic govt. Today, they're shouting restructuring that they helped to destroy. We won’t forget.”*.

The Igbo man is known to enjoy blaming the Hausa fulanis, Yorubas and indeed every other Nigerian tribe and Lord Luggard/Britain for their seeming claim of being in third class citizen status in Nigeria. In their perpetual attempts to play the victim card, they recount the political events of Nigeria from 1914 to the present in a half-baked and highly selective manner which cleverly avoids the mention of the roles played by their elite who by all natural laws of judgement were actually responsible for the woes that befell not only the Igbo race but the entire Nigeria nation.
However, the national archives have the complete and unedited history of Nigeria regarding the political events beginning way back from even before 1914.
Shortly after the 1914 Amalgamation of the Northern and Southern Protectorates, it started getting clear that the country was bound to fail as the amalgamation in question was done with colonial fiat without the consent and consensus of the different tribes which were over 300. This prompted the political leaders to start asking for de-amalgamation so as to forestall the future danger which the forced amalgamation portended.
To that end, Ahmadu Bello, speaking on behalf of the Northern protectorate in 1944 described the amalgamation as "The mistake of 1914 which if allowed to remain will ultimately lead to unstoppable bloodshed and a failed country".
Awolowo, speaking on behalf of the Yorubas and Western minorities, described Nigeria as a mere geographical expression not qualified to be called a country let alone a nation. Awolowo added that if the amalgamation could not be reversed, then Nigeria should be structured as a strictly federal state so as to enable each tribe enjoy autonomy this freedom from being dominated by any one single tribe.
But Nnamdi Azikiwe, speaking for the Igbos, denounced Awolowo and Ahmadu Bello, terming them ethnic champions. He accused them of nursing a sectional agenda against the unity of Nigeria, and he declared further that the Unity of Nigeria was non-negotiable.
After moving the motion for independece in 1953, Anthony Enahoro proposed that a secession clause should be incorporated into the future constitution of Nigeria so as to give legal backing for any tribe to peacefully exit the forced union if it feels marginalized in future. According to Enahoro, such provision in our constitution would instill in all Nigeria's future leaders the fear of the consequences of misgovernance. But Azikiwe, speaking on behalf of Igbos, rose against him in the parliament and labelled him an agent of disunity, and enemy of Nigeria. At a later date, Awolowo too made a case for secession clause, but Azikiwe again resisted him and instigated the colonial authorities to threaten him and Enahoro with charges of treasonable felony if they didn't stop proposing secession clause for the future constitution. While Azikiwe did all these, Igbos cheered and urged him on because they felt the future Nigeria was theirs to dominate and lord it over every other tribe
Before independece, Tafawa Balewa too had in a public speech described Nigeria as a British experiment and Nigeria's unity as a British intention which Nigerians themselves don't believe in. But Azikiwe kicked and demonized him too. Had Azikiwe co-operated with Enahoro, Awolowo, Ahmadu Bello and Tafawa Balewa about the secession clause, Nigeria perhaps would not have been this misgoverned.
It should be noted that there were many Igbo members of the parliament in which Azikiwe fought against Awolowo's secession clause proposal in the link above, but not a single one of them rose against Azikiwe or condemned him.
Igbos initially never wanted to hear anything like secession in Nigeria because they so much believed, though falsely, that they were the most educated tribe.
As an evidence of Igbo domination agenda hence their initial resistance to the idea of secession; here is a quote:
"From all indications, the god of us Igbos have destined us to rule the whole of Africa"

Yoruba!

BKayy:
I wonder oh.
How someone will be fighting to keep a liability beats my imagination.

Mr ArewaNorth, what is stopping you to join the campaign to expel this unproductive region?

I won't because, the people who insisted on this structure that everyone is complaining must enjoy the fruit of their labour.
Prof. Ben Nwabueze was the man who drafted the constitution that took away powers from regions and handed it to the central government because his brother Aguiyi Ironsi was the head of state then but some ignorant or selfish people limit their accusations to only Abdussalam Abubakar constitution that give birth to current democratic govt. Today, they're shouting restructuring that they helped to destroy. We won’t forget.”*.

The Igbo man is known to enjoy blaming the Hausa fulanis, Yorubas and indeed every other Nigerian tribe and Lord Luggard/Britain for their seeming claim of being in third class citizen status in Nigeria. In their perpetual attempts to play the victim card, they recount the political events of Nigeria from 1914 to the present in a half-baked and highly selective manner which cleverly avoids the mention of the roles played by their elite who by all natural laws of judgement were actually responsible for the woes that befell not only the Igbo race but the entire Nigeria nation.
However, the national archives have the complete and unedited history of Nigeria regarding the political events beginning way back from even before 1914.
Shortly after the 1914 Amalgamation of the Northern and Southern Protectorates, it started getting clear that the country was bound to fail as the amalgamation in question was done with colonial fiat without the consent and consensus of the different tribes which were over 300. This prompted the political leaders to start asking for de-amalgamation so as to forestall the future danger which the forced amalgamation portended.
To that end, Ahmadu Bello, speaking on behalf of the Northern protectorate in 1944 described the amalgamation as "The mistake of 1914 which if allowed to remain will ultimately lead to unstoppable bloodshed and a failed country".
Awolowo, speaking on behalf of the Yorubas and Western minorities, described Nigeria as a mere geographical expression not qualified to be called a country let alone a nation. Awolowo added that if the amalgamation could not be reversed, then Nigeria should be structured as a strictly federal state so as to enable each tribe enjoy autonomy this freedom from being dominated by any one single tribe.
But Nnamdi Azikiwe, speaking for the Igbos, denounced Awolowo and Ahmadu Bello, terming them ethnic champions. He accused them of nursing a sectional agenda against the unity of Nigeria, and he declared further that the Unity of Nigeria was non-negotiable.
After moving the motion for independece in 1953, Anthony Enahoro proposed that a secession clause should be incorporated into the future constitution of Nigeria so as to give legal backing for any tribe to peacefully exit the forced union if it feels marginalized in future. According to Enahoro, such provision in our constitution would instill in all Nigeria's future leaders the fear of the consequences of misgovernance. But Azikiwe, speaking on behalf of Igbos, rose against him in the parliament and labelled him an agent of disunity, and enemy of Nigeria. At a later date, Awolowo too made a case for secession clause, but Azikiwe again resisted him and instigated the colonial authorities to threaten him and Enahoro with charges of treasonable felony if they didn't stop proposing secession clause for the future constitution. While Azikiwe did all these, Igbos cheered and urged him on because they felt the future Nigeria was theirs to dominate and lord it over every other tribe
Before independece, Tafawa Balewa too had in a public speech described Nigeria as a British experiment and Nigeria's unity as a British intention which Nigerians themselves don't believe in. But Azikiwe kicked and demonized him too. Had Azikiwe co-operated with Enahoro, Awolowo, Ahmadu Bello and Tafawa Balewa about the secession clause, Nigeria perhaps would not have been this misgoverned.
It should be noted that there were many Igbo members of the parliament in which Azikiwe fought against Awolowo's secession clause proposal in the link above, but not a single one of them rose against Azikiwe or condemned him.
Igbos initially never wanted to hear anything like secession in Nigeria because they so much believed, though falsely, that they were the most educated tribe.
As an evidence of Igbo domination agenda hence their initial resistance to the idea of secession; here is a quote:
"From all indications, the god of us Igbos have destined us to rule the whole of Africa"

Naijanascam:
Congratulations to them...... and thanks to the Rivers State government for opening their eyes

This is 8 months report which was there before River state made her case!

Hassanmaye:
Are you really from the West by your name! Because Yoruba people are the majority in those states you mentioned, I don't think Yoruba people are disintegrated like that

There is little or no echoe in the victimisation of the opprssed because of the system set up that favours the oppressors. All the noise makers and, the sociocultural groups from the region are doing little or nothing to help tackle or expose the cruelty and marginalisation and to some extent take side with CAN and perpetrate their evil.
Can't u imagine common ordinary fundamental human right of Muslim girl child to wear Hijab is a subject to court resolution and after many court verdict that imply their right to wear Hijab to schools they refuse to uphold?
Their main fear is religious identity that may prevail among them!

Fahdiga:
You and your ilks are the ones that lost their conscience because you see terrorism as a means to amass wealth to the detriment of your fellow citizens. If the military wants terrorism would have ended long time ago

When u are ignorant of how things work and blindfolded by bias then nothing neutral will come out of u.

Kano Beats South East In VAT Collection

Kano State collected more money as Value Added Tax (VAT) than the entire South East zone in the first eight months of 2021, an exclusive data obtained by Daily Trust show.

Records of VAT receipts from Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS) seen by Daily Trust indicate that the state collected N24.4bn, ahead of the five south-eastern states with accumulated collection of N20bn.

The data further revealed that Kaduna State with N19bn accrual also did better than Akwa Ibom (N9.3bn), Bayelsa (N13bn), Delta (N13bn), Edo (N9bn), and Ogun (N11bn).

For instance, Kaduna’s N19.8bn is higher than the combined collection of Abia, Cross River, Osun, Ekiti, Ondo and Imo.

Abia, according to the chart, collected N2.2bn representing 0.22%; Cross River collected N1.9bn or 0.19%; Osun collected N2.07bn or 0.20; Ekiti made N6.2bn or 0.62; Ondo collected N4.8bn or 0.48, while Imo collected 1.01bn or 0.10 %.

Yobe in the North East collected N9.3bn rubbing shoulders with Akwa Ibom (N9.3bn), Edo (N9bn), Ebonyi (N7.2bn) and Ekiti (N6.2bn).

Lagos and the FCT, combined, contribute 65.22% of the total, while all the remaining 35 states contribute 34.78 percent of the total.

This revelation is coming amidst VAT row between the federal government and some states, and allegations that some states, majorly in the North, benefit more than what they contribute to the central pool.

The statics show that Lagos is on top of the chart with 41.5 percent of the total VAT amounting to N421.2bn while Zamfara collected the least recording, N762.5m or 0.08 percent of the total sum.

Lagos is followed by the FCT which collected N241bn or 23.74 %; Rivers collected N92.3bn or 9.09 % while Oyo followed with N61bn representing 6.01%.

Other top performers in the chart are Kano with N24.4bn or 2.40% and Kaduna with N19.8bn or 1.95%.

However, in spite of Zamfara, a state in the North West recording the least performance, more northern States performed better than the southern states as the figure indicated.

Despite the crisis in some of the North East states, the region collected a total of N27.7bn compared to N21bn collected by the south-eastern region of the country.

Exclusive of Lagos, the other South West states collected a total of N85.8bn only while the North East and North West, which have been heavily bedevilled by insurgency and other security challenges, have collected N86.5bn within the same period.

With the exception of Lagos (N421.2bn), Rivers (92.3bn), Oyo (N61bn), Kano (N24bn) and Kaduna (19bn) most states have posted an average performance lower than N10bn.

How VAT pitched southern, northern states

A verdict by a Federal High Court in Rivers on August 9, 2021, on who has the power to collect VAT favoured the state government; a development seen as a victory for those clamouring for decentralised collection.

Daily Trust reports that both Rivers and Lagos had sued the federal government over the continued collection of VAT by the FIRS.

The controversy spiked after a meeting of the Southern Governors Forum (SGF) endorsed the position of Lagos and Rivers and insisted on allowing every state to collect its VAT revenue individually.

Members of the Northern Governors Forum (NGF) shot back at their southern counterparts, saying the southern governors were confusing the value-added tax (VAT) with sales tax.

The governors noted that the reason Lagos would account for 50 percent of VAT collection was that most telecommunication companies, banks, manufacturing and other trading activities had their headquarters in the state.

“VAT is being confused by these state governments as a sales tax. If every state enacted its own VAT Law, multiple taxations will result in increases in prices of goods and services and collapse in interstate trade. VAT is not a production tax like excise, but terminal tax which is paid by the ultimate consumer,” chairman of the forum, Governor Simon Lalong had said.



‘Claim VAT sharing benefits northern states more than the southern erroneous’

An economist and a former presidential candidate, Mr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, said those who have “managed the information about the VAT wars have created the impression that the present distribution benefits the northern states more than the southern states.

“They try to make it look like the VAT is part of the ‘hegemonic domination’ of the North. Many commentators hardly look at the data before they hit their keyboards online. Many swallowed hook line and sinker very obvious lies.”

Olawepo-Hashim argued that apart from Lagos, Rivers and the FCT who benefit from the fact that they host the headquarters of major economic, political and oil-related institutions, most states apart from Oyo are doing badly in VAT generation and a lot of southern states are woeful.

“Most states, whether they are in the North or South are doing badly in production of goods and services except for Lagos, Rivers, Oyo, Kano and Kaduna states. The present centrally collected VAT which is then distributed subsidizes everybody,” he noted.

He maintained that in comparison to eastern states, Kaduna, Kano and Katsina are doing better than Abia, Anambra, Imo, and Enugu, adding that based on available data in the past eight months, total VAT generated in Abia was N2.290b, Anambra -N5.938b, Imo -N1.941 compared to Kaduna -N18.262b and Kano -N24.492b.

“Conversely, when it came to distribution, Abia State got N20.020b for generating N2billion. Abia got 10 times what it contributed whereas Kaduna and Kano did not get as much as twice what they contributed. Lagos, Rivers and Oyo got lower.

Similarly, President of Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF), Alhaji Yerima Shettima in a chat with Daily Trust said he was not surprised with the figure, insisting the North is not doing badly as it is being portrayed in the VAT war.

He said, “We are not good at talking too much. We are more real and more practical. If there is any region who believes more in Nigeria is the Northern part of this country that believes we must work together.

“When Wike started the issue, some of us were shocked. The man who believes he wants to be a national leader, a nationalist, came up with that idea, making it as if he is fighting the North. Some of us took his pronouncements at that time very personal because the way he presented it was funny.

“The truth of the matter is that we must try as much as possible to discourage what will disunite us. Let us promote things that would unite us. Together, we can do better.

“There is no region in this country that has nothing to bring to the table. But because you have a system that encourages people to only eye the oil and as a result of this out of 1001 things we have on the ground in terms of mineral resources, today we are receiving a lot of abuses and insults from people. We could have done better if we were running a regional system of government where all regions will go back and harness their resources, then pay 13 percent to the centre. These arrogances and abuses on our sensibilities as a nation would not come to play anymore,” he said.



States will bear the brunt of decentralised collection – Experts

Fiscal Policy Partner and Africa Tax Leader at the PriceWaterCoopers (PwC), Taiwo Oyedele said if the right to collect VAT is given to states, “the biggest losers will be the states except for Lagos. A few states like Kano, Rivers, Oyo, Kaduna, Delta and Katsina may experience minimal impact, while at least 30 states, which account for less than 20 percent of VAT collection will suffer significant revenue decline.

“The federal government may be better off given that FCT generates the second-highest VAT (after Lagos) in addition to import and non-import foreign VAT,” he said.

Commenting, Ogbeide E. Benjamin, a tax expert and former chairman, Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN), Abuja Chapter, said, “The impact of this judgment on the finances of the states will be enormous.”

According to him, “VAT is consumption-based and on several items, some of which are outlawed in some states. I believe the country stands to profit by allowing states to administer VAT. By this, states will be further encouraged to scale up their economic drive to attract more foreign direct investments and local investments since they will be the ones to get the VAT benefits.”

https://dailytrust.com/kano-beats-south-east-in-vat-collection

Fahdiga:
Another propaganda from this failed regime. People that rewards terrorists are telling us a fairly tale about how they killed bandits. This is already stale. They should try another wack line

You would have outrightly believed it if the story said many soldiers killed by bandits.
You lost all your conscience!

AllahIsShit:
Tinubu may not be alive come 2023.

I didn't want to comment but ur moniker say a lot abt the only reason u hate Tinubu.
Fanatic!

SonOfEl:
Says who? You isn't it? Jejely put your mouth within its limit, because the crimes of your people are legendary e g kyari, babangida, Abacha, bagudu, Ganduje, bureau de change scammers? should i continue? Iberibe

Take them to court and prove them guilty of ur accusations!

97loodbre:
Let's be realistic and shun emotional sentiments.... There are hundreds of very big churches and cathedrals in Kano, Sokoto, Katsina, Jigawa, Kaduna, Zamfara and even Maiduguri. These are core muslim states in Nigeria. How many such big mosques or Islamic centres can you count or find in the south-south or South-East It's very unfortunate that some misguided elements and agents of the devil in the North such as Bokoharam and ISWAP are busy killing innocent christians, but they kill innocent muslims too. Thousands of muslims have been killed in the North by these agents of the devil, so I don't see why any right thinking person will generalize it and term Nigeria a christian persecuting country. It is just so nunfortunate the level of religious intolerance and misinformation some christian leaders chun out to their followers. May Nigeria succeed.

God bless u. CAN is always trying to politicise everything jst because the President is a Muslim.
The people that are being killed in Zamfara and Sokoto alone by bandits outnumbered the number of Christians killed Nation wide in any attack. Last month bandits attacked a mosque during morning prayer and killed 18 worshippers in the mosque including the imam. It equally happened during Ramadan when the forced an Imam to eat food while fasting and during evening Tafsir and killed him after refusing; I'm very much sure if it were CAN they would have started alleging conspiracy. When was the last time Christians were attacked by Boko Haram?
There are more churches in Kano than Juma'ar mosque, in almost all Northern state u will see some Quaters dedicated to Christians to build churches and worship freely but CAN is always trying to make things look political.
Listing or delisting Nigeria in that list by US is nonsensical and provocative. Should Saudi Arabia or any Islamic Nation come and start doing statistics on how Muslims are being persecuted in Nigeria, how they're denied the right to wear Hijab and all sort of these?
We need to wake up and live above this religious politics!

vickydevoka:
Igbos are drug peddlers everywhere. Go to s. A n see for urself

That is why Xenophobic attack on Nigerians is justified to some extent in Ghana and S.A, though unfortunate!

DonTattaglia:
Abeg go and sit down. Bloody liar. Have u ever crossed Atlantic ocean, onukwu!

Is it a big deal to travel outside Nigeria?
Chaii...Poverty is a big disease!