"I Agree With Wike 100% On VAT Issue" - Ganduje's Former Aide, Dawisu

Salihu Tanko-Yakasai

Salihu Tanko-Yakasai a.k.a Dawisu, a former aide of Governor Ganduje has shown his support for Wike on the issue of VAT.

River State Gvernor, Nyesom 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 they 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 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 River State 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 on the North look inwards on how 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%. Its 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 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 .