Nyesom Wike, the governor of Rivers State, has appealed to the Supreme Court of Nigeria to allow an urgent hearing in the issue involving the collection and distribution of Value Added Taxes (VAT) that the federal government has generated from the state.
The Governor made the request during the match pass and parade held on Saturday at the Sharks Football Stadium in Port Harcourt to celebrate Nigeria’s 62nd anniversary of independence.
He said: “We have also not given up in our determination to right the injustice associated with the collection and distribution of Value-Added Taxes generated from the State by the Federal Government just as we again call on the Supreme Court to please, treat this matter with the urgency that it requires.”
“This is not to say that Nigeria has not made any progress as a nation. Certainly, we have achieved some visible developmental strides and economic progress as Africa’s largest economy.
“The fact that we have remained together despite the recurrent conflicts and crisis of confidence is also worth celebrating as an achievement.
“But, after 62 years, Nigeria deserves more than what it has achieved and Nigerians likewise deserve much more than what their leaders have delivered to them with the country’s enormous natural and human resources.”
“Life is sacrosanct, but the present federal government has failed in the most basic duty to the nation to protect the lives and property of its citizens.
“Under their watch, infrastructure across all sectors, including roads, education and healthcare has collapsed. Tertiary education has remained comatose for over seven months and with no employment opportunities, the federal government continues to toy with the future of the youths.”