Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State has said that he supports the collection and sharing of Value-Added Tax (VAT), by the Federal Government.
Umahi stated this on Tuesday in Abakaliki, during the inauguration of his senior special adviser on religion and welfare matters, Abraham Nwali, as the new South-east chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).
The governor was of the opinion that the time has not come for individual states to take charge of the VAT they generate.
“I will continue to preach that, allow the Federal Government to collect VAT and share for us, for a chain is as strong as its weakest link” Umahi stated.
While asserting his acceptance of calls for restructuring, the governor, however, emphasized that such a move must solely be based on administrative restructuring.
“I will continue to preach it, that the states that are very weak must be taken care of before we say let everybody control their resources.
“There was a time we were houseboys and house girls and were very helpful in serving other states, it’s now time to be built up before you can collect your VAT separately” the governor elucidated.
Regarding the sit-at-home order by the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Governor Umahi said it all amounts to war brought by the people upon themselves.
According to him, “Governors of the South-east have done their best to check the situation and when people sit at home, it is not biting the governors.
“When you sit at home, there is food for the governors in their homes and some of their children are outside the country,” Umahi, who is the chairman of, South-east Governors’ Forum explained.
He said there are fears of possible splinter groups emerging in the region with their own agenda and wondered why agitators in other geo-political zones are not sitting at home while those in the east are killing their brothers in the name of agitation.
Umahi’s latest comment on the issue comes a few days after the governor described the IPOB order as the worst thing that the South-East region has witnessed.
According to Umahi, the exercise has drastically affected the economy of the zone.
The governor said the leaders of the zone in collaboration with Ohanaeze Ndigbo are working on the grievances of the youths in the area in order to table them before the President for further actions.
