Star comedian, Ali Baba, has reflected on the battle to decentralise the collection of Value Added Tax.
Rivers and Lagos states are agitating that they want to collect their own VATs, with the determination to stop the Federal Inland Revenue Service from doing so.
The matter has generated a lot of controversy and leggal tussles.
Reacting to this, Ali Baba says the best option is for every state to be left to its own VAT destibny.
He, in an IG post on Thursday, berates states that banned some economic products but share the VAT that other states generate from the sales.
He notes:
You can not be destroying in your state what is generating funds for other states and collecting same funds when it is shared to you.
That’s why all states should control their resources and pay between 15-30% of their IGR to the center to help run the government.
Trust me, all the agitation for state creation will reduce.
Governors who want to carry on like their states are as financially buoyant as Lagos, Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta…..will know what bankruptcy is.
You will see what the real population of the state is.
All those crazy employment of people and ghost workers into an already over bloated federal civil service will cease.
This will put an end to religious issues. You can ban all you want to ban. Beer, night clubs, mannequins, indecent dressing, female drivers in your state. Do all you want. But you will have to find the money to fund it.
What do I know sef? Shebu I am just an ordinary comedian?
