Wike Urges Supreme Court to Hasten Judgement on VAT

Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike has appealed to the Supreme Court to hasten its judgement on the Value Added Tax (VAT) suit.

Wike made the appeal at the march past and parade in commemoration of the 62nd independence of Nigeria at the Sharks Football Stadium in Port Harcourt on Saturday.

He explained that such urgency and ruling of the case in favour of the State, would further provide more financial resources to accelerate the economic growth of Rivers State.

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.”

Wike said since 1999 that the country returned to democracy, it had continued to witness deliberate constitutional distortions, institutional weaknesses and widespread corruption that had prevented Nigerians from enjoying a robust democratic practice.

He said: “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.”

Wike bemoaned the inability of the All Progressives Congress (APC) led federal government, over the last seven years, to keep the economic and social conditions of Nigeria from deteriorating.

He said: “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.”