BY SAMUEL MAYOWA
A governorship aspirant in Benue State, under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, Terver Akase has declared support for whatever final decision the court takes on the tax controversy in the country if he becomes governor.
In a telephone interview with The Point, Wednesday, Akase attributed his willingness to accept the outcome, even if doesn’t go in favour of the state, to his being a law abiding citizen.
Recall that Rivers and Lagos States have been ruing the low monthly allocation from Value Added Tax to them by the Federal Government, despite what they claimed to be huge collection from both states, which has led to legal fireworks.
This has seen both states pass their respective VAT bills into law to enable them immediately start the collection of VAT within their respective states.
This was after a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State dismissed an application by the FIRS seeking to stop the state government from collecting VAT in the state.
Details of VAT collections made by Benue State and what it was allocated for, by the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee reveal that between January and August 2021, the state generated N1.268 billion but was allocated N24.527 billion by the FAAC.
Although aware of how negatively the ruling of the court would impact on the state, should the ruling favour the plaintiffs, the former Chief Press Secretary to Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State said, “I am a law abiding citizen of this country, whatever the court decides is taken to be lawful and legitimate. The courts are still deciding; the final decision has not been reached yet; people are still going to appeal.”
“The courts cannot all be wrong. If the first court makes a mistake, the Court of Appeal is there to correct that mistake. If the court of appeal fails to correct the mistake, then the Supreme Court should. But if the Supreme Court is wrong, then the whole country is wrong,” Akase added.
Akase who recently resigned his position as the governor’s spokesman praised his legacies in security, education, amongst others, describing them as wonderful. He vowed not destroy any of his former principal’s projects but to build on his policies.
