Lornke
Mixed reactions by legal experts have continued over Friday’s ruling of the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which ordered parties in the Value Added Tax, VAT collection dispute, including the Federal Inland Revenue Service and the Rivers State Government to maintain the status quo.
Recall that Justice Haruna Tsanami, who delivered the lead ruling of the panel, held that since parties had submitted themselves to the jurisdiction of the court for adjudication on the issue, they must not do anything that will destroy the subject matter of the appeal.
The suit was then adjourned until 16 September 2021, for a hearing of an application by the Lagos State government to be joined as a party in the matter.
Reacting, a constitutional lawyer, FESTUS OGWUCHE, said the stay of execution by the Appeal Court has no effect on the standing VAT law which the Rivers State Government recently passed after the ruling by a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt.
On his part, a human rights advocate, in Port Harcourt, HIGHER KING, says a return to status quo implies that the initial collector of the VAT before the tussle began should be responsible for VAT collections until a final ruling by the court
Meanwhile, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, FEMI ADESINA, on Sunday said President Buhari will abide by whatever final verdict the judiciary passes on the ongoing Value Added Tax legal tussle.
