Kelechi Esogwa-Amadi
Governors of the six South-South states are expected to meet in Rivers State Government House, Port Harcourt, today, Monday, 4th October 2021.
The all-important meeting, which is being hosted by Governor Nyesom Wike, will soon kick-off, as some of the governors are believed to be on their way to the Garden City.
According to feelers at the disposal of TPCN, the meeting will afford the South-South Governors the opportunity to deliberate on certain national and regional issues confronting their various states and the zone generally.
Thus, issues such as insecurity, anti-open grazing law, value-added tax and zoning of presidency in 2023 are expected to top the agenda of the meeting.
TPCN further gathered that the South South Governors are likely to adopt Governor Nyesom Wike’s template on VAT, in order to forge a potent common front in the quest for control of the consumption tax.
It was learnt that the recent condemnation of the Rivers and Lagos States’ position on VAT by northern governors during their meeting in Kaduna State is one of the reasons that necessitated the convening of today’s meeting by South South Governors.
It could be recalled that the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the South-South had earlier called on other governors in the zone to emulate their Rivers State counterpart and fight for their own VAT autonomy which the party believes is a step forward in the actualisation of the much-hyped fiscal federalism.
National Vice Chairman of the PDP, South South Zone, Chief Dan Orbih, made the call last month in Benin, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Orbih had described Governor Wike’s victory in the VAT battle as a great opportunity for other South South Governors.
He said: “This is a big window for the South South states to achieve the long-desired quest for fiscal federalism. With this development, the long-desired dream of many Nigerians for equitable distribution of resources has been given a strong push. This is a bold and salutary move in restructuring our tax collection system…And I say to the South South Governors, act now that the iron is hot.”
