Salihu Tanko-Yakasai who is more popularly known as Dawisu, has taken sides with Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike on the issue of Value Added Tax, VAT.
Dawisu who was Kano State Governor, Abdulahi Ganduje’s media aide until his sack, following his constant criticism of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari says any northerner who has an issue with Wike over his stance on VAT’, doesn’t mean well for the region.
The Street Journal had reported how Wike, on Wednesday, September 8, during a stakeholders’ meeting with oil companies and business owners in the state, told companies based in the state to start paying VAT to the state government.
He accused the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, of threatening and bullying companies based in the state and warned that any organization that doesn’t pay VAT to the Rivers state government would be sealed off.
Wike then told companies to start paying they Value Added Tax to the state starting from this month, September.
This comes one month after the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt held that Rivers State Government had the power to collect VAT within its territory.
The FIRS applied to the court for a stay of executive but the judge rejected the application.
Wike also pointed out that Kano State keeps 100% of what it generates in tax but Rivers State is only given a percentage of what it generates on tax.
Reacting to Wike’s stance on the VAT issue, Dawisu said he is in support of the River State Governor, adding that this should make Northern leaders look inwards on how revive their economic status.