The NGF and traditional rulers at a meeting regretted the ugly trend of drug consumption amongst the teeming youth and called on all levels of governments and communities to rise to the occasion by stemming the tide.
The resolutions issued by the chairman of NGF and Governor of Plateau State, Mr Simon Bako Lalong called on government agencies to check the trend.
“The Forum calls on agencies to live up to their responsibility, traditional rulers are to equally mobilize their various communities in checkmating the ugly trend of criminality in their domains.
“The Forum decried the high level of conspiracies being perpetrated by some Judicial Officers in releasing/granting bail to arrested criminals. This attitude sabotages the fight against criminality, therefore, there is the need to develop good and robust intelligence mechanism amongst states was identified as a panacea.”
The Traditional Rulers Councils appreciated the efforts made by the NSGF in addressing the key areas of challenges facing the Northern States and expressed willingness, solidarity and collaboration with the Governors’ in addressing the challenges particularly the issue of security.
It was resolved that perpetrators of crimes be dealt with irrespective of their status in society.
The NGF considered the ongoing National debate on the collection of Value Added Tax (VAT), saying that as responsible leaders, they are constrained by the fact that the matter is sub judice.
They said judgement of the Federal High Court calls to question the constitutionality of VAT, withholding tax, education tax, Niger Delta Development Commission, National Information Technology Development Agency, 13% derivation, National Economic Development Council and many other levies currently collected by the Federal Government’s Federal Inland Revenue Service.
It noted that Rivers and Lagos State Government had enacted their VAT laws and the Southern Governors Forum have expressed support for this course of action, stressing that VAT is being confused by these State Governments as a sales tax.
It also noted that if every state enacted its VAT Law, multiple taxations would result in increases in prices of goods and services and collapse in interstate trade, saying that VAT is not a production tax like excise, but terminal tax which is paid by the ultimate consumer.
The forum noted that the reason Lagos accounted for our 50% Vat collection is that most of the telecommunication companies, Banks, manufacturing and other trading activities have their headquarters.
It agreed, “Until and unless the Supreme Court pronounces judgement on the substantive matter between Rivers State and Federal Government, the matter is sub judice and the Northern States Governors Forum would respect this.”
