Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State yesterday mocked governors of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Southern Governors’ Forum who joined in adopting the resolution for power shift to the South, saying their body language shows the party won’t zone the Presidency to the South.

The Southern governors, led by Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, had in a communiqué issued at the end of their meeting in Enugu State on Thursday insisted on power shift to the South.

Umahi, who spoke on a television programme yesterday, alleged the PDP governors at the meeting in Enugu were being dishonest with their claim that they are keen about the 2023 presidency going to the South.

He said: “One or two governors that own PDP, their body language suggests that are against zoning and I can tell you from reliable source that they are thinking just for their own interest.

“The truth remains that a number of us – the Southern Governors – that were in that meeting; that did say that Presidency must come to South, especially PDP, are not being honest. Let’s see what they (PDP) come up with in their zoning in the next few weeks.

“There are a couple of decisions taken at the Southern Governors’ meeting that I know that together, there is sincerity of purpose in them. But when it comes to politics, I see the hand of Esau and the voice of Jacob.”

The Ebonyi State Governor warned that the alleged dishonesty of the PDP governors in the Forum might threaten the unity of the Southern governors.

Umahi also opposed the resolution of the Southern Governors’ Forum supporting the collection of the Value Added Tax by states.

He knocked his colleagues on the platform for being “selfish”, adding that he won’t pursue VAT collection or implement the decision of the Forum on the issue.

Umahi said the resolution of the Forum on VAT did not reflect his stand.

The Ebonyi State Governor, who was represented at the Enugu Southern governors’ meeting by his deputy, Kelechi Igwe, said: “In any gathering, the minority will have their say and the majority will have their way. For example, there was an issue that came up on VAT; I’m not sure it is clear to some of our colleagues but it is very clear to me.

“We (Ebonyi) took a stand as a state with our leaders on the issue of the VAT war that is ongoing and so my deputy carried it on to say that this is what my governor is saying and this is what the state is saying and he went ahead to explain with some other deputies that represented their governors.

“But together, they were in the minority and it didn’t stop the majority from coming up with their communiqué. When it comes up to implementation and voicing out, I will continue to say ‘this is where I stand’, if it is a choice, I will choose what would benefit my state.”

Umahi continues: “There is no state in the country that is not enjoying the help of other states. When they (Southern governors) said this VAT collection is part of true restructuring, I said I never believe in total restructuring; I believe in administrative restructuring.”

Umahi said a number of states would collapse should VAT collection move from the federal to the sub-nationals.

He said it was not right that some states would “eat and have so much surplus and then some other states don’t have much to eat.”

Umahi said: “We have to be our brother’s keeper; we have to see how we can grow the economies of the weakest states, otherwise, we will breed insecurity in those states. There is no way in a relationship that you will get 100 per cent of what you put in, it doesn’t work that way.”

When asked whether Ebonyi State would be viable for VAT collection, should the court rule that sub-nationals have the power to collect VAT within their domains, Umahi said: “I have said that my state would not be viable and I will continue to say that more than 30 other states would not be viable; we should not break the states.

“Whatever thing we are doing, we have to think about the nation first. Let’s tarry a while and see how we can pass this river and then we can come to the fact of who is right and who is wrong.

“True federalism is not done in a day. If we want to do a restructuring, we have to have a gradual process to do that.”

VAT is a consumption tax paid when goods are purchased and services are rendered. It is charged at a rate of 7.5 per cent.

Although Rivers and Lagos states have started the process of collecting VAT within their territories, the Court of Appeal in a ruling on September 10 stopped the collection pending the determination of an appeal filed by the Federal Inland Revenue Service against the judgment of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, which favoured collection of VAT by states.

Apart from Lagos and Rivers states, Ogun State has also started the process of passing a bill on VAT in its House of Assembly.

THISDAY

Nigeria has asked the 16-nation Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to ensure immediate return of democratic rule to Guinea after the recent military coup.

It stressed the need for a short transition programme that would usher in a new civilian government in the country.

This position taken by Nigeria was made known by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who stood in for President Muhammadu Buhari, at the Extraordinary Summit of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS member-states on the political situation in the Republics of Guinea and Mali, which held in Accra, Ghana

At the last summit of ECOWAS leaders, held virtually on September 8, Nigeria, had condemned the recent coup de‘tat in Guinea, calling for an unconditional release of President Alpha Conde, and for stringent measures on Guinea’s military junta.

Speaking at the Accra summit, Osinbajo restated Nigeria’s position, urging for the unconditional release of President Condé and calling for more pressure on the country’s military leaders to return the nation to democratic rule.

“It is also important that ECOWAS should simply insist that there should be an immediate return to civil rule.”

Calling for more stringent measures to be taken by the sub-regional body, the Vice President said, “We must make sure that sanctions by ECOWAS achieve the intended objectives.”

He restated the call to engage global bodies and Africa’s development partners in taking steps to prevent such unconstitutional change of government in countries on the continent.

“In this connection, I think we should engage all well-meaning stakeholders including the Africa Union, European Union, United Nations, developmental partners, and financial institutions to join in taking more stringent measures by imposing travel bans and freezing of offshore financial assets of the coupists and their collaborators to ensure that they do return the country to democracy immediately,” Osinbajo said.

Nigeria again demanded the unconditional release of President Conde and respect for his physical integrity, with the Vice President urging leaders in the sub-region to also insist on a civilian-led transition.

While noting that although the military junta in Guinea had started consultation with critical stakeholders towards transitioning the country to civil rule, Osinbajo reiterated Nigeria’s stance, condemning military intervention and unconstitutional change of government in the West African country.

He, therefore, called on the junta “to transparently restore constitutional order without delay,” adding that “such a process should be led by a civilian.

“While we condemn the development in Guinea, and affirm that no matter how popular the grievance against an elected leadership may be, the forceful seizure of power is an unacceptable assault on the dignity of a free people and their right to freely elect their leaders. We nevertheless must strongly urge all ECOWAS Member States to respect the principles of democracy and the constitutions of our respective countries.”

On the update of the situation in Mali, the Vice President again commended former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan “for his continued commitment and engagement with the various stakeholders in Mali.”

He commended the efforts of stakeholders in resolving the situation in Mali and restated the call of leaders of the sub-region to the Malian transition government to strictly respect and follow the electoral time table for transition to civil rule.

“I further call for the continued support and collaboration of all major players in the country’s March towards a successful transition.”

Assuring that Nigeria will continue to closely monitor the situation in Guinea, Osinbajo pledged Nigeria’s support in ensuring that only democratic processes are adopted in changing governments in the sub-region.

At the end of the extraordinary meeting, the ECOWAS leaders resolved to freeze the financial assets of members of the military junta, place a travel ban on them, while also demanding that the junta returns Guinea to constitutional rule within six months.

According to a communique issued at the end of the meeting: “After consideration of the Report and subsequent deliberations, the Authority decides as follows: to uphold the suspension of Guinea from all ECOWAS governing bodies until the restoration of constitutional order; to ensure the conduct of presidential and legislative elections within six months in order to restore constitutional rule in the Republic of Guinea; to impose sanctions, in accordance with extant ECOWAS Protocols, of travel bans on the members of the CNRD (the Guinean military junta) and their family members and to freeze their financial assets.”

Highlighting Nigeria’s position further, ECOWAS also “called on the African Union, the European Union, the United Nations, and other multilateral and bilateral partners to support the implementation of these sanctions; to ensure that no member of the CNRD is allowed to contest in the presidential election.”

ECOWAS noted that it would also assist Guinea in the swift resolution of the crisis and in the preparations for the elections.

The extraordinary session was chaired by President of Ghana and Chair of the ECOWAS, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

THISDAY