State governors of the South-South geopolitical zone have said they will apply to be joined in the suit before the Supreme Court over the collection of Value Added Tax (VAT) in Nigeria.
The suit is currently ongoing between the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and the Rivers State Government.
Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, made this known in a statement at the end of the governors’ meeting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The meeting was attended by Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers State; Chief Emmanuel Udom, Governor of Akwa Ibom; Godwin Obaseki of Edo; and Sen. Douye Diri, Governor of Bayelsa State.
Okowa also disclosed that South-South states had agreed to form a commission for regional security.
The South-South Governors also petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari to appropriately constitute the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) by following due process and expressed optimism with the forensic audit report on the NDDC which they hope would be made public.
They added that the president and the National Assembly should take necessary measures to review some aspects of the recently signed Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) in the spirit of fairness and equity.
The governors also urged that NNPC subsidiaries and International Oil Companies (IOCs) head offices be relocated to the Niger Delta region and pushed for the completion of some federal projects in the region.
