The Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State
House of Assembly, Hon. Onofiok Luke,
has urged President Muhammadu
Buhari to ensure that all looted
monies recovered by the federal
government are paid into the
consolidated revenue fund and shared
among the 36 states.
Luke, who gave the advice Tuesday at
the House of Assembly complex while
declaring open a one-day public
hearing on the Revenue
Administration Bill 2016, organized at
the instance of the House Committee
on Appropriation and Finance, said it
was necessary for the President to
follow the provisions of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria which makes it
mandatory for all monies to be put in
the consolidated revenue account.
“I am making this as personal opinion;
all the monies recovered in the course
of the fight against corruption should
be shared to all the states. The money
should be channeled into the
Consolidated Revenue Account of the
Federation and should be shared
among the states for the benefit of
the ordinary Nigerian.”
Speaking on the importance of the
public hearing on the revenue
administration bill titled, ‘A Bill to
Make Provision for the Administration
and Collection of Revenue Due to the
Government of Akwa Ibom State and
Local Government Councils in Akwa
Ibom State and to establish the
Relevant Administrative Structures
and other Matters Connected
Therewith’, Luke stated that the
exercise was in line with the avowed
commitment of the 6th assembly to
carry the public along in the
legislative business of the Akwa Ibom
House of Assembly.
He said the gathering was meant to
collect and assess possible
contributions from stakeholders and
members of the public in order to
guide the legislature in the passage of
an acceptable revenue collection and
administration bill for the state.
The speaker informed that inputs that
would be collected from members of
the public shall form part of the
legislative decision of the lawmakers
on the establishment of administrative
structures that will boost Internally
Generated Revenue (IGR) at both the
state and local government levels.
He also remarked that contributions
by industry experts will help in setting
the wheels in motion for success as
the state hopes to increase her IGR.
Earlier, the Chairman, House
Committee on Appropriation Finance,
Mr Usoro Akpan Usoh, explained that
the public hearing was aimed at
gathering inputs from members of the
public in order guide lawmakers in the
consideration and passage of the
revenue bill.
Akpan Usoh said that the dwindling
revenue profile of the state occasioned
by the fall in the price of oil at the
global market had affected the
revenue accruing to the state from the
federation, saying there was a need to
look inwards in increasing the revenue
base of the state.
The Assembly Committee Chairman
pleaded with members of the public
and other stakeholders to cooperate
with the House of Assembly, stressing
that taxation was an age-long practice
which has legal, moral and religious
standing.
Daily Sun
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