…As stakeholders applaud initiative
In a bid to ensure that the masses enjoy dividends of democracy, the Contact and Mobilisation Department of the VAT Directive Initiative (VDI) of the Federal Government has flaged off its Committee in Akure, the Ondo state capital.
This would help to identify the critical stakeholders that would be needed in the contact and mobilisation committee.
Speaking at the flag off ceremony on Tuesday in Akure, , the National Organizing Secretary, Contact and Mobilization Nigeria for The Renewed hope initiative of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Dr Jumoke Aborode said the initiative will be replicated in all the southwest states and across the nation.
Aborode hinted that the VAT Direct Initiative (VDI) has earlier been flagged off by the Federal Government few months ago in Lagos.
“We have flagged off the Contact and Mobilisation Committee in Ondo State and we are still going round all the states in the southwest to sensitize people, to let them know that we want to say no to multiple taxation.”
She appreciated the leadership of FIRS and the joint tax board including the MATAN particularly , Ambassador Kunle Johnson who she said has moved southwest to greater heights in the project.
She hinted that the federal government has put in place enforcement agents comprising of the NBA, Inspector General of Police and all other enforcement agencies as part of the project, calling on the Ondo state people to embrace the project.
Representative of Hausa Community trade market Association in Ondo State, Alhaji Ismaila Gambo, described the gesture as a good development which will go a long way to develop the state as done in Lagos State.
Representative of Association of All Women Chiefs in Akoko, Chief Mrs Grace Animola, observed the initiative as a way to eradicate multiple taxation and to enhance loan and financial help to the people thereby alleviating their sufferings.
The Steering Committee Chairman of VAT Direct initiative for Ondo State, Pastor Mrs Yinka Odedele, according to her, different strata heads of economic professionals are engaged in the project which President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has brought to the country to eradicate multiple taxation.
“This is going to ensure that the tax being collected from our people has a direct place that it is going to, not that they are being duped or there is any hanky panky game in between and the benefits of paying this tax will be going back to them and some of our youths will have opportunity of being employed to serve as collectors which will bring a lot of development into our community,” she stated.
Southwest Project Coordinator for the Association of Female Artisans Worldwide, Mrs Patience Aarinola Adamolekun said:
“We need to bring people together so that they will hear directly from us and would go back to their community to pass the message across.”
“As registered enumerators, they will be paid directly by the federal government and as many that are tax payers, whenever they fall sick which no one can rule out, when they get to the hospital, they will just show their tax card which will be in form of normal ATM card once they show it there, there is a number there that contains their details, so the federal government will be indirectly responsible for their bills.
“So indirectly, it is going to encourage people to get something from the government,”
Adamolekun affirmed that VDI will empower traders who also work to end multiple taxation, adding that It will actualize a social contract between the people and the government to make them enjoy government care in form of health, grants, loans among others.
“They should cooperate with our president and for this renewed hope initiative, everybody will smile at the end of the day.
” Let them just cooperate and do as we are being told, we all will laugh at last”, she stated.
Deputy Woman Leader AOFAW Ondo State, Alhaja Iyiola Fausat Ibironke in her opinion, said “The federal government now see that all these multiple tax is not allowing the market traders to achieve what they are supposed to achieve.”
The project, she further stated would avoid illegal collection and proper management of tax payment for the benefit of the masses.
” We are now paying into one account in which the federal government will share it according to what we need like hospitals, education and infrastructure that people will enjoy.”
She appealed to people to cooperate with government so that they can enjoy what they are paying for.
