Understanding Edo New Tax Administration (5)
|
By Erasmus Ikhide
 Published
June 16th, 2009
|
No doubts, Adams
Oshiomhole has started plugging the hole and
fixing the leakages in the system which PDP has
plunge the state over the years with harvest of
dumb promises. It should not complain about
Oshiomhole’s tardiness if ever there is any for
just six months in office for not being able to
fix the ruins they presided over for nearly 10
years! If nothing, Oshimohole has succeeded in
building the organic bonds of common identity,
restores peoples’ hope and confidence in
governance that they have seen as the oppressor
of the downtrodden.
With the current tax administration, the
government of Adams hopes to raise its
Internally Generated Revenue, IGR to N2 billion
monthly as against N400 million with all the
strategies put in place to block all the
loopholes in the system. One of the problems of
taxation in all the developing countries of the
world is one that is associated with getting the
generated funds to the right account of
governments for onward utilizations for the
public goods. But to build a truly sustainable
tax system that will drive taxation, revenue
generation and good governance towards
development of the state, Oshiomhole has opted
pragmatically for effective taxation in
accordance with the principle of taxation.
As it were, electoral corruption begets material
corruption; while the aspirations of the people
mean nothing in the agenda of the fraudulently
elected leaders. But I have said this repeatedly
that the good people of Edo State whose
legitimacy this government enjoys allows for
civic engagement and participation and a sense
of ownership of their government to pay their
taxes knowing that they would not be
shortchanged by the government of their Comrade
Governor. This is the moment of truth; and it is
the singular reason we need to cooperate with
this administration in this moment of mutual
responsibility in order to guarantee
economic-rebirth for our dear state.
To this end, the changes we can substantially
factor into the development of our Villages,
Towns and Cities will be visible and worthy of
the value we place on good governance through
sacrifices so that the greatest benefit can be
delivered to the greatest number of people.
Because of fraud elections in time past which
lead to corrupt governments where the will of
the people come last, if at all it comes, the
people never trusted or reposed confidence in
our leaders at the helm of affairs.
That story, at least in Edo State has changed.
The electorate and tax payers who have been
disenfranchised in the past have now been
enfranchised. They now see themselves as stake
holders in the affairs of governance in their
state; away from the given monarchy traditions
that were paraded as democracy where a few cabal
decide the fate of the majority. Our fate is now
in our own hands. So, it is very appropriate for
us to put our money where our mouths are.
The tax administration effort has started
yielding positive results. The well meaning
people of Edo State have responded positively in
spite of PDP’s several attempts to destabilize
the process in order to render the Comrade
Governor government unpopular. This well heeled
grandstanding campaign outfit could not find
pliant or willing people to dissuade from
committing themselves to their obligatory
responsibility that is the hallmark of
responsible citizen of any society.
The time-gaining device to return the people to
their unthinkable past for the consolidation of
un-gaining government has since fell in
disfavour with the people who have elected to
trust their destiny in the hands of one of their
own elected Comrade Governor. These
insignificant, but organised bands of exploiters
would not let up in their quest to undermine the
putative resolution of the people – a
reductionist tactics that has assumed a grand
art – laying claims to the people’s sovereign
rights to vote, and denying them their rights to
social amenities!
One expects them to be emotionally wrought with
revelation of their sordid past that has nearly
come to leave with us permanently. As the saying
goes, hate the sin but not the sinner has been
Oshiomhole’s approach to those who visited this
ruins on Edo people. Now, they forged a
reputation as the defenders of the same people
Oshiomhole has rescued from their banalities of
fraud, and from the clutches of poverty of the
mind with his mighty trumpet as a social
crusader and democrat.
The people of our dear state can now heave a
sigh of relief that their dreams have come true:
for they now have a state they can proudly call
theirs, holding their government accountable as
the government proceeds to fulfill her electoral
promise.
Erasmus Ikhide is a Senior Special
Assistance
Media Affairs to
Edo State
Governor, Comrade Adams
Oshiomnhole.
Join Nigerian Social Network!
|
|
|
|
