Politics

Autonomy: 9th Kwara Assembly must resist executive attempt to increase tax – Speaker

 

Stories by Mumini Abdulkareem

Speaker, Kwara State House of Assembly, Dr Ali Ahmad has charged the incoming lawmakers elected on the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC) not to allow the next executive increase tax rate in the state.

The speaker noted this during the commencement of a three-day seminar for local government functionaries in the state organised by the All Local Government Organisation of Nigeria (ALGON) in conjunction with Quality Plus Consulting and Training Services, held at Whitefield Hotel, Ilorin.

Ahmad who said Kwara has achieved full autonomy, urged the lawmakers to reject any increase in tax payment as representatives of the people and reflective of what they are passing through.

He further urged them to stop the executive from over borrowing to guard against overbearing debt burden.

“When the executive wanted to raise tax rate to increase revenue, the House of Assembly said no after it was rejected by our people and up till today, there is no increase in the payment of taxes in the state. “I am appealing to those incoming members of the House of Assembly to have the interest of the people at heart. The executive would want it because they want more money, but the people don’t want it, they should not let any executive increase tax rate.

“Another thing that was achieved through legislative autonomy was the refusal to allow executive take loans that cannot be paid within their tenure. Kwara State is still paying some debt that was borrowed in 1970. The executive came but we said no. So I am appealing to the incoming legislators not to allow the government to over borrow. Our debt is just about N30b compare to other states like Osun which is about N300b”, he noted.

According to him, the 9th National Assembly should grant local government legislative autonomy to improve governance at the grassroots level,

On the possibility of the next executive sacking council chairmen, Ali Ahmad warned of the consequences to the state adding that the Supreme Court has settled the constitutionality of such action.

“A lot of them (local government chairmen) have been asking me that once this government comes, it will push them out and I said that is not possible.

“He has two choices which is either to use brutal forces to kick them out which will set a bad precedent for him as a lawless governor and secondly going by the establishment of the Supreme Court last month, an elected governor cannot abridge the tenure of elected local government chairmen. But if he (Governor-elect) does that, it means he is scuttling the constitution he swore to protect and it is Kwara State that will suffer because he will pay those sacked for doing nothing and also pay the existing ones. Such option is double negative for the government”.

Earlier in his remarks, the Chief Executive Officer of Quality Plus Consulting and Training Services, Hon Isiaka Mogaji said the idea of the seminar was borne out of observed dearth of requisite competence by counsellors in the state based on interactions with some of them. He added that the seminar will upscale the local government functionaries in the art of governance and effective service delivery.

Other dignitaries who attended the programme included Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and Community Development, Alhaji Habib Saidu, Chairman Local Government Service Commission, Hajia Sarat Adebayo, Prof Hassan Soliu, House Leader, Dr Hassan Oyeleke, ALGON Chairman, Hon Joshua Omokanye and Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Hajia Habibat Katibi.

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