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NEC raises panel to resolve Tinubu, Ogunlewe rift
Yomi Odunuga, Abuja
The National Economic Council has set up a committee to resolve the differences between the Minister of Works, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe; and Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu of Lagos State.
NEC, which comprises the 36 governors and chaired by Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, also directed some states and local governments areas to remit to the Federation Account about N6.7 billion being the total amount of withholding tax, Value Added Tax and other taxes yet to be remitted by them.
Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Agagu, who briefed State House correspondents on the outcome of the council�s meeting in Abuja on Thursday, added that NEC was briefed by the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Tafa Balogun, on efforts being made by him to stop illegal collection of tolls and levies on federal highways.
Agagu said that about 1,002 people, including 860 policemen had been arrested while about N350, 600 was recovered from them.
Agagu, who was accompanied to the briefing by his Benue State counterpart, Chief George Akume, said the council noted that the face-off between Tinubu and Ogunlewe was capable of threatening the peace and security of the nation.
He said, �Another matter that was discussed is the issue of the seemingly perpetual face-off between the government of Lagos State and that of the Federal Government over a number of issues. Several cases are in court between the two tiers of government and the council felt that this is not healthy for the nation.
�At the initiative of the Federal Government, a proposal was brought to council that a committee should be formed between the Federal and Lagos State governments to amicably resolve all these disputes and cases be withdrawn from the courts for the sake of peace in Nigeria and to ensure that the polity is not unnecessarily heated up�.
In line with the agreement, Agagu said that the Federal Government had set up an eight-member ministerial committee to meet with the one that will be set up by the Lagos State Government with the aim of finding a lasting solution to the crisis.
He hinted that the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Chief Femi Pedro, might chair the Lagos committee.
Members of the Federal Government committee, which will be chaired by the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Chief Akinlolu Olujimi, include Ministers of Finance (Ngozi Okonji-Iweala); Industries (Mogaji Mohammed); Communication (Cornelius Adebayo); Power and Steel (Liyel Imoke); Transport (Abiye Sekibo); Housing and Urban Development, (Mobolaji Osomo); and Ogunlewe.
On why the cases should be withdrawn from the courts, Agagu said, �This is a civil matter. So, the normal process of settling civil matter is progressing.
�If they (committees) can resolve it (the controversy) between themselves, the better. If not, the normal thing is to get an arbitrator. If that is not possible, we can then opt for the court to settle it.
�But we are optimistic that by the time the two sides sit together, there will be amicable solution.�
The governor also spoke on the remittance of the taxes owed by some states, disclosing, �One, for sometime dating back to more than five years, there had been some amounts being owed by the state governments and local governments both from withholding taxes and Value Added Tax that had been collected at state and local government levels, which ought to have been remitted to the Federation Account for sharing in the normal way that the Federation Account monies are shared amongst the three tiers of government.
�And in pursuant of its determination to be transparent, to be efficient, the present administration has insisted that everybody, including the three tiers of government, has to be a good corporate citizen of this country.
�We took a decision some months back that whosoever was owing should be identified, accounts reconciled between the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission and then decisions taken as to when and how monies owed will be paid.
�A final reconciliation was presented to council today and a decision was taken that payment must be made both for monies that had been owed in the past.
�Those payments must be made within the next 12 months so as to ensure that states don�t get crippled if such debts are removed at once from source and that henceforth we all pledged to remit as at when due and that if any state fails to do so within six months, there will be compulsory deductions from its share of the Federation Account automatically.�
The NEC also directed the RMAFC to submit the final report of the new revenue formula to President Olusegun Obasanjo so it can be forwarded to the National Assembly before its next meeting.
�We were briefed by the RMAFC as to the progress it has made in the suggested amendments to that formula that will constitute a bill to the National Assembly and we all resolved that this long-standing issue should be finalised as quickly as possible,� the governor said.
�And RMAFC was mandated to submit its final report to the President en-route the National Assembly before the next meeting of NEC,� he added.
The PUNCH, July 02, 2004
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As at Thursday, July 1, 2004
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8,265
8,250
8,235
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N170.00 |
+150k |
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N22.20 |
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N63.46 |
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