Author: The Nation

 Sola Shittu, Gombe

THE meeting between Gombe State Governor Inuwa Yahaya and the National Visitation Team of Academic Staff Union of Universities, (ASUU) in Gombe on Wednesday ended in a stalemate as ASUU threatened to embark on total strike action if the government failed to yield to its demands.

Governor Yahaya had explained the poor financial status of the state, especially with the biting effect of COVID-19 pandemic on the economy.

The governor insisted that rather than ask for tax reduction from government, ASUU should educate its members on the need to pay their taxes because that is the only way the government can get fund to meet their demands.

“Nigeria will pass the next 10 more years in this trouble brought by COVID-19 pandemic because we don’t have the capacity to absorb the economic shock that set in with it. If we are to move forward, the state and the university must collaborate.

“On the issue of tax, if we do not have those taxes, how do we generate that money to do all the things you are asking for. On one side, you demand less tax which is even lesser than the one ASUU is charging, on the other you are demanding more money. It is a give-and-take issue. You need to educate your people that they need to pay taxes. If you pay your taxes, and you need to tax those of us in government to perform, if we don’t perform hang us,” he said.

The head of ASUU visitation team, Prof. Ade Adejumo said the union is familiar with all the issues the governor raised, “but we are still insisting that the government has not done enough and we hope that they will sit up and live up to the expectations of the people of the state.”

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He said the university can drive development in the state if it is properly funded.

“We held a Congress with our people and the resolution of the Congress is that they would need an action to drum home their demands. We have gotten promises from the government that they will do the needful in terms of proper funding of the university. They also acknowledged the fact that for years, in terms of capital development, the university has been neglected and they have also accepted the fact that there should be an intervention in terms of funding. We hope that they will live up to their promises,” he said.

The Chairman of ASUU, Gombe State University, Dr Lawal Oladimeji said: “So far the union has not agreed on anything with the state government and if the national body of the union gave the university go ahead, it will embark on indefinite strike action to press home its demands.”

According to him, the issues with the state government include those of inadequate funding of the university, excessive taxation, non-payment of accumulated academic allowances and the need to have training funds for the university through which members of academic staff will be trained to attain higher degree.

 Kolade Adeyemi, Jos

THE Plateau State Internal Revenue Service has expressed its readiness poised to generate over N21, 687,851,103 as its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) this year. Chairman of the Service Arlat Dasogot disclosed this to reporters on Wednesday.

According to him, the 2021 strategies and policy direction of the service will be in pursuant to section 40 of the Plateau State Consolidation Law 2020 in its efforts to meet the IGR target of N 21.6 billion through a strategy tagged “Explosive Revenue Drive “ERED 2021”

According to him, the explosive approach in 2021 IGR generation and collection includes massive taxpayers’ registration, increased revenue assessment; ensure revenue returns and notices, debt collection and recovery profiling, forensic investigation, enforcing tax clearance certificate, and full automation of all processes through technology, among others.

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Dasogot said these strategies would be purposeful and impactful, so much so that Plateau State with 4.39 million population with a projection of 1.56m taxable people captured, the service could make close to N30 billion.

He further explained that with the drop on crude oil prices that resulted in the drop of statutory revenue allocation to the state, taxation, charging fees, fines and levies for services and other forms of documentation have become a ready-made alternative sources of revenue.

“This, however, has become a challenge with the attendant lockdown and semi-lockdown across the states which tended to stifle economic activities.”

Dasogot stressed the need for the government and citizens to confront the current economic realities in a bid to evolve alternative sources of generating income.

Our Reporter

BENUE State Security Council has imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew in Ukum and Katsina-Ala local government areas as part of efforts to contain banditry, kidnapping and robbery and other criminal activities in the area.

Briefing reporters at the end of the meeting, the Deputy Governor Benson Abounu said the curfew remains in force from 8:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. daily.

He also stated that the council resolved to sustain the ban on the use of motorcycles of all kinds in the area, pending further review of the security situation.

Abounu, however, said movement of patients and expectant mothers among others would be allowed after thorough investigation.

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According to him, the council observed that motorcycle operators had migrated from areas affected by the ban to neighbouring rural communities where they cause mayhem, even as he urged security agents to intensify surveillance in those areas.

Abounu said the decision to ban the use of motorcycles in Sankera followed heinous attacks on residents in Ukum and Katsina-Ala which resulted in the death of many people, stressing that the ban is successful.

The Deputy Governor confirmed cases of burning of some motorcycles in Sankera by security agents, adding that the action was stopped immediately it was brought to the attention of the leadership of Operation Whirl Stroke.