The Rivers State Governor, Mr Nyesom Wike, on Thursday signed into law bills on Value Added Tax (VAT) collection, and Open Grazing Prohibition in the state.
He also signed the Residents Registration Agency and the Naming and Renaming of Infrastructure Bills into law.
The Rivers State House of Assembly recently passed the four bills into law.
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Speaking at the ceremony in Government House, Port Harcourt, Wike stated that it was inimical to development and peace, for any state to condone opening grazing of cattle.
The governor said cattle rearing were an agricultural business and the law, which has specified ranching, was so intended in order to stem clash between herdsmen who go to destroy farmland, crops, and having problems with farmers that lead to fighting and killing of themselves.
He said, “It is no longer a story. All of us know what our people have suffered in terms of this open grazing. Today all Nigerians have come to accept the reality that open grazing is no longer fashionable. Even our brothers in the north have agreed that it is no longer fashionable.”
Wike insisted that the judgement of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt had sufficiently addressed the illegality perpetrated by the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS) on behalf of the federal government in the collection of VAT in states.
The governor stated that when agencies of the federal government are allowed to illegally demand and collect taxes meant for states to collect, they strangulate the states financially and turn them to be beggars.
Rivers State Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has signed the Open Grazing Prohibition Bill and the Value Added Tax (VAT) Collection Bill as well as the Residents Registration Agency and the Naming and Renaming of Infrastructure Bills into law.
The Rivers State House of Assembly recently passed the four bills into law.
Speaking at the ceremony in Government House, Port Harcourt, Wike stated that it was inimical to development and peace, for any state to condone opening grazing of cattle.
The governor said cattle rearing were an agricultural business and the law, which has specified ranching, was so intended in order to stem clash between herdsmen who go to destroy farmland, crops, and having problems with farmers that lead to fighting and killing of themselves.
He said, “It is no longer a story. All of us know what our people have suffered in terms of this open grazing. Today all Nigerians have come to accept the reality that open grazing is no longer fashionable. Even our brothers in the north have agreed that it is no longer fashionable.”
Wike insisted that the judgement of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt had sufficiently addressed the illegality perpetrated by the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS) on behalf of the federal government in the collection of VAT in states.
The governor stated that when agencies of the federal government are allowed to illegally demand and collect taxes meant for states to collect, they strangulate the states financially and turn them to be beggars.