Why Ogun joined fray on VAT, by Abiodun

Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has shed light on why the state joined other states in the fray to collect the Value Added Tax (VAT).
He said the administration decided to take advantage of the VAT controversy with the view to ensure Ogun gets a fair share from the money being generated from the system.

The governor stated this when he played host to members of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) in his office at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.

He explained that despite the huge revenue being generated from VAT, the state’s share does not reflect what it generates, insisting that the state’s action on the issue was to ensure fairness.

Abiodun urged the Institute to look at ways of partnering the state in the area of youth development, employment and empowerment. The ICAN President, Mrs. Comfort Olu Eyitayo, noted the exemplary leadership style of the governor, which she said, had impacted positively in the health, education, youth development and other sectors of the economy of Ogun State.

She said that the Institute would soon embark on accountability index assessment across the country. She, however, pleaded for the co-operation of the state ministries, departments and agencies to enable them place the state in its rightful position.

Eyitayo said the visit was part of the stakeholders’ engagement to reposition the institute to make it stand out as a foremost accounting professional body in the country.