Niger Delta

Don’t impose unnecessary taxes on people, Oborevwori cautions LG chairmen

Local government area chairmen in Delta State have been called upon to check the activities of revenue collectors to reduce the burden of fuel subsidy removal on the people.

Governor Sheriff Oborevwori made the call recently when the state chapter of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), led by Victor Ebonka, paid him a courtesy visit at Government House, Asaba.

The governor said the people were facing hardship following the removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government and as such should avoid taxing the people more at this critical time.

Oborevwori said: “Funding remains a challenge in our local government areas. It is our hope that with the removal of the fuel subsidy, more monies will be accrued to the local governments and states.

“Until such happens, we urge you to be very prudent and creative in the management of your resources. Though taxes are pertinent sources of council’s revenue, I want to assure you that the conflicting issues and laws will be handled.

“With the hardship we are facing now occasioned by the subsidy removal, I want to appeal to you to talk to your people, your agents and tax collectors not to impose unnecessary taxes on our people.

“There are a lot of expectations from our people and at this time, we need to manage them considering the amount we are buying fuel now. We are looking for how we can provide palliatives for our people.”

The governor tasked the councils to take issues of environmental sanitation and sustainability serious, adding that “operation keep Delta State clean is a collective responsibility of all.

“In the remaining months of your tenures, one issue I want you to treat with urgency is sanitation. Last week, I went through the Warri/Effurun area, called on the chairmen of Warri and Uwvie local government areas and discussed with them.

“Every month you do your sanitation and there are provisions to do that; you must keep your environment clean. It is very important to educate our people on the benefits of keeping our environment clean,” the governor added.

He explained that his administration will collaborate with local government areas to pay the backlog of pensions owed local government retirees and retired primary school teachers.

Earlier, Ebonka said they were at Government House to formally congratulate Oborevwori on his emergence as governor and to formally pledge their loyalty to his administration’s M.O.R.E Agenda.

He appealed to the governor to look into conflicting laws regarding building permits, sanitation and wastes management, just as he lauded the governor for assisting them to work out modalities to defray pension liabilities owed local government pensioners and retired primary school teachers.

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