The umbrella body of all sociocultural organizations in Ilorin Emirate, the Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union (IEDPU), has asked the Kwara state government to give its taxation policy a human face.
Speaking at the 52nd annual National Conference and Launching of 2018 Almanac of the organization in Ilorin on Monday, the national president of the organization, Alhaji Abdulhamid Adi, lamented that the government taxation policy was causing hardship to the residents.
The union, which particularly frowned at the use of consultants to drive the tax policy of the government, noted that it was at the economic detriment of the citizens.
The union also charged the newly inaugurated local government chairmen in the emirate to accord the welfare of local government workers top priority.
‘‘Once again ,we call on Kwara state government to give its taxation policy a human face as it is causing untold burden and avoidable hardship for our people. Payment of it is a primary responsibility of citizen ;government needs it to provide facilities to the citizens .However, it should be made payer –or citizen –friendly.
‘‘The use of consultants by government on surface, is not a bad idea. But if the negative side of it is more than the positive aspect, then it is good to go as a policy. Kwara state government should not, through acts of omission or commission, engage consultants from outside the state to the economic detriment of citizens of the state. It is like cutting one’s nose to spite one’s face .Any policy which does not empower the people ought to be thrown to the waste basket immediately’’, he said .
The chief launcher at the event, Barrister Hassan Ibrahim launched the union’ s Almanac with N5 million.
In his message to the conference, the senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki assured the people of the state of a new lease of life in the coming year.
Saraki who also launched the union’s almanac with the sum of N2million said he was aware of the economic hardship the people of the state were going through saying it would fizzle out in the new year.
He was represented at the occasion by a chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Alhaji Kawu Baraje.
Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara state who was represented by the Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Alhaji Musa Yeketi said the state recoded 64 per cent success in WAEC .
The governor who also launched the almanac with the sum of N1million, praised the IEDPU for its various skill and entrepreneurship under which several youths had been provided with vocational training.
‘‘To ensure their training is beneficial government will provide thses youths with SME funding ,on the phased basis, in order to start or expand their businesses .This is the most reliable empowerment we can provide them with’’, the governor said .
In his lecture, a retired Grand Kadi of Kwara State Sharia Court of Appeal, Justice Soliu Olohuntoyin Muhammad, declared that some perpetrators of ritual killings in parts of Ilorin, the state capital were not bona fide natives of the ancient city as being made to believe.
Muhammad disclosed that verifiable facts at his disposal indicated that the suspects were either dislodged from Lagos, Osun or Ogun States but sneaked into Ilorin without the citizens knowing about their illicit affairs.
The Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu- Gambari called for unity among the people of the emirate for progress and development to thrive in the emirate and the state as a whole
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