Kogi House of Assembly has passed a bill to harmonise rates and levies collectable as Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) by Local Government Area councils in the state.
The bill was passed on the floor of the house at plenary on Thursday in Lokoja after going through the three legislative stages.
The development followed adoption of the report of the house standing committee on Commerce and Industry on the bill, read on the floor by the committee chairman, Alhaji Jamiu Ajayi (PDP-Okehi).
Ajayi underscored the necessity of the bill saying it would provide the legal framework for collection of rates and levies with a view to harmonising the operations in the 21 local areas of the state.
He noted that hitherto, levies were collected haphazardly as the rates were left to the whims and caprices of the various councils who charged arbitrarily.
Ajayi stressed that taxes were necessary oil that enables the smooth running of the engine of government for socio-economic advancement of the state.
The legislator observed that no government could perform adequately without the citizens making their contributions in meeting their tax obligations as stipulated by law.
He however added that in determining when and how much should be paid, due cognizance of certain indices and situations must be taken to avoid unpleasant situations hence the need for the bill.
Majority Leader of the house, Alhaji Yakubu Yunusa moved for the adoption of the report and dissolution of the house into a Committee of the Whole for clause-by-clause consideration of the bill.
The Speaker, Alhaji Momoh-Jimoh Lawal in his progress report from the Committee of the Whole said the bill was matured for the third and final reading for passage and subsequently, passed it.
(NAN)
I agree with you to a certain extent as you’ve tried in making students see why they shouldn’t rely on their certificates alone, but I shall never regret being a social scientist in the making. I know that the impact of science & technology in human society can never be overemphasized; however, rapid development in society lies in the accurate reports from social researchers.
It should also be noted that if you’re thinking of making ends meet, that lies in the hands of the supreme creator, though we ought not to fold our arms.
Personally, I would have regretted if I were to be studying any other course today. I’m happy as a student of Mass Communication, though it is one of the most widely-underrated courses. I’m happy because I have numerous areas out of which I can be a specialist in one or two. They include: Public relations, advertising, photography, film production, radio journalism, book publishing, etc. In fact, I may decide to delve into acting. All these are being inculcated into me as a student of Ahmad Bello University, Zaria. Moreover, the courses I’ve taken here on entrepreneurship have opened my mind to look for gaps in my immediate environment & then make attempt to fill them.
Before you end up getting frustrated, think of structural functionalism which argues that everything in society, be it abstract, concrete, positive or negative, has a function. So, social sciences is not an exception. If there were no crimes, where what percentage of our security personnel do you think would have been in the service?