Bad Governance Responsible For Coup D'tat in Africa - Okowa's EAC. ...Says Decentralization of VAT Collection Is A Step Towards Fiscal Federalism.

 By Wilson Macaulay

Warri

A member of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, NINA, and Executive Assistant to Delta State Governor on Communications, Dr Fred Latimore Oghenesivbe, has said that bad leadership by the political class is responsible for recent wave of coup d'etat in the continent of Africa.

He made the assertion while speaking as a guest of Galaxy TV public affairs live programme - Democracy And the Rule of Law, monitored on Sunday 26th September, 2021, in Lagos.

Oghenesivbe posited that some African presidents are still engulfed in looting, nepotism, ethnic colouration, religious sentiments and tribal bigotry, saying that such primitive mind set of leaders is regrettably impacting negatively on socioeconomic advancement and infrastructure development needed in the continent to alleviate poverty and raise the standard of living of the people.

Okowa's EAC further asserted that the APC national government under President Mohammadu Buhari, has been adjudged as  most primitive, clueless and insensitive to the plight of the people, since the advent of constitutional democracy in Nigeria.

 He accused the Buhari's administration of paying lip service to Boko Haram and the Mayetti Allah criminal groups, adding that while IPOB has been listed a terrorist group, Boko Haram and other criminal gangs in the North are merely referred to as bandits, a kind of selective justice known to Nigerians under APC national government.

The Justice of the Peace, JP,  warned that the future will remain dark and void due largely to President Buhari's lack of patriotic and political willpower to deal decisively with the Book Haram and Mayetti Allah Fulani Herdsmen criminal elements, adding that Nigeria has become a laughing stock in the international community because of the persistent decay in governance and reckless borrowings under the neocolonialism economic sabotage arrangements.

And on the ongoing battle between the federal and state governments on VAT collections, Oghenesivbe said States decision to collect VAT, especially in Southern Nigeria, is in line with the national debate on fiscal federalism, a starting point to attack and address grey areas in the nation's constitution, so as to enhance development and socioeconomic remodeling.

"African leaders must begin to look at themselves in the mirror, and tell themselves the truth about the cause of underdevelopment in the continent.

"Coup d'ats don't just happen, they are a produce of obvious or perceived bad governance; corruption, looting and primitive accumulation of wealth which subsequently gives birth to insurgency and overthrow of governments.

"I stand by the decision of the Southern Governors Forum, on States collecting VAT. It is a consumption tax generated at the state level and ought to remain with the state while certain small percentage goes to the federal government, where necessary.

"Some States in the Northern part of Nigeria, prohibits alcohol faik consumption under Sharia Law; but finds it holy to share from VAT collected from sale of alcohol in Southern Nigeria. Who does that? Things don't work that way. 

"This fallacy called "One Nigeria" may be forced to break into three or more sovereign entities if the drivers of our nation's affairs under APC national government deliberately ignore the obvious unbearable injustice entrenched in our constitution.

"The ongoing efforts by members of the House of Representatives to amend the constitution, so as to allow for decentralisation of VAT Collection is commendable. The Senate should emulate the green chambers on how to deal swiftly with pressing national issues," Oghenesivbe averred.