Heavy Taxation: Ini Ememobong Talking As If We Are All Fools – Clifford Thomas … Says Transporters Free To Quit Unions
By UbongAbasi Ise
The recent radio comment by the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Comrade Ini Ememobong, in defense of the state government over the taxation crises rocking the transport sector has drawn the ire of the Akwa Ibom State-based legal practitioner and human rights activist, Barr. Clifford Thomas.
Comrade Ememobong received knocks earlier today from Barr. Thomas over his claims that the state government has no hand in daily taxations of the transporters while shifting blames to the transport union executives.
In the Passion FM’s morning programme which was monitored by our correspondent in Uyo today, Barr. Clifford Thomas, who featured as a guest, expressed surprise that the Information Commissioner is speaking as if the public is unaware of the state government’s open declaration of waiver on all levies in the state, wondering where the transport unions derive their powers to sabotage the good intention of Governor Udom Emmanuel.
“I am surprised that a man who is respected, an eloquent person like the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Ini Ememobong, who is my very good friend and comrade is speaking like he thinks we are all fools. No, we’re not fools; if he is speaking to reveal the official position of the government, then the position is that there was tax waiver.
“He is saying that the government has chosen not to collect its own part of what was paid. When did the union start collecting daily levies? Are we ameliorating the suffering of the people on one hand, and then increase their suffering on the other hand?
“The union used to collect dues of N200 every month. How come that the union is now mandated to collect dues every day? It is criminal; the purport of it is to disenfranchise these people economically and ostracize them socially. And we are saying it is wrong,” he slammed.
The tough-talking human rights lawyer said the initiative to waive all taxes originated from the Federal Government but domiciled in all the states of the federation in order to stimulate the economy. He maintained that there was no dichotomy on which levy to pay or not to pay.
“The government came out and announced a tax holiday. The tax holiday was not just an Akwa Ibom thing; it was a federal government thing and all the state governors. But we are not hearing that governors from other states are still collecting monies through the unions. The pronouncement was made in tandem with the aspiration of the federal government to help create a local stimulus since the government cannot give money to the artisans, the transporters, the traders and the rest. The government now say what you have been paying don’t pay again, and it was not what you would’ve paid to us, pay them to the union,” he explained.
Mr. Thomas while further said that commercial transporters in the state have rights not to belong to any union if the association is not beneficial.
“If it is a union thing, then the union members should extricate themselves from that relationship since it is an abusive one. By virtue of Chapter 4 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, freedom of association is hereby guaranteed. I choose to belong to any union or not to belong provided I’m not against the law. If a sub-law of the nation whether it is the regulation of state or the Ministry of Transport; whether it is the law of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly or an Act of the National Assembly, it is in direct conflict with any provision of the Constitution, and it shall to the extent of that inconsistency, remain null and void; Section 1 (3 ) of the 1999 Constitution guarantees that. If they want to force people into union, you can go to court to challenge it,” he said.
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The recent radio comment by the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Comrade Ini Ememobong, in defense of the state government over the taxation crises rocking the transport sector has drawn the ire of the Akwa Ibom State-based legal practitioner and human rights activist, Barr. Clifford Thomas.
Comrade Ememobong received knocks earlier today from Barr. Thomas over his claims that the state government has no hand in daily taxations of the transporters while shifting blames to the transport union executives.
In the Passion FM’s morning programme which was monitored by our correspondent in Uyo today, Barr. Clifford Thomas, who featured as a guest, expressed surprise that the Information Commissioner is speaking as if the public is unaware of the state government’s open declaration of waiver on all levies in the state, wondering where the transport unions derive their powers to sabotage the good intention of Governor Udom Emmanuel.
“I am surprised that a man who is respected, an eloquent person like the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Ini Ememobong, who is my very good friend and comrade is speaking like he thinks we are all fools. No, we’re not fools; if he is speaking to reveal the official position of the government, then the position is that there was tax waiver.
“He is saying that the government has chosen not to collect its own part of what was paid. When did the union start collecting daily levies? Are we ameliorating the suffering of the people on one hand, and then increase their suffering on the other hand?
“The union used to collect dues of N200 every month. How come that the union is now mandated to collect dues every day? It is criminal; the purport of it is to disenfranchise these people economically and ostracize them socially. And we are saying it is wrong,” he slammed.
The tough-talking human rights lawyer said the initiative to waive all taxes originated from the Federal Government but domiciled in all the states of the federation in order to stimulate the economy. He maintained that there was no dichotomy on which levy to pay or not to pay.
“The government came out and announced a tax holiday. The tax holiday was not just an Akwa Ibom thing; it was a federal government thing and all the state governors. But we are not hearing that governors from other states are still collecting monies through the unions. The pronouncement was made in tandem with the aspiration of the federal government to help create a local stimulus since the government cannot give money to the artisans, the transporters, the traders and the rest. The government now say what you have been paying don’t pay again, and it was not what you would’ve paid to us, pay them to the union,” he explained.
Mr. Thomas while further said that commercial transporters in the state have rights not to belong to any union if the association is not beneficial.
“If it is a union thing, then the union members should extricate themselves from that relationship since it is an abusive one. By virtue of Chapter 4 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, freedom of association is hereby guaranteed. I choose to belong to any union or not to belong provided I’m not against the law. If a sub-law of the nation whether it is the regulation of state or the Ministry of Transport; whether it is the law of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly or an Act of the National Assembly, it is in direct conflict with any provision of the Constitution, and it shall to the extent of that inconsistency, remain null and void; Section 1 (3 ) of the 1999 Constitution guarantees that. If they want to force people into union, you can go to court to challenge it,” he said.
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