By Chizoba Ogbeche
As controversies continue to trail the non-inclusion of natives in the reconstituted FCT Board of Internal Revenue Service, the indigenous youth have laid the blame for their exclusion on the National Assembly.
The youth, under aegis of Abuja Original Inhabitants Youth Empowerment, accused the Assembly of not having the interest of Abuja natives at heart before passage of FCT Board of Internal Revenue Service 2015 Act.
A press statement by the group which stressed that the recently reconstituted FCT Internal Revenue Board Service was carried out in line with 2015 Act, accused the National Assembly of not accommodating the interest of Abuja natives as board members before passing the bill into law.
While exonerating the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello, of any blame as specified in the FCT Internal Revenue Service Act, 2015, the statement signed by President of the group, Commander Isaac David, noted that Bello implemented what he inherited from his predecessor.
The statement read in part: “My organisation will not be party to those calling for the head of the FCT Minister for non-inclusion of indigenous people of Abuja in the just reconstituted Board of Internal Revenue Service. The Minister acted in line with the Act that establishes the Board which he inherited.
“To be specific, FCT Internal Revenue Service Act, 2015 states in part, ‘the Chairman of the Service who shall be experienced in taxation as Chairman of the Service to be appointed by the minister of the FCT, subject to the approval of the National Assembly; the FCT Director of Treasury who shall be the Deputy chairman of the Board.
“One representative each not lower than a Director from the following departments of the Federal Capital Territory Administration: (1) the Department of Legal Services, (2) Department of Lands, Planning and Survey, (3) Department of Area Councils, (4) Abuja Infrastructure and Investment Company, (5) Department of Economic Planning, Research and Statistics, and (5) Department of Public Enlightenment.
“Six persons from the six geopolitical zones, who shall be members of relevant professional body and knowledgeable in tax matters, to represent public interest, and two of whom shall be women.”
David added: “With this enabling Act, it will be unfair of any person or group of persons to blame the FCT Minister for non-inclusion of Abuja natives as board member. Rather, the blame should go to the lawmakers who fail to recognise us as one of the states of the federation.
David, therefore, canvassed for more representation of FCT indigenes at both chambers of the National Assembly for fairness and equity.
