Ayodele Olalere
The Association of Local Government of Nigeria, ALGON, and FORUM Mobile Advert Practitioners, have partnered to fight against the menace of multiple taxation in Nigeria.
At the FORUM Confederations Meeting of the Ogun and Lagos stakeholders held at the Airport Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, on Friday, the President of FORUM Mobile Advert Practitioners, Otunba Mike Osimen Eboziegbe, said the issue of multiple taxation has become a menace which the association has been battling to tackle over the years.
He said with the coming on board of ALGON to partner with the association to eradicate the menace, the issue of multiple taxation in Nigeria will soon be a thing of the past.
The partnership followed a letter written by ALGON to the association, acknowledging the role FORUM had been playing in completing government’s efforts at solving multiple taxation.
” We are an association known to law and doing business with government. We have been able to establish our feet and prove we can take the central role. We will continue to engage in legitimate business and be at the center stage in the fight against multiple taxation,” he said.
He added: ” It suffices to say that multiple taxation is becoming a problem in Nigeria . You register yoir vehicles in Lagos but when you get to Calabar or Bayelsa , you are having issues. We must join government in fighting multiple taxation We are ready to partner with ALGON in ensuring this is achieve. The role of ALGON can not be over-emphasised.
FORUM is formidable and we will always play a central role together with ALGON so that there can be a seamless exercise.”
He enjoined all members of the association to ensure they abide with laid down rules of government by avoiding any illegality in their operations.
“Don’t venture into illegality. Let us do what is correct. We are going to work with ALGON to fight multiple taxation because this is what FORUM is known for. It’s a good thing to partner with a body like ALGON that oversee activities of local governments. All we need to do is to work with them.”
ALGON had in a letter dated June 30, 2021 and signed by it’s Director-General, Mrs Binta Bello given approval for FORUM to operates as it’s marketers of stickers.
The letter titled “Approval of FORUM of Mobile Advert Practitioners of Nigeria (FORUM) as authorised distributors and marketers of ALGON Rescue Security, Surveillance and Intelligence Stickers in support of the proposed National Anti-Multiple Taxation Scheme(NAMTAXS) and National Transit Insurance Scheme (NATIS)’ gives the association more power to operate in Lagos, and Ogun States, while approval for other 18 states is currently being processed.
At the meeting were the Executive Director,
Chief Richard Obeto, Secretary-General, Chief Bunmi Ekungba, Lagos and Ogun States Chairmen, Aluta Ayorinde and Alhaji Shittu, Chief Emeka Ugu and other major FORUM stakeholders, while the Director-General, Mr Andrew Oare and Austin Michael, Commander Against Multiplicity of Taxes, are currently in Abuja interfacing with the ALGON executives.
Otunba Mike also emphasised their next meeting comes up in Ibadan in two weeweeks
