KANO TRICYCLISTS IN PERSPECTIVE

KANO TRICYCLISTS IN PERSPECTIVE
                            By
           Nurudeen Daudada
          January 11, 2022
nurudeendauda24@yahoo.com
nurudeendauda24@gmail.com
nurudeendauda.blogspot.com

The Kano State Road Transport Agency (KAROTA) has been having a running battle with tricycles operators in the state. The current issue is on the payment of N8,000 as Annual Renewal Operating Permit. The operators are on "one week long strike" to "resist" the renewal of their operating permit.

In February, 2021 they had a disagreement with KAROTA on the payment "mode" of hundred naira (N100) daily levy for the operators which led to three days long strike action before the issue was resolved.The government then required that the payment through REMITA to enable data capture by its revenue board.

In my thought, there is absolutely nothing wrong in paying taxes as long as the government will use it for the development of the state. Tax payment is a civil duty for the citizens in returns for public service delivery. Public goods are provided using tax payers' money. All we need to ask for, in my view, is judicious use of our taxes. 

The people of Kano state, in view of the massive infrastructural developments being undertaken in the state from the days of Governor Rabi'u Musa Kwankwaso to the now Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje have certainly no reason to reject a fair tax payment.

The government of Kano state in particular and  other states in general must do more in the areas of Internally Generated Revenues. In my observation, the Economic Confidential Annual State Viability Index (ASVI) 2020 Ranking of states by Internally Generated Revenues(IGRs) compared to their Federation Account Allocations (FAAC) showed that Kano state needs to do more in IGR. The results for Kano was far below its potentials. See www.EconomicCofidemtial.com 2020 report.

However, it was not only Kano state that did not do well in the report, but virtually all the states in the federation. It is quite unfortunate to note that 99% of the state governments including the so-called oil producing states rely on FAAC allocation for their survival. Unless and until we make serious effort in changing the status quo we will have a long way to go. It is an economic suicide for us to continue to rely on a volatile commodity for our survival.

Out of the six states in the north east geo-political zone only Gombe and Bauchi states have up to 11% IGRs compared to their FAAC allocation. Out of the six states in the north central only Kwara and Plateau states have above 20% IGRs compared to their FAAC allocation. Out of seven states in the north west only Kaduna and Zamfara states have above 20% IGRs compared to their FAAC allocation. In the said report Kano state got only 18% of their FAAC allocation which was behind Kaduna state 40% and Zamfara state 22% despite all its potentials. 

Similarly, out of the six states in the south -south; Bayelsa, Cross Rivers and Akwa Ibom states got less than 20% IGRs compared to their FAAC allocation. Out of the five states in south east only Anambra and Enugu states got more than 20% IGRs compared to their FAAC allocation. 

On the other hand, the most performing geo-political zone was south west. Out of the six states only Ekiti state got below 25% IGRs compared to their FAAC allocation in the 2020 report. 

No doubt some states are fairly doing well in terms of IGR from the report. Lagos in south west; Rivers in South south ; Anambra in South East ; Gombe in North East; Kwara in North Central ; and Kaduna in North West are the best performing states in the report.

Doing more does not mean increasing taxes. We do not need to increase taxes to boost our respective IGRs, but we certainly need to improve on our respective IGRs. All we need to do is to digitalize our "methods" of collection and expand our taxes drag net. Other critical areas that boost revenue are Business and Land reforms.

My humble advice to state governments is for judicious utilazation of tax payers' money in order to increase public zeal for the performance of their civil duties.

May God bless Nigeria!

Popular posts from this blog

ISRAEL V. PALESTINE :THE HYPOCRISY OF TWO STATES SOLUTION

ISRAEL V. PALESTINE :THE HYPOCRISY OF TWO STATES SOLUTION                             By:                 Nurudeen Dauda                October 19, 2023 nurudeendauda24@yahoo.com nurudeendauda24@gmail.com nurudeendauda.blogspot.com "The hottest place in Hell is reserved for those who remain neutral in times of great moral conflict"-Martin Luther King, Jr. Permit me to add my voice on the ongoing massacre of women, children, and armless civilians in Palestine. In my thought, it is not about who triggers the present massacre of the Palestinians , but it is time to talk about the 76 years of massacre of women, children, and the armless civilians of Palestine by the state of Israel which is being watched helplessly by the entire world. Before 1948, the Jews worldwide lived predominantly outside Palestine.They lived predominantly in easter...
Read more

INDEPENDENT CANDIDACY ON THE WAY

INDEPENDENT CANDIDACY ON THE WAY                                By:                          May 19th, 2023 nurudeendauda24@yahoo.com nurudeendauda24@gmail.com nurudeendauda.blogspot.com Barring any last minute changes a "bill" for the recognition of an independent candidacy will be transmitted to Mr president for his "assent". In my thought, if the "bill" is finally "signed" into law it will largely "checkmate" the "excesses" of "governors" and "moneybags" politicians who often denied "credible" candidates "tickets"in order to pave ways for their "anointed" ones no matter their weaknesses. In our modern day politics, we have had enough cases where "credible", "competent", and "popular" candidates loss primary elections due to lack of "money" or "godfather" or state governor's anointment.  In my thought, allowing independent...
Read more

ZAINAB'S ORDEAL: A CASE OF INSTITUTIONAL WEAKNESSES

ZAINAB'S ORDEAL: A CASE OF INSTITUTIONAL WEAKNESSES                         By              Nurudeen Dauda                May 5, 2019 nurudeendauda24@gmail.com nurudeendauda24@yahoo.com nurudeendauda.blogspot.com To begin with, there is now an alleged "drug cartel" in our airports which specialised in planting drugs on unsuspecting airtravellers. Of the six alleged members of the drug cartel arrested in connection with planting of Tramadol in a bag bearing Zainab Habibu Aliyu's name, three were said to be "clearing agents", two were said to be staff of a"security company" and one a staff of an "airline handling company". In my observation, the arrest of Miss Aliyu in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in respect of 2000 packs of "Tramadol" said to be found in a bag bearing her name has nothing , but succeeded in exposing our institutional weaknesses.Heads shoul...
Read more