‘Only workers can pay tax’

By Boluwaji Obahopo

LOKOJA— All Progressives Congress, APC, in Kogi State, has said the state will continue to wallop in poverty and underdevelopment as long as Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, remains in power.

Speaking through one of its leaders, George Olummoroti, the party claimed that the PDP-led government has no clue on how to harness the abundant potentials in the state to improve the living condition of citizens, lamenting that the government had inflicted high level of poverty and collapse of infrastructure on the state.

Olumoroti, who spoke in Kabba, during a Sensitisation and Empowerment programme for people of the Western senatorial axis, said: “We have been talking and tackling the poverty rate of our people through our personal empowerment programmes because the rate of poverty is high.

“And the reason is lack of infrastructural development in the state; a situation that has also collapsed the economy of the state. Also, the PDP government has failed to look inward and generate revenue to address the plights of the people.

“All they do is to wait for the monthly allocation from the Federal Government; most of which is mismanaged or embezzled.”

… says APC is hope
He, however, said there was hope for the state if APC was voted into power saying “the APC leadership theory is that all elected officials under the party must remember that they have a responsibility to the people.

“APC has a robust knowledge on how to bring opportunity to farmers and businesses to revamp the economic sector of the state. The manifesto and system of the party make their governors and elected official under the party accountable to the people.”

He also said the party was not only out to take over power from PDP, but poised to change the economy of the state, noting that “there is a blueprint from the party on what to do to change the state’s status.

On natural resources
“Presently, there are 21 untapped natural resources in the state. When APC comes on board in 2015, we shall explore the resources to create job for the people and also make gain for the state.

“When people have jobs you can then ask them to pay tax. Someone who is not employed cannot pay tax.
“It is from tax that we will develop infrastructure, revamp its economy and the people can be rescued from poverty.”