“Nigerians are suffering and the little that they have, the federal government is planning to take back through VAT increment. This is wickedness,” says the loquacious Governor of Ekiti state, Ayodele Fayose.

The Governor, who stated this on Sunday, noted that the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration was ‘wicked and insensitive’ to the sufferings of Nigerians.

Speaking through his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, Fayose said that an increase in Value Added Tax (VAT) by five percent will be unbearable to Nigerians.

“Under three months, electricity tariff was increased despite epileptic power supply, N50 stamp duty was imposed on bank customers for money received into their accounts via electronic transfer, cash and cheques; petrol is being sold for as high as N400 per litre and now they are talking about increasing VAT to 10 per cent, this is the height of insensitivity to the plight of Nigerians.”

While decrying the increase in cost of living due to bad economic policies of the federal government, the Ekiti state governor said “how can government be considering 100 per cent increment in VAT when businesses are folding up, prices of essential commodities have skyrocketed, millions of Nigerians are losing their jobs and those who are still employed are no longer getting paid regularly.”

“For even contemplating the increment of VAT at this difficult time shows that the Buhari-led government does not care about the welfare of the citizens and only God will save the poor masses from the hands of this government.”

Fayose further stated that the Buhari administration was not only imposing hardship on the citizenry but is yet to show that it has any clue on how to revitalize the economy.

“As at today, the Buhari-led government is yet to show that it has any clue to the revival of the economy.”

Mazi Emeka