Delta Tax Bill: We Need Palliatives Not Tax – CSO

…Says Assembly Betrayed Public Trust

By Iteveh Ekpokpobe

The passage of the bill for the establishment of the Delta Revenue Service and Board without Public Hearing as demanded by Deltans, shows the State House of Assembly has lost it’s honor, a Civil Society Organisation has decried.

The Director General, Conference for the Actualisation of Human Rights, Barrister Omes Ogedegbe, in a statement issued in Warri, said they were shocked by the fact that the Deputy Speaker, Mr. Ochor Ochor who received them during their protest to the State Assembly Complex could not live up to his word of ensuring due process.

According to the group, “On the 12th of May, 2020, I was made to lead a protest to the Assembly Complex, by aggrieved Deltans demanding a Public Hearing of the bill.”

They said the passage of the bill was a total betrayal of the trust by the Deputy Speaker and extension the State Assembly, and have shown that the assembly was the “cacophony” of the State Governor.

“We were received by the honourable Deputy Speaker of the house who gave us his words that the house must consider the wish of Deltans for a public hearing to be held. Sadly, he has betrayed that trust and shown to us that the assembly is the cacophony of the governor.” They stressed.

In the same vein, the group stated that the State Government should be more concerned with ameliorating the effect of COVID-19 on the livelihood of Deltans than imposing tax laws on Deltans.

“The people need palliatives not tax. They have eaten up their business money as several businesses have closed up. We must come together to oppose this law it must not stand as it’s a violation of the constitution and a rape on our democracy.” The statement partly read.