#EndSARS: Senate Wants Affected States Compensated With 1% VAT, to Investigate Attacks by Hoodlums

Nigerian lawmakers are calling on the President Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government to allocate 1% of the Value Added Tax (VAT) as compensation to states affected by the massive violence and looting which occurred when miscreants hijacked the peaceful #EndSARS protest last month.

The senate said the allocation will ensure damaged properties in the affected states such as Lagos, Ondo, Cross River, and Akwa Ibom are repaired.

The upper chamber’s resolution was a sequel to motions moved by Abiodun Olujimi and Gershom Bassey.

Senator Bassey said the violence of October 24 was an invasion of the sovereignty of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which was premeditated, selective and targeted at highly valued Federal and State Government infrastructure and Federal Law Makers.

“Cross River State being a predominantly Civil Service State may not overcome the effects of the invasion since the destroyed state infrastructure were built from lean state resources over the years,” Bassey said.

The senators noted that private and public assets destroyed by hoodlums in Lagos were estimated to be in the region of over N1trn by the Governor of Lagos State Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

The Senate has however directed its committees on National Security, Defence, and Police to investigate the attacks by the hoodlums and proffer ideas on how to prevent a recurrence.

Lawmakers also urged the federal government to set up a visitation panel to assess the level of destruction of public and private assets in the affected states.

The senate’s resolution comes less than 24 hours after the UK parliament debated an e-petition seeking to impose sanctions on Nigerian Government officials involved in the alleged killing of peaceful protesters at the Lekki toll plaza on October 20.

By Abel Ejikeme

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