Operatives of Elite Sheriff Corps have urged members of the 10th National Assembly to facilitate and expedite action to accelerate the bill process to legalize their status as soon as possible.
Speaking with newsmen in Uyo on Thursday, the South-South commander of the Corps Commander Victor Eshiet said the corps was formed in 2010 without legal backing to formalise their operations.
Eshiet while fielding questions from Journalists explained that the inability to secure legal status for the corps has resulted in the slow pace of prosecuting tax defaulters.
He recalled that the primary duty of the corps was to assist the federal government through Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to check individuals and corporate bodies who refused to remit their taxes and prosecute them in line with extant laws.
“This is an organization that the whole nation is aware of by the name Elite Sheriff Corps formed in 2010.
“By the grace of God, we are fighting for official recognition our aim and responsibility is mainly to assist the federal and state governments in the collection of tax in Nigeria.
The South/South Commander of the Corps disclosed that the bill to establish it has gone through second reading in the 10th Senate urging the senate president Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio to expedite action to ensure that the bill does not suffer the same fate in the hands of previous lawmakers in the previous national assembly.
While congratulating Akpabio, the zonal commander appealed for quick passage of the bill for President Bola Tinubu to sign it into law.
“We are not a conventional security outfit; we are just meant for that and by the grace of God our Bill is with the Senate now. After the last reading, there will be a public hearing after which it will be passed into law before it will be sent to Mr President for Assent.
“For now we felt it’s necessary to extend our appreciation and Thanks to one of our own Godswill Akpabio who is now the Senate President and also to our State Governor Pst Umo Eno.
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“Even though we are not being used by the state government to actualize our aim, we are hopeful that with what is on the ground, in a few months, so many states will start making use of us.
“We are happy when we received the news of the election as the Senate President. It is an advantage to us. Even though the organization is nationwide, we cannot remain silent as Akwa Ibom State is concerned to send our congratulatory message to him and other elected representatives.
“We also wish that the media should project the image of the organization positively since it is not a hidden organization and not a private organization. It’s being operated in all 36 states and Abuja.”
He observed that one of the setbacks for the corps was poor handling of administrative issues as the former National Officer of the organization purposely refused to project it as expected until the position was taken away from him.
“In a way, he wanted to take the organization as his private security guard which was not the aim of the organization.
“The next person came and took over and presented all the documents to the National Assembly, unfortunately, we missed him because not quite long he passed on.
“The new national officer is making sure that the organization is recognized and passed into law”
He requested the Akwa Ibom state government to engage the corps to monitor the pilfering of some state facilities such as road manholes and other facilities while waiting for the National Assembly to formalise their status.
“Even the state government can make use of us to assist in collecting taxes and secure their infrastructures.
“The purpose of establishing the organization is to engage our young people to have something doing so if they don’t make use of us we will have nothing to sustain us ” he said
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