Worried by non-passage of the pending Bill at the National Assembly to give constitutional backing to the Elite Sheriff Corps (ESC) over 10 years after it was established as a tax enforcement agency of the federal government, operatives of the corps have urged the 10th Senate to expedite action for the Bill to become law.
Addressing journalists in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom state capital on Wednesday, South South commander of the corps, Victor Eshiet said the inability to secure a legal status for the corps has resulted in the slow pace of prosecuting tax defaulters.
He explained that the primary duty of the agency was to assist federal government through the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to check individuals and corporate bodies who default in tax remittance.
“This is an organization that the whole nation is aware of by name Elite Sheriff Corps formed since 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,” he stated.
The Bill to establish the corps has gone through the second reading at the 10th Senate, he said. He urged the Senate president Godswill Akpabio, to expedite action to ensure that “the Bill does not suffer the same fate as it were the hands of previous lawmakers.”
The corps was formed in 2010 without a legal backing to formalise its operations.
While congratulating senator Akpabio, the zonal commander appealed for quick passage of the bill for President Bola Tinubu, whom they also congratulated as a development -oriented leader, to sign into law.
He said, “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 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.
“Even though we are not being use by the state government to actualize our aim, we are hopeful that with what is on ground, in a few months, so many states will start making use of us.
“We are happy when we received the news of 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 concern to send our congratulatory message to him and other elected representatives.
“ We also wish that the media should project the image of the organisation positively since it is not a hidden organization and not a private organization. It’s being operated in all the 36 states and Abuja,” he said.
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