Former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Michael Kaase Aondoakaa, SAN, has laid out how he believes Benue State can recover from its economic troubles, arguing that growth depends on tackling insecurity and easing the burden on traders.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Political Paradigm last night, Aondoakaa discussed revenue generation, insecurity and the decline of commercial activity in parts of the state. He said good governance means creating conditions in which people can produce, trade and prosper, rather than extracting more money from an already impoverished population.
One-Point Tax Payment
On taxation, Aondoakaa argued that high levies drive businesses away. “When you lower taxes, people pay more; when you hike taxes, businesses run away,” he said.
He proposed a simplified, one-point payment system to spare traders from paying multiple levies at different checkpoints.
“If you buy something in Jato-Aka and the local government issues you a tax receipt after payment, you should be free to transport those goods out of Benue without being subjected to another tax on the same goods by the state government.”
Insecurity and the Economy
Aondoakaa linked the state’s finances directly to its security situation.
“Benue is an agrarian state. Our economy depends heavily on farmers, traders, transporters and the thousands of people whose livelihoods revolve around agricultural production and commerce.”
According to him, when insecurity drives farmers from their farms, it displaces families, cripples markets, reduces trade and shrinks government revenue.
He cited the Zaki-Biam yam market, which he said once loaded about 200 trucks of yams daily but now struggles to load even 10.
Security First
Observers of the interview noted that Aondoakaa’s central argument was that security, agriculture, commerce and revenue are interconnected. Farmers cannot work from internally displaced persons’ camps, traders cannot do business in communities they fear to visit, and the government cannot maximise revenue from abandoned farms and declining markets.
He stressed that the state’s goal should not simply be to collect more money, but to build an environment where economic activity thrives, revenue collection is transparent, and government earns more because its people are doing more business.
Aondoakaa said Benue needs a government that will restore security, reopen farming communities, revive markets, encourage investment and build a transparent revenue system that rewards enterprise rather than punishes it.