Stop LGs from collecting radio, TV levies, RATTAWU tells FG

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(Nigeria) Radio, Television, Theatre and Art Workers Union, RATTAWU, on Monday urged the Federal Government to stop local government councils from collecting radio and television levies.
Speaking with NAN in Abuja, RATTAWU President, Mr Oluyemisi Bamgbose said that this will bring to an end the incessant harassment of citizens and motorists in the country.
He said it was wrong for the 1999 constitution to have empowered local government councils to collect the levies, saying that the constitution should be amended.
Bamgbose said that the 1979 constitution which metamorphosed into the 1999 constitution, gave the Post Office the responsibility to collect radio and television levies but later it became the prerogative of the Local Government Administration.
He observed that under the 1999 constitution, there was no addendum on the modalities for the distribution of  the revenues collected among broadcast stations in the country.
“Local government areas do not have any relevance on the issues bordering on collection of levies on the services provided by radio and television stations in the country. The Local Government has no single input into the broadcast industry in the country and all over the world, so for the constitution to allow it, we feel this is wrong.
``That is why the broadcast industry should have the constitutional power to collect the levies,  either through the National Broadcasting Commission or the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria,” he said.
Bamgbose noted that in countries such as the United Kingdom, United State, Canada and Ghana, among others, their broadcasting organisations collect these levies.
He explained that RATTAWU, being the umbrella union of all the radio and television workers, was clamouring for the amendment of  the constitution to reflect what should be.
``The process of amending the constitution is on now and that is why RATTAWU is agitating that the existing order changed constitutionally, to accommodate broadcast industries.''
He said that the union had written to the National Assembly and the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria since the issue is a constitutional matter.
He said that the union was planning to embark on a three-day warning strike to press home its demand adding that the Central Working Committee of the union would soon decide on a date  for the warning strike.
``We are calling on the Federal Government and the National Assembly  to reason with us and amend the constitution, so that it will accommodate radio and television license,‘’ he said

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