Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Ododo has ordered immediate stoppage of tax clearance certificates to enable students to register without bottlenecks.
Recalled that the Executive Chairman of Kogi State Internal Revenue Service, Alhaji Sule Salihu Enehe had issued a memo some week back ordering students to present tax clearance certificates as requirements for entry into the state-owned tertiary institutions.
The Chairman of Kogi State Internal Revenue Service, Alhaji Sule Salihu Enehe disclosed while addressing newsmen on Wednesday in Lokoja
He said the decision by the governor followed public outcry, said the administration will not inflict pain on the citizens
The Governor however urge citizens to pay their taxes and update their tax payment schedules
The KGIRS Chairman said it has started reaching out to tertiary institutions on the directives, said despite the stoppage, certain privileges and benefits will still be denied to students whose parents don’t pay their taxes.
“Payment of taxes is a constitutional responsibility of citizens, the governor has to intervene in the implementation of tax clearance certificate TCC which the Service has to immediately comply with.
“I urge taxable citizens to pay their tax liabilities as at when due to enable them to benefit from many laudable programmes of the government.
“As the people’s chief servants, he will not enunciate policies and programmes that will impose hardship on the people rather, he will implement programmes that will improve the economic fortunes of the people.
“The Governor promised to rule the state with the fear of God in order to justice the benevolence of God on him and the confidence the electorate reposed on him,” he said.
The Chairman reiterated the commitment and determination of the board to overshoot the 2025 target as management and staff have been adequately motivated to put in their best in the service of the board.
He disclosed that with the readiness of the service to go all hug to widen the tax net, and the cooperation of the citizenry to pay their tax obligations, the target would be met and even surpassed.
Enehe added that the target of 2022 was #23.2bn, paid #18.2bn 2023: #24.5bn- Generated#23.5bn. 2024: #30.2bn rake in #27.7bn, saying the Service has shown steady growth in revenue generation assuring that 2025 targets would be met.
He however warned illegal highway and mining sites tax collectors to desist henceforth or risk arrest and prosecution.
“We have made arrests and prosecutions. We have been inundated with complaints from the public about their return to the roads. We are even worried that some of them use security checkpoints as shields for their nefarious activities. We advise the security officers to assist the service by arresting them and hand over to the police for prosecution as their activities have been outlawed by the government,” he said.
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