Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Usman Ododo has directed the immediate stoppage and reversal of Tax Clearance Certificates (TCC) of parents as one of the requirements for enrolling students in the state-owned tertiary institutions.
Chairman of Kogi State Internal Revenue Service (KGIRS), Alhaji Sule Enehe conveyed the Governor’s directive to the public during a media chat on Wednesday in Lokoja.
Enehe said the governor who gave the directive on Tuesday said that no student should be denied registration or enrollment in the state tertiary institutions over inability to produce parent’s TCC.
He said the governor’s pronouncement followed public outcry on the new policy which mandated students in Kogi-owned tertiary institutions to present their parents’ Tax Clearance Certificates as prerequisite for registration.
The policy generated widespread controversy with some public and civil society organisations faulting and describing it as an infringement on the fundamental human rights of the students to education.
The KGIRS Chairman however urged all taxable indigenes of the state to be prompt in the payment of their Personal Income Tax, saying that it was mandatory and legally provided for in the constitution.
He pointed out that tax payment was as old as man, adding that Section 24(f) of the Constitution mandated all taxable adults to pay tax to enable government meet its financial obligations.
Reiterating the need to pay tax, Enehe said, “Students may be denied some privileges if their parents are not paying tax. Their wards may not enjoy some privileges such as bursary allowance and others at some point.
“Today, Kogi has three universities in its bid to provide qualitative and affordable education at highly subsidised rate,” urging parents to pay their Personal Income Taxes to enable government provide social amenities.
On illegal tax collections, Enehe said the Service was not taking it lightly as it would continue to clamp down on illegal tax agents who issue illegally produced emblems and receipts and as well mount illegal road blocks on the highways.
He revealed that a number of staff of the Service who engaged in illicit and fraudulent activities have been fired, adding that 43 illegal tax agents have also been prosecuted so far.
Enehe noted that official collection processes had been digitised with the Service deploying modern technology to ease payment of taxes by business outfits and private individuals.
On performance of the Service so far, the chairman said the KGIRS raked in N17 billion in 2021; N18.2 billion in 2022; N23.5 billion in 2023; N27.7 in 2024 while N35.1 billion revenue is expected to be collected in 2025.
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