Jonathan asks Nigerians, Especially Political Opponents, to Pay their Taxes

President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has called on all Nigerians, especially the elite, to ensure that they remit their taxes to the Federal Government with integrity and transparency.

The President made the call whilst launching the National Tax Policy and the Unique Tax Identification Number (TIN) at the State House in Abuja yesterday.

The president said that it was those who were at the forefront of criticizing government and its policies that were not especially fond of paying their proper taxes.

The President said, “Overall, what we seek to achieve with the introduction of the National Tax Policy is to have a nation and a people who see taxation as a partnership with the government. Of course, in this country, most of the social critics who come on television and radio and talk in the newspapers don’t pay tax.

“If at all because they want to buy land or one thing or the other and the governors insist they must pay tax, they undervalue themselves. Somebody will be travelling abroad every month in first class, but the tax he will pay is not up to the tax a level four officer pays in government. In other countries, those are criminal offences, but here, such people are celebrated as heroes.”

He called on the FIRS boss, Ifueko Omoigu-Okauru to beam the organization’s spotlight especially on those who are vocal against government policy.

He said the aim of government was to create an economy that did not rely solely on oil wealth.

The President said, “Over and above all, we want to institutionalise a tax culture among Nigerians so that we see ourselves as custodians of the tax system and our commonwealth. We are definitely on the right track.

“Of course, it is only when you pay tax that you can talk of tax payers’ money. You can proudly challenge anybody you think is misusing public funds because it is your tax that the person is misusing. But those who don’t pay tax are those who shout more in Nigeria.”