Governor Ododo orders stoppage of students’ presentation of Parent tax receipts
Governor Usman Ododo of Kogi State on Wednesday bowed to public outcry condemning the requirement for students of tertiary institutions to present their parents tax clearance certificates before they can register, stating that it is the right of every child in the state to access education.
The Kogi Government had declared that the presentation of parents’ Tax Clearance Certificate (TCC) was a mandatory condition for admission into tertiary institutions and students’ registration, a policy which generated anger from parents, students, and civil societies.
Addressing newsmen in his office on Wednesday, the Chairman of the Kogi Board of Internal Revenue Services, Suleiman Enehe, said that although school authorities should no longer use the TCC as a yardstick to register students, he nevertheless called on taxable adults to ensure they pay their taxes promptly.
The Revenue boss, who said ₦35.1 billion has been budgeted as the revenue target for the 2025 fiscal year, noted that the ₦27.2 billion target for 2024 was 98% successful.
He stated that the board has put everything in place to ensure this year’s target will be met and urged individuals and organisations in the state to pay their taxes promptly to enable the government to provide durable socio-economic developments for its citizens. Enehe, who frowned upon the various illegal roadblocks mounted by unscrupulous individuals demanding tax from unsuspecting motorists, said the practice must stop, and those caught will face the full weight of the law.
He specifically mentioned that 43 people were arrested and prosecuted last year for extorting money from members of the public through illegal roadblocks and called on members of the public to report any culprits to his office or the nearest police station.
