Outrage in Kogi as state govt mandates students to present parent’s tax clearance certificate
The decision of the Kogi State government to deprive students from registering unless they present a veritable Tax Clearance of their parents has sparked outrage in the state with parents, Human Rights activists and concerned educationists kicking against the policy.
Back in in late November, 2024, the State Government had issued a memo from the Chairman of the Board of Internal Revenue Services, Sule Enehe to schools in the state not to allow students who failed to present a verifiable tax clearance certificate from their parents to continue their education in the state.
Concerned parents have been described as a violation of people’s right to education, which will affect the Internally Generated Revenue of the institutions of learning owing to the deprivation of the right to register both as fresh or returning students.
Also, the National Commissioner in Charge of the Right to Education at the National Human Rights Commission of Nigeria, NHRC, Agabaidu Jideani, had called on Governor Usman Ododo, to find a policy mix that prioritizes the right to education of children in Kogi State while seeking tax compliance by school children’s parents.
According to him, “I appreciate the efforts of the Kogi State Government to ensure tax compliance among its citizens, particularly parents.
“However, I strongly believe that the recent memo issued by the Chairman of the Kogi State Board of Internal Revenue Service, which mandates institutions of learning to refuse registration to students without a verifiable tax clearance certificate from their parents, may inadvertently deny children their right to education, “he insisted.
Amid mounting public outcry, stakeholders are demanding the immediate reversal of the policy before January 10, 2025.
