A Human Rights Group in Delta State, the Centre for the Vulnerable and Underprivileged, has called on the anti-corruption agencies in the country, to probe state governors engaging the services of tax consultants to collect taxes.
Executive Director of the group, Mr. Oghenejabor Ikimi, made the call, on Tuesday, in Warri.
He specifically called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) to immediately set in motion a machinery to probe governors embarking on “the unwholesome act”.
Ikimi, a lawyer, said only the State Board of Internal Revenue was saddled with the responsibility of assessing or collecting taxes and levies in a state.
He also said that huge sums of money were being lost in the process of using tax consultants in revenue collection to the detriment of the citizens.
He quoted Section 2(1) of the Taxes and Levies (Approved List for Collection) Act, 2004 and the Schedule to the Taxes and Levies (Approved List for Collection) Act (Amendment) Order, 2015 to justify his position.
“Section 2(1) of the Taxes and Levies (Approved List for Collection) Act, 2004 and the Schedule to the Taxes and Levies (Approved List for Collection) Act (Amendment) Order, 2015, specifically prohibit the assessment or collection of taxes or Levies on behalf of the government by persons.
“The appropriate tax authority, which is defined in Section 4 of the above statute to be in respect of a state, is the State Board of Internal Revenue, Government Department or any other government body charged with the responsibility for assessing and collecting the particular tax.
“The use of private tax consultants by some state governors in the country is therefore dubious.
“We, therefore, call on the anti-corruption agencies, the EFCC and ICPC, to immediately set in motion a machinery to probe the governors embarking on the unholy act.”
Ikimi commended Gov. Godwin Obaseki of Edo and his Anambra counterpart, Willie Obiano, for doing away with tax consultants and urged other governors to emulate them. (NAN)