You Talk Before You Think – NLC Official Slams Akpabio Over ’30 Percent’ Tax Statement

An official of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has challenged the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, over claims that only 30 per cent of Nigerians pay tax.

Akpabio, who made the statement while declaring open a two-day public hearing on the controversial tax reforms bills organised by the Senate in Abuja yesterday, also described tax reforms as the future of Nigeria which must be gotten right.

Speaking to Vanguard, the NLC official who spoke under the condition of anonymity argued that a government that is unaccountable to the people should not expect the citizenry to take the issue of contributing their hard earned resources to such profligate government.

He lamented that government officials live flamboyantly at the expense of the Nigerian  people.

He said, “citizens can only pursue the civic duty of paying their taxes when they see a connection between their survival and businesses on the positive actions of government.”

“Akpabio, like many politicians, talks before he thinks. With the huge revenue accruing from oil and other natural resources, there has been nothing to show for it, except that government officials live flamboyantly at the expense of Nigerian people.

“A government that is unaccountable does not expect the citizenry to take the issue of contributing their hard earned resources.

“You cannot tax poverty but wealth. If a government does not contribute or provide the enabling environment for Nigerians to thrive and create wealth, how would they be confident in contributing to the state?

‘’Citizens can only pursue the civic duty of paying their taxes when they see a connection between their survival and businesses on the positive actions of government, rather than a situation where people like Akpabio feather their nests with purchases of hundreds of millions worth of SUVs and take home humongous allowances while the masses wallow in penury.

The truth is that it is only the poor workers who pay their taxes dutifully every month. The rich evade taxes and when you look at what they are proposing as tax bills again, they are planning to tax the poor workers to death.

“Government must govern properly and effectively to propel people to create wealth which can then be taxed. If the people do not feel confident and connected to the government, they will not be motivated to pay tax.”