Admission seekers to Kogi tertiary schools now required to submit parents’ tax clearance certificate

The Kogi government has declared that the presentation of parents’ tax clearance certificates will now be a mandatory condition for admission into tertiary institutions in the state.

Sule Enehe, the chairman of the Kogi Board of Internal Revenue Services, addressed journalists on the policy in Lokoja on Wednesday.

Enehe said it was introduced two years ago at the Prince Abubakar Audu University in Ayingba and Federal University Lokoja to shore up the revenue profile of the state.

NAN reports that the policy has generated some controversy, with CSOs and activists threatening to challenge it in court.

Enehe, while defending the policy, said it had good intentions.

“The decision of the Kogi government to compel students to present parents’ TCC at the point of registration is in accordance with the law,” he said.

“Section 24(f) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria states that every citizen should declare his or her income and endeavour to pay tax to the government.

“By the provisions of section 96 on Personnel income tax, anyone that fails to pay tax shall be face prosecution.”

The revenue service chairman expressed surprise that the public only got to know about the policy this year.

He said the service had issued a memo to the secretary of the state government two years earlier.

“It is for the good of the people and crucial to the progress of the state. What people don’t know is the huge financial burden on the state government which runs three universities, aside from other tertiary institutions,” he added.