By Perpetua Onuegbu
A CIVIL society organisation (CSO), Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), has commended the federal government’s efforts at harmonising tax collection system, saying the current system is punitive and oppressive.
Executive Director of PLAC, Mr Clement Nwankwo, said this on Monday in Abuja at the presentation of a report on Nigeria’s human rights situation for 2024.
Nwankwo said that the multiple taxation and the outsourcing of tax collection to private consultants had worsened the challenges facing small businesses.
“There is the politics of it, but ours is not to look at the politics of it but at how it impacts on the citizens, such that you do not have low income earners being taxed unduly.
“So, a tax system must address a situation where taxation appears punitive. The concern is also quite clear that nobody should pay tax in two different jurisdictions.
“However, today you have a situation where a person pays tax in one state for a business and pays in another state where an agency of government comes across the business again.
“So, the effort to harmonise taxation is what is key for us and it is a step in the right direction.
“Nigeria’s taxation system is killing initiative. It is killing businesses and investments. There’s no way this country can develop with the nature of taxation at this time,” he said.
On the report of human rights abuses in the country, the executive director described the findings as a troubling reflection of systemic weaknesses in governance and law enforcement.
He said that PLAC was issuing its human rights report for 2024 in commemoration of the Human Rights Day celebrated on Dec. 10.
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According to him, the report highlights issues, such as delays in prosecuting offenders, lack of transparency in investigations and an entrenched culture of impunity.
“Victims of human rights abuses face serious hurdles in accessing justice. These actions undermine Nigeria’s constitutional guarantees and international commitments,” he said.
Nwankwo, therefore, called for holistic reforms, including the establishment of independent oversight units to monitor law enforcement agencies and ensure accountability.
He also urged the government to prioritise the protection of vulnerable groups, including women, children and internally-displaced persons by implementing robust social safety nets and supporting survivors of abuse and exploitation.
On the Independent National Electoral Commission’s capability to conduct the 2027 general elections, Nwankwo said that many Nigerians had lost confidence in INEC and called for the constitution of a new body.
“A credible election requires a new commission, free from the controversies that plagued the 2023 elections,” he said.
He urged President Bola Tinubu to study the recommendations from previous elections and ensure a credible electoral process in the future.
Also speaking, the Senior Programme Officer of PLAC, Akwu Ogbadu, said that Nigeria should take a cue from the just-concluded Ghanaian general elections by strengthening its institutions.
He described Ghana’s electoral process as transparent and efficient such that votes could be recounted if there was controversy over any result.
He said that Nigeria must learn from the country’s electoral process “so that we too can have credible elections that citizens will be proud of in the future.”
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that PLAC is a non-governmental organisation committed to strengthening democracy, good governance and citizens’ participation in Nigeria. (NAN)
