A group in Osun State under the auspices of Civil Society Coalition for the Emancipation of Osun State (CSCEO) has declared that the present administration in the State under the watch of Governor Rauf Aregbesola did not deserve to collect any tax from indigenes of the state.
The group based its reason on what it claimed to be the governor’s failure to adhere strictly with the provision of the amended 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (FRN) that stipulated the condition for collection of taxes.
It also stated that the Aregbesola – led administration did not provide any dividend of democracy to the people of the State since November 27th, 2010 that would encourage the citizens to do their obligation to the State government, insisting that the economic situation of the State has been paralyzed due to the
anti-people policies of this administration.
In a statement issued and signed by the CSCEO’s Chairman, Comrade
Adeniyi Alimi Sulaiman, while appraising the five years of Governor Aregbesola’s government, declared that it was Constitutional provision for the government to collect tax from the citizens in accordance with the section 24(f) of the 1999 Constitution as amended.
But contrary, Comrade Sulaiman however supported his argument with the provisions of the sections 14, 15, 16, 17,18,33,34 & fourth schedule of the amended 1999 Constitution where it enumerated the
responsibilities of the State and local government areas to the
citizenry in their areas, saying that until the State government meet these provisions that citizens would perform the obligation of payment of taxes.
“The last five years of administration of Mr. Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola government is full of disaster, corruption and
kleptomania.
“The government is nothing to write home about and people
of the State are yet to come to the term with the tax regime
introduced by the State government when the economy of the State has been collapsed totally as a result of Rauf Aregbesola anti-masses policies.
“Introduction of exorbitant tax regime by the State government when the State government failed to perform its responsibilities as stipulated by the amended 1999 Constitution of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria is against the principle of justice,
equity and egalitarian society”.
CSCEO boss who alleged that Governor Aregbesola was ignorant of law and has been working in contrast to the Constitutional seventh schedule Oath of allegiance/office of the Governor of a State which says that government should be for the purpose of promoting the good government and welfare of all persons in our country on the principles of Freedom, Equality and Justice and for the purpose of Consolidating the Unity of our people.
Speaking further, the rights activist disclosed that Aregbesola
embarked on white elephant projects which did not have any direct
impact on the people of the State, adding that most of the acclaimed projects in the last five years were conduit pipe which Aregbesola and his cronies were using to siphon the meagre resources of the State into private purse of few individuals.
Sulaiman therefore enjoined the State government to provide social
amenities as promised by Aregbesola during his second term
electioneering campaign bid before he could embark on vigorous
collection of tax from the citizens of the State.
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