Several youth groups and youth led organizations gathered in Abakiliki to decry excessive taxation being imposed on youth entrepreneurs.
The youth groups met with representatives of the government from the integrated revenue department of the board of internal revenue, Mr. Esema A. Chima, and the SSA to the government on internally generated revenue, Mr. Okwuegbu Sunday, on Thursday.
The youths have continued to endure a plethora of horrible experiences. Mr. Ukpabi of the Salt Youth Network narrated the experience of one of their skill acquisition beneficiaries, who just relocated to Abakiliki from his village to start his barbing business at a low cost location, only to be slammed with a tax of #36,000 which exceeds his rent and his business capital put together.
The attitude of the waste management agents was not left out of this agitation as they were reported to have seized goods from traders at their business premises, insisting on annual purchase of waste bins. According to Mr. Nwogodo Vincent of Young Visioneers Association of Nigeria (YVAN), these agents also beat up citizens in the process of recovering such levies.
As a result of this heavy tax and recovery agents’ molestation, several entrepreneurs have closed up their businesses, while some only open their shops at odd hours when the tax forces have closed for the day.
In response, the government representatives explained the basis for the taxes and called on the youth to support the effort of the government as the dividend of their taxes can be seen in the development of the state. They however admitted that the agents responsible for the recovery are incompetent in some cases and as a result overcharged citizens. The youths suggested solutions to the problem which were documented in a communique.
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At the end of the engagement, the youths agreed that they are willing to work with the government in the interest of the development of the state and they are also willing to pay tax, but demanded from the government a more transparent process subject to assessment in the determination of taxes.
The aggrieved stakeholders made it clear that the right to freedom of expression has been denied them since anyone who reports or makes any statement against the government becomes a victim of attack. Journalists such as Mr. Charles Otu and Mr. Chika Nwoba were reported to have been arrested and brutalized, as a result.
One of the victims is a journalist; Mr. Chika, whose head was broken in the course of a recent attack and placed under critical condition, is currently in a struggle for his life at the Federal Medical Centre, Abakiliki. Mr. Charles Otu was also rescued through external intervention.
They reported that opposition parties are not free to host party meetings as it is unacceptable to the government of the day.
South Saharan Social Development Organization, a non-governmental organization has come out to condemn the attack, upholding the fundamental human rights of Ebonyi state citizens.
Speaking to our correspondent, Nwachukwu Onyinyechi, the program manager of South Saharan Social Development Organization said:
“The Government of Ebonyi State should address the menace of brutalization by its tax collection agents. As much as it is important to increase the State IGR, it is imperative to secure the lives and rights of the citizens who are the tax payers.
“The right of expression and association are constitutionally enshrined in the fundamental human rights and should not be denied any individual, group or community.”