In a live appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Wednesday, Oyedele said, “We do not understand why we have so many taxes in Nigeria, just creating problems for everyone.”
According to Oyedele, taxing rights at all levels of government need to be properly defined and addressed to the roots, starting with the country’s constitution.
“We want to go into the constitution itself and address the problem from the roots. Let’s put it there and let it be clear. Clearly define the taxing rights at the different levels of government—this should be what you can collect—from local government to state to federal and here are your responsibilities,” he said.
“Some of the issues that people are facing have removed the side mirror; it’s almost like living in the jungle. We should agree to suspend these taxes.”
In a previous interview with journalists at the state house in Abuja on Monday, Oyedele had bemoaned the multiplicity of taxes that Nigerians pay, maintaining that the committee’s goal is to have all harmonised tax laws fall under a single-digit at all levels of government.
“We were speaking to traders, and they said to us, ‘People selling pure waters in the market collect seven tickets every single day. Why should someone who is just trying to hawk pure water to keep body and soul together have to pay seven taxes daily? It doesn’t make any sense to us,” he said.
The tax reform committee chief, who further lamented the tax situation, pointed out that the committee has taken time to strategically engage with some of the individuals they believe will be affected.
Oyedele also recounted his experience with the plight of marketers he visited while he was working at a Waterhouse Corporation.
“In my previous life at Price Waterhouse Coopers (PwC), these were things I did as well. Out of my interest, I went to Alaba market, Onitsa market, and Balogun market, so I have related with real people who are just trying to earn an honest living and whose lives are being frustrated.
“There was a woman whose account was frozen because somebody just took the money in her account calculated with tax and said the woman was owing xyz and then they froze the account and the woman had just borrowed the money.
“Sometimes you want to shed tears, like, Why are we doing this to ourselves?” he asked.
“There was also a story of a woman tailor; there was no money for transport fare, so she tried to the roadside where she does her work and then the first person that showed up said they were from the local government and she needed to pay 400 Naira, and the woman said I have not one Naira, can you please wait until evening’ and they took the head of the sewing machine and she started crying.”
The chair of the tax committee regretted the fact that marketers in these tax-related situations are unable to hire lawyers and are ignorant of their legal rights.
“You do not want to imagine what these people are going through and they have no means to defend themselves; they cannot hire lawyers; they don’t even know what the law says so they can’t even say whether you are wrong or not,” he lamented.
“At best, they start begging you; they will now say, ‘Okay, madam, pay 300 naira.’ She will pay and then say, ‘Thank you.” Oyedele said that this is unfair treatment for the common Nigerian.
The chair of the tax committee said that for this reason, the committee has given the situation top priority within the scope of their responsibilities, adding that engagements and public consultations have been made, including people living with disabilities.
Channels Television