‘Lack of Accountability Discouraging  Citizens from Paying Tax’

Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo

A non-governmental organization(NGO), Brain Building Youth Development Initiative, has said some Nigerians evade taxes because they do not see  the infrastructure  being built with the tax they are paying.

The NGO, through its Global Director, Olasupo Abideen, said that some people find it extremely difficult to  be convinced to pay their taxes with the belief that people at the helm of affairs, in the long run, will embezzle their money.

Abideen disclosed this at the grand finale of the inter-campus debate among the South-west students with the topic ‘’Examining the Impact of South Western Governments’ Debt on the Region’s Economic Stability’’ held in Osogbo, Osun state capital.

Abideen charged the Nigerian government to be more accountable and transparent with the expenses of governance.

He noted that the citizens empowered people at the helm of affairs with their vote, charging Nigerians to vote based on the credibility, competence, capacity, and character of the politicians to have the power to ask the right questions at the right time.

According to him, “A lot of Nigerians are complaining about the fact that the amount borrowed is not commensurate with the infrastructure development that we are witnessing. That is the reason why we are giving undergraduates an opportunity as well to contribute to this topic that is of germane interest to everyone.

“We had an impressive number of applications from 100 applications to 72  down to 16 that come across tertiary institutions in the southwest, debating topics and providing lasting solutions is one thing to have a conversation about a topic, it’s another thing to confirm the data and solution.

“What we are doing here today is to give a voice to the voiceless to allow undergraduate students as well to contribute to issues on debt and tax justice.

“We are saying the government should come and see us as part of that for us to have a lasting solution to these issues of tax and debt justice every hand must be on deck and we must provide a lasting solution.

“The government needs to be proactive they need to see citizens as one and when the conversation around development has been taking place the government should always be at that table.

“The government should look inward, believe you me if I see value for taxes, I’m ready to pay taxes.”