There are publications that parents must present tax receipts in Abia State before enrolling their children in schools. Since the publications were made, the government has not come out to refute it which means that the information should come from them. This kind of impediment is laughable and hypocritical because one should first take the plank out of his own eye, and then will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
In a modern society, the likes of Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu should be in Jail for tax cheat if found culpable and not a governor of any respectful state. The reason is that Okezie alleged to have had tax evasion that took him to court after their kangaroo PDP primaries by Barrister Okey Nwosu and Dr. Uche Ogah, though he was denying it.
The argument by Okey Nwosu and Uche Ogah alleged that he paid his taxes on dourest solely because he was propping up to contest for governorship of Abia State. Imagine a situation where the date of payment of 2014 tax came before 2013. In fact it was even said that date of payment of one of his taxes appeared to be on weekend when governmental offices were already closed.
This tax issue raised lots of dusts but the reason guessed why Uche Ogah should dropped his winnable case was because of same thing he believed that politics is not do or die affairs, if not Ikpeazu should have been thrown out because it was quite a good case for Uche Ogah who they claimed emerged second during the PDP Primaries.
Ikpeazu should have known that one should not be very unsympathetic to the same sin he was once guilty or accused of especially when the accusation came from people like Barrister Okey Nwosu and Uche Ogah who knew the consequences of any defamation of character.
Before students will abandon the state schools for other states; Ikpeazu should immediately advise to withdraw such imposition because it will be very burdensome to the parents who will manage to raise the heavy school fees and to add another burden of paying tax same period in this difficult time.
No good citizen of any state should be against paying taxes, in fact our tax system should be strengthened to raise more revenue for the state and the government should as well utilize the taxes it collects and not embezzling it as usual but tax certificate should not be a criteria for students gaining admission especially when our educational systems are not subsidized even without financial aids to the students by the state.
If tax payment should be inevitable in Abia state, Ikpeazu should apply modern method of tax collection and not by putting up tax impediment on students who want to gladly join their mates in schools.
From: Mr. Chukwuma Omesie, He is a software specialist, International Gospel Preacher and Motivator from Abia State.