www.odogwublog.com reports that Anambra state government today confirmed it
planned to invite prominent citizens in Anambra state in the ranking of former
Governor Peter Obi by its Internal Revenue office in Awka for tax assessment and
not by its ancillary offices.
It however regretted that summon by the Tax office of
former Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, on Thursday as it was by inappropriate
office not mandated to do so.
Anambra state Commissioner for Information and Public
Enlightenment, Mr. C. Don Adinuba made the clarification when he spoke to
Sunday Vanguard on phone.
He said the state Chairman of the Board confirmed that
to him but added that the Chairman equally told his officials across the 21 local
government areas not to write the letters for assessment to prominent citizens for
tax assessment as the Headquarters would do that and use adequate PR to get maximum
support from them.
Adinuba confirmed also said the decision not to receive
Obi’s tax and others in his ilk in Onitsha but in Awka was a decision from the
above as a mark of respect and in order to get his maximum compliance and electronically
get their clearances.
He however said he was not aware yet of who wrote Obi
refusing to award him his tax clearances in 2016 which led Obi to start paying
his taxes in Enugu state but promised to unveil that as it sounds outrageous to
him to ask a citizen not to pay taxes in his state.
www.odogwublog.com recalls that former Anambra Governor , Obi
had appeared before the Onitsha Office of the Anambra State Internal Revenue
Service (Tax office).
Obi was summoned by Mrs Nwakpudolu Juliet, the Chief
Tax Officer coordinating GRA Phase 2 Onitsha as a Senior Business Manager.
Confirming the visit at the tax office amidst heavy
down pour at 10 am, Obi said he was summoned to appear before the tax office at
10: 00 am hence he had to run from Lagos to Onitsha to meet up the appointment.
When probed on his feelings on the invitation, Obi
said “Nothing to worry. As a citizen, I can visit any office in the country,
including those in my state when I have issues to sort out.”
He even commended the conduct of the Chief Tax
Officer, whom he said was polite and did her duties professionally.
Obi said he was asked to show his six years tax
clearance, which this reporter sighted the receipts totaling N205 million.
“I am happy the professional way Juliet conducted
herself. It was a first class conduct and this is the kind of person that every
International organisation should hire. I am sure she was not anticipating that
I will answer her summon. But as a good citizen who knows the importance of
taxation for government to operate, I honoured her summon.
“I wish other people could be like her in attending to
clients and tax payers the professional way she attended to me,” the former
Governor said.
On the issue of tax evasion, Obi appealed to citizens
to pay their taxes regularly, lamenting that those evading tax are
shortchanging the people and government because government can only do great
work for the masses when citizens pay taxes.
He however appealed to government to ensure smaller
businesses are not crippled by tax as over burdening of smaller businesses
kills them. He said wealthy people should be encouraged to pay taxes
adequately.
Mrs Nwakpudolu, who confirmed the invitation, said her
office requested evidence of payment of taxes in the last six years from the
former Governor.
She said the government of Chief Willie Obiano was
doing a great developmental work hence the taxes were needed to support him,
thus informing the invitation to prominent citizens like Obi.
Mr. Obi came with evidence of payment for the last 20
years and left the assessor regretting that she would have easily met her N80
million target for the year if Obi had paid such huge amounts he paid yearly to
her office rather than Enugu State.
Tax clearance: Anambra government confirms Peter Obi’s invitation
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Saturday, July 28, 2018
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