Benue APC Angered Over Notice On Tax Enforcement

The All Progressives Congress (APC), Benue Chapter, has with dismay responded to the notice of the intended tax enforcement of the Benue State Government aimed at inflicting pain and untold hardship on Citizens, saying it is unrealistic and without a human face.

A statement by the State Publicity Secretary, APC, Benue State, Daniel Ihomun, on Monday, noted that in spite of her deliberate refusal to pay salaries and pensions, the same government through the Benue State Board of Internal Revenue Service released a memo threatening Benue citizens who have been unable to renew their driver's licenses and vehicle particulars. 

According to Ihomun, "It is unfortunate that as Benue people, we are faced with the reality of bad governance whose actors have continued to chastise us with scorpions and snakes without being sensitive to the plight of her citizens.

"It is common knowledge that Benue state is predominantly, a civil service driven economy with very few operating in the informal sector; who also rely heavily on the inflow from civil servants to be able to function and survive in business. 

"Sadly, at a time when the state government is indebted to workers and pensioners to the tune of 6 and 72 months arrears of salaries and pension, respectively, the same government is out to literally push her citizens to early graves through the heavy burden of taxation.

"It is worrisome, that whereas, other states in the same federation are operating an open government policy where accruals from various sources as well as expenditure are public knowledge, the Benue State Government has perpetually shielded its IGR and other revenue in utmost secrecy. 

"This of course, is a way of avoiding questions that may be asked by the public in terms of development viz a viz the huge income for the past 7 years as available data from the National Bureau of Statistics have shown."

The statement further noted that, "doesn’t it amount to double taxation when citizens pay taxes, levies and rates; yet, provide basic services for themselves?

"How then do you explain when citizens sink boreholes in their houses, contribute money to fix roads, purchase transformers through community efforts, provide individual security for themselves and their property and so on.

The statement posed these rhetorics to the government, stating these will enable the resident understand the order of the day.   

1. How much is the internally generated revenue of the state? 

2. What are the projects that have been executed from same?

3. With nonpayment of salaries and pension, where does the BIRS want civil servants, who are the majority of car owners in the state, get the money to renew vehicle documents?

4. What moral justification does the Benue State Government has to threaten Benue Citizens who are yet to renew their papers, even when government herself is owing several months in salaries and pension?

"The Ortom-led PDP Government must respect the tax-paying citizens of Benue state and come to the realization that the instrument of power they hold today is a trust and if they fail to account before the people today; God’s judgement will forever be inevitable and the suffering masses will demonstrate it clearly at the polls come 2023."