Osinbajo’s sermon on life, death, taxes and the nation

Last week, something roused my consciousness about the laissez-faire   attitude and perhaps the lack of respect of some government officials

to our collective symbol of national unity. As if by providence some other discourse further also opened the topic of “practice what you preach” for not just government officials but for the elite and some

high net worth Nigerians.

As a Nigerian, if you pay tax, only if you pay your tax, you must start to hold the government accountable for its actions and how they spend your money. Yes, you can question political authorities. That Senator or Member of the House of Representative is answerable to you because he gets fed with your money. Before you remind me that we have been shouting and yes some of us have been paying our taxes right, yet things haven’t exactly flourished as expected in terms of the right

use of the taxes, I should tell you that the government says it needs more people to pay up to boost its coffers. I am hoping you got my

drift. 14 million Nigerians currently pay tax.

Taxation has always been the basis of raising public revenue, in practically every society. It is our obligation call it our tithe to the nation.

You see, death and taxation have a lot in common according to the Acting President Yemi Osinbajo who was quoting an adage.

So if you are not paying tax and you are one of those shouting that the government is not providing the much-needed infrastructure or

keeping to its part of the bargain, just go do the right thing first and then we can take them up. I am very certain that Nigerians are now more informed than they were years ago and have been leaning on the

power of the social media to demand accountability, more like critic the government for its ineptitude.

You see, when Nigerians last week shouted about the huge amount of their money being spent on parking fees for the President’s aircraft

NAF 001 parked at the Stansted Airport in London, that right there was part of holding government accountable. Though the Presidency had

denied that the country was paying 1,000pounds instead of 4,000 pounds per night as was reported fact remains that it is tax payers’ money that is being used. So you see, I understand the reason that some will refuse to pay tax. Again, before you shout, be sure you have done your part.

So on Thursday at the launch of the government’s tax amnesty programme tagged- Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS) Acting

President Yemi Osinbajo said when people paid taxes they paid more attention to what the government is doing.

“There is a level of social and political consciousness which people have when they pay taxes. So when people say that this is tax payers

money that you are spending in that way, it is evident that it is because this money is coming from their pocket that they are able to question political authority, question people who say that they are

representing them and question government programmes as well. So taxation also leads to a situation where the people hold the government to account,” he said.

Quoting an adage, Osinbajo pointed in the western world it was a normal thing hence the adage that only two things are certain; death and taxation. “Without a doubt, in many parts of the world two things are considered certain death and of course taxation but a fellow, who I suspect is a Nigerian, added to those words of wisdom and said, “Yes

tax and death is certain but death is only once, tax is until death”.

He called out Nigerians and indeed some of Africa’s wealthiest who still evade taxes and regretted that despite having some of Africa’s wealthiest people whose lifestyles are the subject of continental

discourse, only 214 Nigerians pay taxes of 20 million naira or more each year.

A personal tax of 20 million implies an income of about 80 million naira a year, the Acting President continued in a diplomatic but emphatic manner adding that he was not looking at anyone in particular in the hall but I could tell he knew them and they too knew themselves.

Worrisome but also intriguing was the fact all 214 Nigerians who pay over 20million tax per year are based in Lagos State.

Then he made the hall roar with laughter when he disclosed that in the old Nigeria all the regions recognized the need for taxes as the regions were practically paid for or sponsored with tax money.

However, the first region to recognise normal tax was the Northern region and thereafter the South and last was the South East.

He said he asked a friend who is a governor of one the South East states why the South East came last in taxes and he said that “we were the smartest of all” and the audience exploded in laughter.

Whatever the case, if you know that you are owing taxes, you are a serial tax evader, you deduct from your employees and don’t remit, you are a multinational pushing your profit out to evade tax or declaring lesser earned profit. If you are redesigning your books or any of those things, please accept amnesty or Osinbajo says the government

will name and shame you. If that doesn’t work government will proceed with an aggressive investigation with a view to criminal prosecution

when you are caught.

We can just do the right thing and shout later.

So over to my next line of discourse. On Wednesday, at the Council Chambers, Acting President Osinbajo walked in just in time for the

Federal Executive Council meeting and as is the tradition after greeting he called for the national anthem. While most ministers and officials in the hall sang the national anthem respectfully, I

couldn’t help noticing that some did not care or for want of a better word, they commonised it.

I watched with my eyes almost popping out of their sockets as ministers leaned on their chairs with arms resting on the back of seats as they sang the anthem, making it look like a casual business.

I picked up something funny too. One of them who was leaning in a funny way was removing her shoes too.

For me, it was sad. I understand that the national anthem is supposed to be or it is arguably one of the most important rituals of unifying a country. According to Wikipedia, a National Anthem is generally a patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogises the history,

traditions, and struggles of its people, recognised either by a nation’s government as the official national song or by through use by the people.

I also believe that while singing the anthem, certain etiquettes should apply especially out of respect and love for our country. If my memory serves me right, we were taught to adopt certain postures like

standing up/straight and not moving around or fidgeting while singing our national anthem. I have also watched in awe, sometimes how citizens of other countries behave when they sing their anthem, you see respect and patriotism displayed.

Before you remind me that they are honouring a country that has kept its word to them, I ask what hope there is for us if our government officials display outright disregard for the country.

 

Elizabeth Archibong