By Dada Ahmed in Lokoja.
The Executive Chairman of the Kogi State Internal Revenue Service (KGIRS), Alhaji Salihu Sule Enehe, has addressed concerns raised by parents and guardians regarding the Tax Clearance Certificate (TCC) requirement for students seeking admission to the state’s three universities.
He emphasized that the TCC is not an additional tax burden on citizens, but a constitutional obligation aimed at ensuring civic responsibility and supporting the state’s educational infrastructure.
In an interview with The Reporters on Wednesday in Lokoja, Alhaji Enehe clarified that the TCC requirement was not designed to prevent students from gaining access to education, as some parents feared.
Rather, it is a legal mandate rooted in Section 24(f) of the Nigerian Constitution, which calls for all citizens to declare their income and pay taxes to the relevant authorities, promptly.
“The implementation of the TCC is a longstanding policy,” Enehe explained, noting that KGIRS has consistently urged relevant authorities to enforce this requirement.
“This is not a new concept, and it is not aimed at denying students their educational rights. Rather, it is a way to ensure that every citizen meets their tax obligations, which in turn supports the state’s educational institutions,”he said.
He stressed that while education is a fundamental right for children, parents and guardians also have a duty to fulfill their tax responsibilities.
Kogi is the only state in Nigeria with three state-owned universities, and as such, requires adequate revenue to sustain these institutions.
The TCC ensures that the necessary funds are available for the continued growth and development of Kogi’s universities, according to the KGIRS boss.
“The insistence on TCC by the universities is simply a mechanism to ensure that all citizens contribute their fair share through taxes. “It is crucial that we address tax evasion and promote fiscal responsibility for the betterment of the state and its people,”Enehe added.
Alhaji Enehe assured parents and guardians that obtaining a TCC is a straightforward process.
“There is no need to make additional payments to acquire a TCC. Parents only need to provide proof of their tax payments, and KGIRS will facilitate the issuance of the certificate efficiently,”he assured.
He therefore encouraged all parents and guardians, particularly those with children who have secured admission to Kogi’s state universities, to fulfill their tax obligations and obtain the necessary TCC as part of the admission process.
“The state’s universities exist to train and develop people, and we should all play our part in supporting them,” he remarked.
