Senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, has called on the Federal Government to jail tax evaders, insisting that strict enforcement was necessary to deter non-compliance.
Speaking on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ on Wednesday night, Oshiomhole said resistance to value-added tax (VAT) was largely a Nigerian phenomenon, stressing that the newly enacted tax laws were designed to protect low-income earners while placing a higher burden on the wealthy.
“Taxes must be paid by those who are supposed to pay it and must be ruthlessly collected. It’s not a civil obligation. It’s a criminal thing if you breach the tax law, and it sends people to prison if they decline or doctor the tax books. That is what serious governments should do,” he said.
The former Edo State governor explained that the tax framework reflects the principles of a progressive government, noting that VAT is targeted mainly at luxury and non-essential goods, not basic items.
Oshiomhole also criticised Nigerians who oppose paying VAT locally but comply with similar tax regimes abroad.
“The facts on the ground show that President Tinubu’s tax policy is consistent with the values of a progressive government,” he said. “This is a progressive tax policy that places a higher burden on those who earn more while offering tax exemptions to those who earn less.”
He attributed public opposition to VAT and other levies to a poor understanding of taxation.
“It is only in Nigeria that people talk about the government using money or claim that the government earns money on its own,” Oshiomhole said.
“Governments do not earn money; citizens earn income, and the government taxes those earnings, whether individual or corporate. The sum of these taxes determines the annual revenue of the state.”
