Let citizens reap benefits of their taxes, Olubadan urges govt

The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, has appealed to government at all levels to ensure members of the public feel the positive impacts of the taxes being paid.

A statement by Chief Olugbemiga Ayoade, the Chief Press Secretary to Olubadan, quoted Ladoja as making the appeal when members of management of the Institute of Taxation of Nigeria paid a courtesy visit to the palace on Thursday.

The royal father emphasised that members of the public must enjoy basic necessities of life such as security, potable water supply, good roads, regular power supply, and job opportunities.

He also said that citizens need to be alive to their civic responsibilities by paying taxes because failure to do so may force the government into borrowing.

The Olubadan further cautioned the government against double taxation, adding that certified members of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria should be involved in taxation matters .

He charged the professional body to look for areas in which they could contribute to various ongoing developmental initiatives in Ibadanland.

Earlier in his address, the President of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN), Mr Innocent Ohagwa, said that Ibadan occupies a distinguished place in Nigeria’s history as a city of culture, business/commerce, and leadership.

Ohagwa acknowledged the Olubadan’s remarkable voice in shaping Nigeria’s democratic experience at various defining moments.

“Beyond seeking royal blessings, we have also come to draw from the wisdom of traditional institutions, which historically represented one of the earliest frameworks through which taxation and communal contributions were well organised.

“Long before modern tax laws and revenue authorities emerged, traditional institutions played a vital role in taxation and the legacy remains instructive even till today,” Ohagwa said.

Present at the courtesy visit were Oba Kolawole Adegbola, the Otun Balogun of Ibadanland, Chief Muibi Ademola, the Aare Alasa Olubadan, and Chief Adegboyega Adegoke, the Aare Egbe Omo Balogun of Ibadanland, among others.