The Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), Zacch Adedeji, yesterday directed law enforcement agencies to be on high alert amid the rumour of protests against the new tax laws.
Speaking in an interview with Arise TV, he cautioned Nigerians against being misled by misinformation surrounding the new laws. Adedeji urged Nigerians to study the laws carefully and understand how the provisions affect them. The NRS chief said: “The only message I have for Nigerians is that people should not listen to rumours.
They should analyse the data as it affects them. “They should wait for the result, not mass or mob action.” The taxman said calls to suspend the implementation of the tax laws are unconstitutional, noting that laws passed by the national assembly cannot be suspended by individuals or pressure groups. “No individual, except in an emergency, can suspend the law.
The law passed by the National Assembly is the law,” he said. Adedeji insisted that the tax reform bills went through extensive consultations, including public hearings at the National Assembly for over six months, before their passage. Ruling out the suspension of the law, he said only amendments could be made where grievances exist.
He said: “Implementation has started. People have started to see the result, and they say they want to go on a protest. “I am using this time to call all the security agencies to be on the alert.”
According to him, unpatriotic individuals seeking to frustrate the benefits of the policy are behind the planned protests. Since the government introduced its harmonised tax system, mixed reactions have continued to greet the policy. The implementation of the laws on New Year’s Day following the unveiling of the new corporate identity of the NRS, formerly known as the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS)
