Mr Liborous Oshoma, a Nigerian lawyer, has observed that the current crop of governors at the helm of affairs in the states cannot think deeply about how to preserve the future while creating jobs for unemployed youths in the country, News.ng reports.
Oshoma, while giving his opinion on how tax administration should be operated, noted that taxes should not be imposed on citizens, claiming that more than half of the population is unable to pay them.
The lawyer, while responding to remarks made by Mr. Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, who stated that the level of poverty people are complaining about was baseless, noted that the presidential aide’s sampling of the opinions of those working for him was not enough to use as a benchmark for concluding that there is no poverty in the country.
He, however, urged governors to embark on data-driven reports that reveal the reality of what people are going through.
He said, “What we have are governors who are not thinking. There is no knowledge. There’s no deep thinking of how do we ensure that we build infrastructures that will protect the future. How do we create jobs that will take people off the street so that we don’t just end up taxing them, but we also ensure that they are able to pay taxes?
“You know, we, you don’t just drag people into the tax net when more than half of them is not able to pay. So, there’s so much money in the hands of government, while at the same time you are living an economic boom. The government is living economic boom, so they tell you we’ve given your people more money.
“You don’t just take 55 persons in a state, for example; you know, the response of 55 persons, and you use it to analyze the entire state. That is akin to using Bayo Onanuga’s statements to conclude, draw conclusion that because people in his office are okay, then everybody’s okay.
“There’s need for governors to also commission, um, data-driven reports. You know, ask, go on the street, find out where do people really need intervention, your people. What are the critical areas? Today, do you know we no longer discuss pipe-borne water? We just believe that people can buy pure water you will say that there is indeed a knowledge gap. But at the same time, when you look at as elections are coming, you’re going to have more rating agencies come up with data-driven reports…”
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