Tax reforms: Security agencies on red alert over protest threats

From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja

Chairman, Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), Dr. Zacch Adedeji, has placed security agencies on red alert following rumours of planned protests against the newly introduced tax laws.

Adedeji raised the alarm over the weekend during an interview on Arise Television, warning Nigerians against being misled by misinformation and calls for mass action over the tax reforms.

He urged citizens to study the provisions of the tax laws and understand how they affect them personally, rather than relying on rumours circulating on social media and other platforms.

Adedeji stressed that calls for the suspension of the tax laws were unconstitutional, noting that no individual, group or pressure organisation has the authority to halt a law duly passed by the National Assembly.

“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.

“No individual, except in an emergency, can suspend the law. The law passed by the National Assembly is the law,” he said.

He explained that the tax reform bills went through extensive consultations, including public hearings at the National Assembly that lasted more than six months, before their passage.

Ruling out any suspension of the reforms, Adedeji said grievances, where genuine, could only be addressed through amendments.

“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 alert,” he said.

The NRS boss added that the planned protests could not be coming from the poor Nigerians the reforms are designed to protect, but from unpatriotic individuals seeking to undermine the policy.

The implementation of the harmonised tax system commenced on January 1, alongside the unveiling of the new corporate identity of the Nigeria Revenue Service, formerly known as the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), amid mixed reactions nationwide.