Aturu, others kick against payment of taxes by religious organisations
(Nigeria) Some prominent lawyers in Lagos on Thursday kicked
against the payment of taxes by religious organisations in the country, reports
NAN.
The delegates at the ongoing national conference in Abuja
had on Wednesday voted in support of taxing both churches and mosques.
The lawyers said that the move by the conference was a clear
misplacement of priorities.
A lawyer, Mr Bamidele
Aturu, said the delegates should focus on important issues that would foster
the unity and development of Nigeria.
Aturu said it was the duty of the National Assembly to
promulgate such laws, adding that the non-payment of taxes by religious
organisations was not an issue in Nigeria.
``For me, it is a misplacement of their priorities and they
are only going to create more controversies which may make their report
unacceptable at the end of the day,” he said.
Another lawyer, Mr Wale Ogunade, said the conference should
address issues such as unemployment, poverty, corruption and national unity.
Ogunade said: ``This is just a diversion because there are
more pressing issues. The government has not exhausted the money being
generated from oil and other mineral resources.
``The delegates should be concerned with how to make the
government accountable to Nigerians on how our resources are being spent. By
doing this, many Nigerians, including churches and mosques, will voluntarily
start paying their taxes''.
On his part, Mr Uche Edeh, a Lagos-based lawyer, said taxing
religious organisations could lead to crisis because it would be difficult to
enforce.
Edeh advised Nigerians to exercise caution on the issue in
order not to heat up the polity.
Mr Adebamigbe Omole, a former Chairman of the Ikeja branch
of the Nigerian Bar Association, however, supported the recommendation of the
conference.
``I am in total support because some of the religious
centres have been commercialised.
``They are making so much money and I think the best thing
for us to do is to make them to pay taxes because the government needs money,''
he said.
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