The Kogi State government’s decision to require students to present a verifiable tax clearance certificate from their parents before being allowed to register for school has triggered widespread backlash. Parents, human rights activists, and education advocates have condemned the policy as unjust and detrimental to the right to education.
This policy, introduced through a memo issued in late November 2024 by Sule Enehe, Chairman of the Kogi State Board of Internal Revenue Service, has been met with resistance across the state. The memo directed schools to deny registration to students whose parents failed to provide valid tax clearance certificates.
Legal Challenge Against the Policy
A prominent legal practitioner and rights activist, Arome Odoma, has taken a bold step by issuing a pre-action notice to the state government, challenging the policy’s legality. Addressed to Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo and the Chairman of the Board of Internal Revenue Service, the notice criticized the policy as “repugnant to natural justice, equity, and good conscience.”
In the notice, Odoma stated:
“This policy is an attempt to deprive future leaders of their right to education. Education is not a privilege but a right, legally guaranteed for all without discrimination. The state has a duty to protect and uphold this right.”
He argued that penalizing students for their parents’ failure to pay taxes was unjust, adding that many students struggle to fund their own education without parental support. Odoma urged the state government to reverse the policy by January 10, 2025, or face legal action.
Public Outcry
Parents and activists have also expressed their outrage. Mr. Elesho Emmanuel, a concerned parent, described the policy as “anti-education and anti-human,” questioning why children should suffer for their parents’ actions.
Similarly, Sir Agabaidu Jideani, National Commissioner for the Right to Education at the National Human Rights Commission, called on Governor Ododo to adopt alternative measures for ensuring tax compliance without compromising children’s access to education. “While tax compliance is important, this policy could inadvertently deny children their fundamental right to education,” he noted.
Calls for Reversal
Critics have emphasized that the policy could undermine school enrollment and worsen the financial challenges faced by educational institutions in the state. They urged the state government to prioritize the right to education and find a more balanced approach to revenue generation.
As the January 10 deadline for reversing the policy approaches, all eyes are on Governor Ododo to take action that aligns with the principles of justice and equity while addressing the state’s revenue concerns.
