10 illegal taxes and forms of extortion the government needs to get Nigerians to stop paying in 2021 as they are impoverishing an already stretched people.
- Police collecting bribes at checkpoints
- Governors collecting security votes
- Clergymen extorting 10% of their followers’ wages
- Kidnappers collecting ransom fees
- Boko Haram and bandits receiving “protection fees” from state governors
- Religious leaders selling all sorts of miracle cures to desperate people afflicted with illnesses
- Civil servants receiving fees before processing forms submitted to government offices
- Omo Onile’s levying you at every stage of you building your house in Lagos. They take money for foundation, decking, roofing, etc
- Youths setting up illegal toll gates in communities whenever they need money
- Women asking men for “transport money”
Given the seriousness of our economic situation right now, drastic action is required. All these taxes need to be reviewed one by one.
Nigeria needs about $100bn invested in her infrastructure but also needs liquidity in the economy to purchase finished goods. Above all, we need to invest in manufacturing.
What makes my heart bleed is that we are not even giving this matter any thought. We naively believe crude oil dollars will keep flowing forever!
Written by:
Ayo Akinfe, born in Salford, Manchester, is a London-based journalist who has worked as a magazine and newspaper editor for the last 20 years. Ayo attended Federal Government College Kaduna and obtained his first degree in history from the University of Ibadan.
