Kogi Government Faces Backlash Over Mandating Parent’s Tax Clearance for Student Registration

The Kogi State government’s new policy requiring students to present their parents’ tax clearance certificates for registration has sparked widespread outrage, with parents, human rights activists, and educationists condemning the move. The policy, announced in late November 2024 through a memo from the Chairman of the State Board of Internal Revenue Services, Sule Enehe, mandates that students without a verifiable tax clearance from their parents will be barred from continuing their education in the state. Legal Challenge In response, Kogi-based lawyer and human rights activist Arome Odoma has issued a Pre-Action Notice challenging the policy. In the notice addressed to Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo and Sule Enehe, Odoma called the policy “repugnant to natural justice, equity, and good conscience” and argued that it unfairly denies students their right to education. Odoma emphasized that education is a right, not a privilege, and should not be contingent on tax compliance. He questioned why students should be penalized for their parents’ failure to pay taxes and pointed out that many successful individuals, including governors and senators, did not have the financial support of their parents to pursue education. Broader Concerns The policy has raised concerns about its impact on students, especially those without parental support, as it could further limit their access to education. Activists and citizens have vowed to hold the state government accountable for any violation of the right to education.