Group writes Soludo, seeks end to indiscriminate taxes in Anambra - The Guardian Nigeria News

The International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) on Monday called on the Anambra State Governor Charles Soludo to end alleged porous, indiscriminate taxes and levies as well as enforce laws and procedures on their unified, joint collection and sharing systems in the state.

It also seek the probe of the finances of the Onitsha South Local Government Area, especially within the last eight months to enhance transparency and accountability.

The call, the organisation said, followed series of allegations of unregulated charges being charged on residents by officials of government.

Intersociety in a petition sent to Governor Soludo said that the State Government under him must also publicly account for alleged bloated taxes and levies collected through public issuance of annual financial reports; eliminate abuse of public office power and corrupt practises in accordance with Section 15 (5) of the 1999 Constitution.

Head of Intersociety, Emeka Umeagbalasi, Human Rights lawyers, Chidinma Udegbulam and Joy Igboeli who signed the statement, urged the state government to adhere strictly to relevant provisions of the Anambra State Fiscal Responsibility Law and that of Federation of Nigeria.

“Soludo’s administration, above all, must remain focused and undistracted in the governance of Anambra by aggressively pursuing infrastructural and social services developments across the State, outside nepotism and favouritism, corruption and corrupt practises.

“Further, based on our gathered circumstantial evidence, it has been observed that estimated N1billion is found to have been generated outside the law including payments made in cash, in contradiction of official financial management regulations. These criminal taxes and levies are observed as having been collected using duplicity and criminalisation of taxes and levies by the outgone Onitsha South Local Government administration.

“The referenced Onitsha South Local Government Administration vacated office on October 3, 2026., three days after the letters were successfully delivered. The estimated N1billion was found to have been illicitly and unlawfully made in seven months of March to Sept 2026”, the statement read.

The statement therefore, asked Soludo sanitise revenue windows and their Collection, locating, recovering and returning to statutory state or affected LGA coffers, thoroughly investigate the immediate past administration of Onitsha South and order immediate discontinuation of all ongoing extortionist exercises in the name of revenue collection.