Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, has been urged to reject a new memo from the State Board of Internal Revenue Service which recommends that children must present their parents tax clearance certificate as a precondition for their registration in schools.

Sir Agabaidu Jideani, the National Commissioner in Charge of the Right to Education at the National Human Rights Commission of Nigeria, gave the caution recently while reacting to an ongoing efforts by Kogi State government to improve its internally generated revenue.

Jideani said his office is aware of a memo dated November 26, 2024 from the Chairman of the Kogi State Board of Internal Revenue Services which directed educational institutions not to register students who fail to present verifiable Tax Clearance Certificates from their parents.

While commending Governor Odoodo for his efforts to bring development to Kogi State, Sir Jideani frowned at the content of the memo and called on Governor Ododo, to find a policy mix that prioritizes the right to education of children in the State while seeking tax compliance by schoolchildren’s parents.

He said that the memo as sent to the Governor, was a direct infringement on the right of children to education as contained in Nigeria’s constitution and affront on Geneva Convention on rights of education, among other UNESCO provisions.

Sir Jideani said- “I appreciate the efforts of the Kogi State Government to ensure tax compliance among its citizens, particularly parents. However, I strongly believe that the recent memo issued by the Chairman of the Kogi State Board of Internal Revenue Service, which mandates institutions of learning to refuse registration to students without a verifiable tax clearance certificate from their parents, may inadvertently deny children their right to education.”

Continuing, he observed that education is a fundamental human right, universally accepted in democratic societies and enshrined in the Nigerian constitution, saying- “We must balance the obligation to pay taxes with the need to protect this right. I urge the Governor of Kogi State to revise this policy, ensuring that it does not jeopardize the education of innocent children.”

He noted that successive governors in Kogi State have done well with establishing and renovating schools as well as encouraging universal basic education, leading to a significant reduction in out-of-school children in the state.

The Human Rights Commissioner observed that this policy that seeks to keep children out of school on account of the poverty of their parents would negatively impact on the progress made by the state in this sector and called on the governor to revise the policy.

“I commend Governor Ododo for his efforts to bring development to the state. I am confident that, together, we can find a solution that balances tax compliance with the right to educati,” he concluded.