Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has faulted President Bola Tinubu’s tax reforms, insisting that government must first create prosperity before asking citizens to pay taxes.
In a viral video making waves on X on Sunday, described taxation as a government’s share of wealth generated through policies that improve the people’s well-being, not a compulsory levy imposed without corresponding benefits.
His comments have since drawn wide attention and sparked heated debate among Nigerians.
“I believe that taxation is government’s share of the prosperity it has created amongst the populace.
“As a government, you must first give to your people before asking for something (tax) in return.
“We are not where we want to be but our target for 2025 was ₦32 billion and we surpassed it by ₦7 million.
“That is in spite of the tax holidays that we have given some people and our non-aggressive stance in terms of internally generated revenue.
“This is simply because of my strong belief in my position that taxation and revenue generation is a government share of the prosperity created among the populace.
“We believe the government needs to give first before asking,” Otti said.
The governor stressed that his administration’s success in revenue generation, despite offering tax holidays, underscores his conviction that citizens are more willing to comply with tax obligations when they see evidence of good governance.
