‘You’re a sinner if you don’t pay taxes’

The Bishop of Remo and Archbishop of Ecclesiastical Province of Lagos, Archbishop Olusina Fape, has described payment of taxes as a scriptural mandate, saying any default amounts to committing sins against God.

He spoke in Abeokuta, during his sermon at the Ogun State Internal Revenue Service (OGIRS) New Year Prayer session.

Archbishop Fape, while speaking on a topic, “Civic Obligations Are Biblical and Scriptural”, cited the book of Romans Chapter 13 verses 1 to 2 and 6 to 7, pointing out that taxation was a divine arrangement.

He said anyone who fails to pay taxes and those that are not faithful in collection of taxes are sinners.

“There should be no arbitrariness either in the payment or collection of taxes; they must be based on right assessment. This is clear from the word of God. Whoever does not pay taxes, no matter the status, already sinned against God”, he said.

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The Archbishop admonished staff of the agency to do their job with the fear of God, as they would be rewarded according to their deeds.

“Even tax collectors in the Bible were called sinners because they were collecting more than what they ought to; in today’s palance, bribery and corruption. As you go about to do your God ordained job to achieve the 2024 target, embrace righteousness; you will surely exceed your target because with righteousness in place, there is no limit”, Fape said.

Also speaking, his counterpart in the Islamic religion, Alhaji Hamid Olanrewaju, taking his message from chapter 33 of the Holy Quran, enjoined staff to uphold the trust that government had in them.

The Executive Chairman of OGIRS, Olugbenga Olaleye, called for staff support, more commitment and focus to achieve 2024 revenue target, noting that he alone could not achieve it.

While appreciating the State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun for his support, Olaleye disclosed that a new Border Tax Office would be created at Oyo State border areas, to cater for those working in the neighbouring towns, just as all hands were on deck to achieve the 2024 target.