The Anambra State Government on Friday confirmed that it planned to invite prominent citizens in the state in the ranking of former Governor Peter Obi as part of its efforts to boost the tax revenue of the state.

It, however, regretted the summoning of Obi on Thursday by the Onitsha Tax Office, saying it was inappropriate as the office was not mandated to do so.

Anambra State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Mr. C. Don Adinuba, made the clarifications when he spoke on phone.

He said the state Chairman of the Board of Internal Revenue confirmed Obi’s invitation to him but added that the Chairman equally told his officials across the 21 local government areas of the state not to write the letters for assessment to prominent citizens for tax assessment as the Headquarters would do that and use adequate PR to get maximum support from them.

Adinuba also explained that the decision not to receive the tax payments by Obi and other prominent citizens in Onitsha but in Awka was “a decision from above” as a mark of respect and in order to get his maximum compliance and electronically get their clearances.

He, however, said he was not aware of who wrote Obi, denying him his tax clearances in 2016, which made the former Governor to start paying his taxes in neighbouring Enugu State. The Commissioner vowed to get to the root of the matter as it sounds “outrageous” to him to ask a citizen not to pay taxes in his state.

It would be recalled that Ex-Governor Obi had appeared before the Onitsha Office of the Anambra State Internal Revenue Service (Tax Office) following summons by Mrs Nwakpudolu Juliet, the Chief Tax Officer coordinating GRA Phase 2 Onitsha as a Senior Business Manager.

Confirming the visit at the tax office amidst heavy downpour at 10:00 a.m., Obi said he was summoned to appear before the tax office at 10:00 a.m. hence he had to run from Lagos to Onitsha to meet up the appointment.

When probed on his feelings on the invitation, Obi said: “Nothing to worry. As a citizen, I can visit any office in the country, including those in my state when I have issues to sort out.”

He even commended the conduct of the Chief Tax Officer, whom he said was polite and did her duties professionally.

Obi said he was asked to show his six years tax clearance, which this reporter sighted the receipts totaling N205 million.

“I am happy the professional way Juliet conducted herself. It was a first-class conduct and this is the kind of person that every International organisation should hire. I am sure she was not anticipating that I will answer her summon. But as a good citizen who knows the importance of taxation for government to operate, I honoured her summon.

“I wish other people could be like her in attending to clients and taxpayers the professional way she attended to me,” the former Governor said.

On the issue of tax evasion, Obi appealed to citizens to pay their taxes regularly, lamenting that those evading tax are shortchanging the people and government because government can only do great work for the masses when citizens pay taxes.

He, however, appealed to government to ensure smaller businesses are not crippled by tax as over burdening of smaller businesses kills them. He said wealthy people should be encouraged to pay taxes adequately.

Mrs Nwakpudolu, who confirmed the invitation, said her office requested evidence of payment of taxes in the last six years from the former Governor.

She said the government of Chief Willie Obiano was doing a great developmental work hence the taxes were needed to support him, thus informing the invitation to prominent citizens like Obi.

Mr. Obi came with evidence of payment for the last 20 years and left the assessor regretting that she would have easily met her N80 million target for the year if Obi had paid such huge amounts he paid yearly to her office rather than Enugu State.