Lawan makes case for more women in governance

Senate President Ahmad Lawan has urged the country to learn from the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN) the need to give more women positions of authority.

Lawan spoke at the investiture of Mrs. Clara Nnachi as the 6th Chairman, Abuja and District Society of the CITN.

He observed that the president of CITN, Dame Gladys Olajumoke Simplice, is a woman and Clara, wife of Senator Michael Nnachi (Ebonyi South), is also a woman.

To him, there must be something unique about women that the CITN has seen and which Nigeria should learn from.

“I think Nigeria needs more women in government. We can’t neglect that sizable portion of our population. About 51 per cent of Nigerians are women. We have to ensure that opportunities are there for our women to participate not only in governance or politics because that is elite, but in other spheres, including business, market, and farm. I think Nigeria has a lot to learn from CITN,” Lawan advised.

On the importance attached to taxation, the Senate president said crude oil had been the mainstay of the nation’s economy but lamented that the country didn’t take full advantage of it.

“Oil revenues are not properly utilised to fix the economy and now revenues are dwindling. When people pay taxes, they have the right to ask how the money is spent. Even though we need to expand the tax net, we shouldn’t capture those who need the tax to live decent lives.

“There are many people who ought to pay taxes and are not paying and there are businesses which ought to pay taxes but are not paying,” Lawan said.

The ceremony was also attended by senators and their wives, tax administrators, accountants, and officials of Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), where Clara works.

Earlier, the outgoing chairman, Nwabuzor Emeke, while speaking on the theme of this year’s tax week, “Tax, Politics and Social Contract”, noted that an important part of every country’s development process is the building of a social contract in which citizens pay tax and, in return, receive public goods and services.