‘Keep writing letters but pay your taxes’ — BMO mocks Obasanjo over FIRS indictment as tax defaulter

The Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) has mocked former President Olusegun Obasanjo for being indicted by the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, as a tax defaulter.

Recall that the FIRS had listed Obasanjo Farms Nigeria Limited, a company owned by the former President, among 19,000 tax defaulters. 

However, in a statement issued on Thursday by its Chairman, Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary, Cassidy Madueke, BMO said it was also shocked that someone who considered himself as the father of modern Nigeria was a tax defaulter.

The organization further told him that it was not just okay to write letters to President Muhammadu Buhari over the state of the nation, but also important that he pays his taxes as at when due.

The statement by the BMO reads; “It is a big surprise that a company owned by a former President who sees himself as the father of modern Nigeria is on a list of companies that have run afoul of the nation’s tax laws.

“We also consider it a thing of shame for General Obasanjo not to pay taxes as at when due, especially as he is known to pontificate either at public fora or through open letters against societal ills, aside from launching scathing attacks against all sitting Presidents after him.

“We do not see why he should stop writing letters or speaking out against societal ills, but it would be hypocritical for him not to pay his company’s taxes as at when due. So, our message to former President Obasanjo is: Keep writing open letters to Nigerians but do not forget to pay your taxes,” the BMO said.

The comments by BMO comes day’s after Obasanjo described himself as ‘an incurable optimist,’ while calling on Nigerian youths to keep faith and not lose hope despite the many challenges the country is facing.

The former President made the call while addressing some youths and students from select schools in the State at a Youths Governance Dialogue organized by the Youth Development Centre, an arm of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library.

Obasanjo, who described himself as ‘an incurable optimist’ in Nigeria, declared that, though the current situation in Nigeria was bad, he could see the light beyond the tunnel.