The National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Karu branch, Nasarawa state, on Friday shut down private schools over alleged outrageous multiple taxation imposed on them.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that private school owners earlier shut down schools, disrupting academic activities across Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, in protest against multiple and undocumented tax levies.
Speaking in separate interviews with NAN, proprietors drawn from the five NAPPS chapters in the local government said they had been slammed with tenement rates, operational levies, property tax and business premises tax.
They said the taxes run into hundreds of thousands of naira annually.
According to them, the amount had crippled schools already struggling with loans, staff salaries and maintenance costs.
Mr Abdullahi Abbaisa, NAPPS Chairman, Karshi chapter, described the development as shocking, saying local government officials had been charging fees that were never documented by the state government.
Abbaisa said the association had secured an audience with the Executive Chairman of Karu Local Government, Aliyu Madaki, to look into their plight.
He described Madaki as a father figure who finally gave them a listening ear by appealing for the matter to be withdrawn from court and resolved amicably.
“This is the first time private schools will be embarking on a strike in the history of NAPPS in Nasarawa State.
“The government ought to heed to their grievances since public schools cannot absorb the volume of pupils currently enrolled in private schools.
“The disputed local government levy is between N300,000 and N1.5 million per school annually, excluding property tax and other charges.
“All the affected schools were served court notices before the matter was formally instituted,” he said.
Also, Chairman of the NAPPS, Mararaba chapter, Aloysius Chukwu, said thw association had earlier written to the office of the local government chairman, drawing attention to what he described as double taxation, as schools already paid property tax to the state government.
Chukwu alleged that the local government retained 70 per cent of the money, while the local government separately demanded tenement rates annually.
According to him, private schools in Nasarawa pay N300,000 for nursery and primary categories and N350,000 for secondary schools to the state government before they are allowed to operate.
He said this was in addition to operational permit fees of N40,000 to N50,000 for nursery and primary schools and N50,000 for secondary schools in Karu.
Chukwu said proprietors had raised the issue of double taxation with the council’s consultants and requested the suspension of the operational permit levy.
He argued that schools already paid taxes to the state government, alongside other levies such as environmental charges, noting that the appeal was rejected by the consultants.
He said the consultants subsequently directed schools to settle all outstanding taxes while promising a meeting with proprietors to find a lasting solution.
He added that NAPPS members converged at the court in solidarity after more than 200 proprietors were summoned.
Chukwu said the case was adjourned until July 24, when the association would either present a report on an amicable settlement or continue with the litigation.
Also speaking, Chairman and Coordinator of the NAPPS Karu 1 chapter, Mr Musa Adamu, said private school owners were burdened by multiple taxes, including property tax, tenement rates, operational levy and business premises tax, which he said varies according to the size of the property.
NAN reports that NAPPS in Karu Local Government Area operates under five chapters: Mararaba, Masaka/Ado, Karu 1, Karu 2 and Karishi.
However, parents were notified ahead of the shutdown through various communication channels to keep their children at home, while proprietors assured them that full academic activities would resume on Monday.
More than 200 private school proprietors in Karu were summoned to court over alleged non-compliance with tax obligations. (NAN)
