Osun Suspends Student Tax Payments on School Portals, Introduces Revised Rates After SUG Meeting
The Osun Internal Revenue Service (OIRS) has agreed to suspend the disputed tax-clearance payment on tertiary institutions’ portals across the state following a meeting with student union leaders and other stakeholders.
The decision was reached at a meeting held on Friday, October 30, between the OIRS chairman, leadership of Students’ Union Governments (SUGs) across Osun tertiary institutions and other representatives of the students’ movement.
A communiqué issued by the Students’ Union Government of Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, disclosed that the meeting also produced a revised payment structure for students.
Under the new arrangement, newly admitted students in ND1, HND1 and 100-level categories are expected to pay ₦11,500, while returning students in ND2, HND2 and final-year categories are to pay ₦4,500.
The communiqué added that students who paid the ₦11,500 charge in their first year would not be required to make another payment when they progress to their returning-student category.
Such students are only expected to obtain their tax clearance certificates and submit the corresponding PIN for verification within 24 hours.
The meeting was convened following complaints and protests by students over the integration of tax-clearance payments into institutional portals.
As part of the resolutions, the OIRS chairman directed that the payment be suspended or removed from the portals of affected institutions with immediate effect, taking their respective academic structures and calendars into consideration.
The communiqué further stated that no student should be denied access to registration, examinations or other portal services because of the tax payment during the suspension.
It also disclosed that OIRS would organise comprehensive sensitisation programmes across tertiary institutions to educate students on tax clearance, its requirements and importance before the payment system is reintroduced.
The revenue agency is expected to work with the respective students’ unions to organise the orientation programmes.
Another resolution provides for the establishment of OIRS desk officers in tertiary institutions across the state to attend to students’ enquiries, clarify payment procedures and facilitate the processing of tax-clearance certificates.
The OIRS chairman also reportedly assured the students’ representatives of continued engagement with their leadership and pledged that no policy would be implemented against students’ interests.
The communiqué was signed by the SUG President of Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, Comrade Ogunmodede Oluwatobiloba Olanrewaju, and the General Secretary, Comrade Boladale Dolapo John, through the union’s Public Relations Officer, Comrade Adejare Taofeek Olawunmi.
The latest agreement follows complaints raised by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Southwest Zone D, which on October 20 gave OIRS seven days to address allegations of duplicate tax-clearance payments affecting students in the state.
NANS had alleged that some students were being asked to pay between ₦8,000 and ₦10,000 despite presenting evidence of their parents’ existing tax compliance.
The association also complained about delays in verifying parental tax records, which it said had affected students’ registration processes.
In response to the allegations, OIRS Chairman, Hamzat Solanke, had maintained that the exercise was designed to verify tax compliance and prevent the use of fraudulent tax-clearance documents, rather than extort students.
The latest resolutions provide for a temporary suspension of the portal payment, revised charges and additional engagement between the revenue agency and student representatives.
The implementation of the agreed measures, particularly the suspension across affected institutions and the proposed sensitisation programmes, will determine how the dispute is resolved.
