By Moses Nosike
The 4th Lagos Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) Junior and Senior Secondary schools essay competition defence commenced Thursday, at the office of LIRS, Ikeja, Lagos.

The exercise was an interesting one starting with the junior schools defending their essay writing which they submitted few weeks ago. The schools wrote on different topics on tax administration.

The senior schools were the second to defend theirs with both the junior and senior schools putting up remarkable performances that deserves rewards. The junior schools were 13 while the senior12.

From the management of the Lagos Internal Revenue Service (LIRS), 1st winner will go home with the sum of N250,000, 2nd winner, N200,000 and 3rd winner150,000. Scholarship and full computer systems for schools that performed excellently while consolidated prizes for participants in the competition to encourage those students that participated but didn’t win.

Lagos state government, through its succeeding tax administration system has brought a reorientation among Lagosians on tax payment. The administration of Governor Babatunde Fashola in Lagos has done marvelously well by building a legacy in the land, creating awareness on the importance of tax payment among Lagos schools who are the leaders of tomorrow.

According to the Executive Chairman of Internal Revenue Service, Mr. Babatunde Fowler, the important of tax is for the well being of Nigeria and it’s the same thing in the world all over. “I believe Lagos state has come quite a big time and to continue that momentum we need to start educating our leaders of tomorrow on taxation so that when we pass, the leaders of tomorrow who are still in the secondary schools can now take over.

“For our children to enjoy free education offered by Lagos state, parents have to pay tax because we still have a lot of parents and guidance who sent not one but five to six children to schools without paying taxes. Millennium development goals cannot be achieved in Lagos state without an effective tax system. Poverty cannot be eradicated when people don’t pay taxes.

“To promote good standard of living, put structures in place, build infrastructure and make our educational system what it should be, people should honestly pay their taxes to enable government achieve results that would benefit of youths of tomorrow.