Purehuman:


An average working class diaspora make up to 1000dollars monthly after tax. It is something I know. What we are trying to develop is not going to be just good roads and facilities.

We want to develop the first Mall City in the world in Onitsha..

We want to build the first health city in Africa in Enugu. The biggest fashion city in Abia.

The biggest Automobile industry in Nigeria in Nnewi.

The Agricultural backbone in Ebonyi that will house the biggest FCMGs.

All these things need aggressive investment inflow. If we tax each other, we will create millions of jobs. We need more money in the region and if we do not tax Lagos igbos, Kano igbos, Ondo igbo, abuja igbo, Jos igbo, Benue igbo and other igbos, then we won't get the required funds to develop the east.

whirlwind7:


What sort of retardedd idea is this??
Are you for real? Tax Igbos who live outside the region?
What?! Why?! How?!
Can you even hear yourself? Do you think this is in any way sensible or even workable? What planet did you come from?

Purehuman:


Don't ever insult me again.

What is the total number of taxable income in the east presently and how much are they taxed? What kind of development do you want in the southeast that will not need huge sum. How many multinational companies can you boast in the east? What is the economic relevance of the east? Where do u think Ebonyi state government will get money to fund their budget?

You need to see things from the other side of the book rather than from inside.

You ask how and not placing impossibility in everything.

Memejem:
I live in Canada, do you live abroad? Have you factored in the expenses we have here before you think of gross income?

Do you know how much rent is over here or mortgage? That $1000 a month is how much it’s is rent is for 1 bedroom apartment in the city. Do you know how much hydro and utilities are? Or you don’t want us to have electricity and running water?

What about the monthly cellphone bill? How about internet?

And then let’s factor in food, and transport costs? And then insurance?

What about the tax we’re already paying here? Let’s also factor in the money many of us send home to aid our family members in the village. We have RESPONSIBILITIES.

The un-employment rate in Nigeria has risen to about 18% in Nigeria in 2017. Many Nigerians are out of work. Their primary concern is food and housing. Does the average Nigerian make enough to pay $100 US dollars a month to fund the development of the south east?

All of a sudden you think the burden should be on diasporans who don’t live in the county to build it up? By force.

Please, show your humanity. There is a difference between wants and needs.

Yes we all want the SE to develop. But you must think of a solution that is fair and equitable. Consider others.

Memejem:
Why do you think it’s fair and just to place the responsibility of developing a region from resources outside of it.

Tell me how that make any sense?

It sounds greedy, to be honest.

It’s like asking someone to do something for your benefit and you’re not willing to contribute.

With your proposal, Nigerian diasporans are likely to just dump Nigeria and never look back.

Purehuman:


Monies generated through taxation will be geared into providing employment through building facilities and partnering organization for expansion to provide employment. People living outside the region will come back home to be employed in different sectors that will be invest on.

If you cannot give out 100dollars, you can give 50dollars and it will still go a long way to help southeast grow.

We are going to develop a plan to. Export some skilled labor to skilled-deficient American and European countries like Norway, Luxembourg, Canada and Australia. It will take time but the development of the east is in our heads.

Purehuman:


The east is your land and your ancestral land for that matter. You staying outside it does not mean you belong outside. If you cannot develop the east, is it your grandparents in the east that can do it?

We all belong to igboland and the betterment of the land is our cross.

Memejem:
Who is we?

I’m sorry but you have no idea what you’re talking about. This your idea is not based on reality. It’s a dream.

You cannot tax people who don’t live in Nigeria and are not operating some kind of business

You want to build up the south east, not by utilizing the resources it has, and not by bringing Igbo businesses from other parts of Nigeria to the east.

BUT by taxing it’s own people who are trying and suffering abroad for thier families.

You’re a joker.

Do you have a full time job?

Memejem:
I’m doing my own part. My family can attest to that.

The day the Nigerian government begins to tax me when I don’t reside or work in Nigeria is the day I will tear my Nigerian passport.!

Purehuman:


I am the maintenance manager in a well known multinational company. You know the company but I will not mention it. I am ready to pay as much as 20% of my monthly income in this because the ripple effect of such development will reduce unemployment in the east to 1%. Then we can stop taxing the diasporas.

How can you keep blaming the governors when Anambra keep spending more on recurrent expenditure and low on capital projects and investment projects.

I might be wrong but the truth is, the number of taxable igbo people in the east is way to low to get the kind of development we are pursuing.

Memejem:
A country cannot legally tax members in another country.

They don’t reside in Nigeria. You can not tax them.

Asking for donations is another thing entirely. But you cannot legally Tax someone who does not reside in Nigeria or operate a business there.

Simple. End of story

Because you are willing and able to give 20% of your salary to the south east does not mean other are. Do your own part, and focus on those in Nigeria.

Purehuman:


No one is talking about Nigerian government. We are talking about creating a commission that will manage the development of the igboland. If we keep sitting on the fence and call the east shit hole, then I am sorry, you and I are making it shit hole.

Purehuman:


I believe when I was little, my dad used to attend our village meetings every Sunday. They were all taxed with the responsibility of tarring our community and provide basic amenities. They all complied, now, my community is one of the few communities that had tarred roads in the 90s.

If we are part of a body, we should take care of the whole body.

Purehuman:
My vision is an igboland that will be the destination of everything positive in Africa. Moving at this pace will make others overtake us. Igboland is sitting in the middle of over 50million people. Anything you produce can get to 13states within 4hours. This is what Lagos cannot offer. If we play our game right, we should colonize the Akwa ibom seaport for our personal use. All our products should enter through that part and the monies spent in Lagos will reduce.

If we can call for an economic conference. The pharmaceutical industries, the transport, the commerce, the banking and insurance, the real estate and every sector, even ICT and entertainment, we should create an economic plan with them so as to make them expand and increase in market share. This will make the east the focus of all forms of investment.

Unemadu:

You can tax remittance but you cannot mandate a person in the diaspora to pay a certain amount on tax, that is absurd. You can talk about community development levy and that is fine. To me its an informal tax and is optional

D1O:
This is staggering!

As is typical of these issues, some have now jumped on the band-wagon of treating symptoms instead of uprooting the root causes and sadly, they are feeling very "smart" about it.

Having lofty ideas for development is always welcome and surely is a good thing. But so also is giving some serious thought to "solutions". One would expect that any serious proposal for solving/funding these ideas would first start by doing/seeking answers to these simple math questions.

1. How much are SE governors currently generating(e.g taxation)/turning over/receiving every year? Say "X"
2. How much are these SE governors spending on what they actually execute (e.g actual salaries paid, not just overall wage bill or pensions owed)? Monies actually sent to LGAs not re-routed via caretaker committees. Say "Y"
3. How much of what is left then ends up corruptly in the pockets of cronies, theiving family members, hidden property, buried underground, smuggled overseas, 10% kickback, over-inflated budgets, etc, say "Z".

You'd be shocked at the current value of "Z". Seriously, I say it again, you'd be shocked at the current value of "Z" and what "Z" could achieve if actually utilised in the SE and re-routed into "Y".

One would think that a more sensible approach would be figuring out/suggesting ways of recovering "Z" or at least reducing "Z". One would think you would be suggesting innovative ways of checking the excesses of corrupt leaders to ensure that they, and those around them, are unable to loot at will....That is what uprooting a root cause sounds like. Lack of money funding in Nigeria today is a symptom not the disease.

But No!, lets not do any of the above. Let's simply tax those in diaspora, a random, non means-tested, arbitrary and unenforceable figure, just to increase the value of "X" above and by extension the value of "Z" too.

Staggering entitlement mentality. Same feather as the conspiracy theories of "the rest have ganged up against us, and we have absolutely no responsibility in the current state of affairs". Our misfortune is always someone else's fault and therefore always someone else's responsibility to fix.... apparently, this time around, it is the turn of the Igbo diasporan.

Umunne, legodu nu nno ka anyi si eche echiche mgbe ufodu!!

Na wa!

This entitlement mentality is perhaps more deep-rooted than folks would like to acknowledge.

Afam4eva:
Now let me put out what a lot of people have been shy to say. Based on the current reality, Igboland as it is today will NEVER be great. It's not a curse but an appraisal of the current reality.

In Nigeria, we talk more about brain drain and when we do, we're mostly talking about how our brightest minds leave Nigeria for greener pastures in more advanced country. Now, if we were to discuss brain drain in Igboland, ours is even worse because our people are leaving the east for not only abroad but other Nigerian cities such as Lagos, Abuja, Port-hacourt, Calabar, Ibadan etc. It's actually so bad that an Igbo person who thinks of returning from the US, UK of canada back to Nigeria is mot likely going to settle Lagos and Abuja. They only think of Enugu, Owerri or Awka as places where they go to see relatives and have a feel of village life. Never do they think of it as a place they could live. If those in other parts of Nigerians cannot live in Igboland, how much more someone from New York, Los Angeles or London.

The only way we can begin to change the narrative is by making concerted efforts and we cannot do that if we don't have the right leaders at the helm of affairs. I'm sorry to say but Ugwuanyi, Umahi, Ikpeazu or Rochas or Obiano cannot make this happen. Even if they could, they would do it only if it's demanded from them and the only people who can demand it from them are those Igbos outside Igboland. I'm sorry to say, but the Igbos in Igboland don't have the capacity to do that alone.

A revolution needs to happen for anything tangible to happen. We can keep deceiving ourselves that Rochas or anyone is changing the fact of wherever when you can take a look at places like Akwa Ibom, Calabar and even Osun and know that we're all deceiving ourselves.

Purehuman:
My vision is an igboland that will be the destination of everything positive in Africa. Moving at this pace will make others overtake us. Igboland is sitting in the middle of over 50million people. Anything you produce can get to 13states within 4hours. This is what Lagos cannot offer. If we play our game right, we should colonize the Akwa ibom seaport for our personal use. All our products should enter through that part and the monies spent in Lagos will reduce.

If we can call for an economic conference. The pharmaceutical industries, the transport, the commerce, the banking and insurance, the real estate and every sector, even ICT and entertainment, we should create an economic plan with them so as to make them expand and increase in market share. This will make the east the focus of all forms of investment.

asha80:
this mentality is how problems start

Purehuman:


Don't ever insult me again.

What is the total number of taxable income in the east presently and how much are they taxed? What kind of development do you want in the southeast that will not need huge sum. How many multinational companies can you boast in the east? What is the economic relevance of the east? Where do u think Ebonyi state government will get money to fund their budget?

You need to see things from the other side of the book rather than from inside.

You ask how and not placing impossibility in everything.

Purehuman:


I am the maintenance manager in a well known multinational company. You know the company but I will not mention it. I am ready to pay as much as 20% of my monthly income in this because the ripple effect of such development will reduce unemployment in the east to 1%. Then we can stop taxing the diasporas.

How can you keep blaming the governors when Anambra keep spending more on recurrent expenditure and low on capital projects and investment projects.

I might be wrong but the truth is, the number of taxable igbo people in the east is way to low to get the kind of development we are pursuing.

Purehuman:


I believe when I was little, my dad used to attend our village meetings every Sunday. They were all taxed with the responsibility of tarring our community and provide basic amenities. They all complied, now, my community is one of the few communities that had tarred roads in the 90s.

If we are part of a body, we should take care of the whole body.

Memejem:
How is this going to work favorably for Nigeria. You want Nigerians abroad to just abandon Nigeria completely?

You want to tax those who live abroad for what? What about the people who live and work in Nigeria?

The taxes that the government has placed upon those who live in Nigeria, are the using those monies appropriately?

Daewang:




There is no reason why Enugu should lag behind places like Dubai or Newyork. We truly need high rise buildings.

whirlwind7:


You are still confusing tax with donation.
Tax is a legally enforceable payment which you are mandated to pay. Keyword: mandatory.
Donations or pledges are different. It is not illegal if you don't give. Call it sort of a moral obligation. Your dad you mentioned, are you going to tell me that he could have been jailed if he didn't pay towards tarring that road?

I hope you have realized the flurry of mentions you received after you made that post about taxing people who live abroad?
That's because it isn't realistic. The act of giving (or donating) is still practiced by communities all over Igbo land till this day. However, you are equating it on a national scale (in the SE) and making it compulsorily. Nah, bro. It can't work. People can give, but people can't be compelled to give.

whirlwind7:


I admire your zeal. Your patriotism is endearing.
But, you are being emotional. Using your heart, rather than your head, so to speak.
See, if the proper system isn't in place, and you go ahead to make such financial sacrifice, quite certain you will end up demoralized and frustrated.

Do you know why Christians give a lot in tithes and offerings? Its because they view such money as "giving to God" Also, because they see their pastors as "upright, honest, righteous" and he will do the right thing with such money. That's why they go beyond their means to make financial pledges they could scarcely afford. Their headache.
Now, in politics, its not the same. Our politicians are rightly seen as greedy, selfish crooks who will flee with public money. Now, there is no strong institutions in place to check this evil.
Who in his right senses will afford to give his hard earned money to such government, be it in taxes or donations?
You also seem to think its OK for folks who are taxed for everything overseas, to get taxed at home too. I prefer you call it a freewill donation. That way, it doesn't sound so harsh to the ears

whirlwind7:


Look man, with the sort of shitty people who govern you, there's no amount of money you sink into projects that will yield the expected outcome.
You should talk about changing the system of politics and governance FIRST! Most of the money that is meant for capital projects usually end in private pockets...and nothing happens!!
As much as I crave for development in the region, there's no way I will pay any tax levied on me for living overseas, when I know that the bulk of the money I pay is going to be embezzled.
Once government becomes responsible, you would see people (including me) who will be more than willing to pay, with the view that such money is an "investment" into the future of their people and region. Its called nationalism.

Do you know a semi government agency that tried to persuade people living abroad to send money meant for building project through it. I forget the name of this establishment.
The idea behind it was this: a lot of people who live oversea depends on friends, families and relations to help them buy land and build houses. Many cases of such money ending up being squandered were rife. So, a group of people hit on the idea that they could set up a company to tackle this issue.
They help you buy land in your choice location and build the sort of structure you desire, while you are charged a certain percentage for their services.
It was a great idea. But knowing the way the country is, I told myself to monitor the company's performance for a couple of years at least.
Well, till now, I haven't heard much about any project they helped execute for anyone. Guys who told me about the company are not even willing to give them a trial. If they default or swindle you, going through legal prosecution is another lengthy nightmare. No be Nigeria??

You mentioned a couple of countries that adopted that form of taxation. What's the proof you have concerning it? I'm all for progress. But I'm not gonna be dumb or let my emotions over it make me a cash cow for crooked politicians. Igbo land has developed largely through self reliance. A honest and responsible government could make the development faster by transparent use of money it is entrusted with.

Remember how most primary and secondary schools in rural areas are established from self help (hence the common name "community school" All these happened in the good old days when some amount of honesty existed. Igbos still have that spirit, but people are very wary now. There's very little accountability for finances in public offices.

Finally, I retract my strong words. I'm sorry for that. One love!

asha80:
this mentality is how problems start