By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Ex-Senator, Shehu Sani, has expressed outrage over the recent decision by the Enugu State government to impose a mortuary tax on corpses stating that the move “finally means people can no longer rest in peace.”
Sani stated this in a short post on the X platform, using @ShehuSani handle on Sunday.
The State revenue agency had announced the sum of N40 as mortuary tax to be paid by owners of a corpse once it was not buried within 24 hours.
The X post read, “Taxing Dead bodies in Enugu finally means people can no longer rest in peace.”
Meanwhile, the Enugu State Government had clarified the controversial mortuary tax imposed on corpses in the state, stating that it was not intended as a revenue-generating measure but rather to discourage excessive storage of deceased bodies in mortuaries.
The Executive Chairman of Enugu State Internal Revenue Service, Mr Emmanuel Nnamani, said this on Saturday while reacting to the Mortuary Tax circular addressed to all mortuary attendants.
According to the circular, ESIRS in line with the provisions of Section 34 of the Birth, Deaths and Burials Law Cap 15 Revised Laws of Enugu State 2004, approved the implementation of the mortuary tax.
“The sum of N40 only is to be paid by owners of a corpse once it was not buried within 24 hours. The amount continues to count daily.
“Kindly ensure that owners of corpses make the payments before collection of the corpses for burial and then remit same to the ESIRS in any commercial bank under the mortuary tax in Enugu State IGR Account,” the circular read.
Info Daily