The Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Polytechnics (SSANIP), Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti Chapter, has called on the Federal Government to grant tax relief to workers of the institution over the financial burden imposed by the deplorable condition of the road leading to the Polytechnic.
The SSANIP Chairman, Comrade Akomolafe Sunday, made the call in a statement issued on Monday, describing the damaged access road as more than an infrastructure problem, but a serious workers’ welfare concern.
Akomolafe said members of staff were being forced to spend substantial portions of their salaries on vehicle repairs and maintenance as a result of the poor condition of the road.
He described the situation as an “unofficial tax on workers,” arguing that employees who already pay statutory taxes and other legitimate deductions should not be forced to bear additional costs arising from inadequate public infrastructure.
“Our members should not be made to pay twice for going to work. They pay their statutory taxes and other legitimate deductions, yet they are compelled to spend a substantial part of their take-home pay repairing vehicles damaged on the road leading to their workplace,” he said.
According to him, expenses on tyres, shock absorbers, suspension components, steering systems, wheel alignment, servicing and other mechanical repairs have become recurring financial burdens for workers.
The SSANIP chairman noted that the situation was particularly troubling at a time when Nigerian workers were already grappling with rising living costs, saying the additional transportation and vehicle maintenance expenses were further reducing the disposable income available to workers and their families.
He said the proposed tax relief could take the form of a tax rebate, increased personal income tax relief, temporary reduction in applicable tax liability or any other lawful fiscal measure capable of providing immediate relief to affected workers.
Akomolafe, however, stressed that tax relief should only serve as a temporary palliative and must not replace the urgent rehabilitation of the road.
“We are not asking our members to evade their civic responsibility. We are asking government to recognise the extraordinary burden being imposed on workers and provide a legitimate fiscal relief that will enable them cope with the situation while the road is being fixed,” he stated.
The association therefore urged the Federal Government, Ekiti State Government and other relevant authorities to urgently rehabilitate and reconstruct the damaged portions of the access road.
It also called for the road to be treated as a workers’ welfare and institutional productivity issue, rather than merely an infrastructure project.
The union urged the authorities to engage the Polytechnic management and staff unions in finding sustainable solutions to the transportation difficulties confronting workers and to establish a maintenance arrangement that would prevent the road from deteriorating again after rehabilitation.
According to SSANIP, fixing the road would not only reduce vehicle repair expenses but also improve staff punctuality, reduce transportation stress, minimise vehicle breakdowns, enhance safety and boost productivity.
The association maintained that workers of the Polytechnic remained committed to their responsibilities in teaching, administration, research, technological development and youth development and should not be subjected to avoidable economic hardship because of the condition of the road leading to their workplace.
Akomolafe reaffirmed SSANIP’s readiness to engage constructively with government and other stakeholders towards finding a lasting solution, while urging authorities not to ignore the continued deterioration of the road.
“We appeal to government to come to the aid of our members. Fix the road and save our workers from the recurring cost of vehicle repairs. Until that is done, we appeal for tax relief as a practical palliative to cushion the financial burden on our members,” he said.
