The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has tendered an apology to Nigerians for the post it made during the Easter celebration.
In a now-deleted post on the agency’s verified X account, the FIRS had written, “Jesus paid your debt, not your taxes. This statement sparked a significant public outcry among Christians.
While reacting to it, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) described the message as “offensive and derogatory” to the Christian faith.
“This year, a public institution, which should be the bastion of exemplary conduct, has been implicated in disseminating content that is widely regarded as offensive and derogatory to the Christian faith.
“The Easter message by FIRS does not only threaten Nigeria’s delicate unity but also undermines the efforts of many Nigerians working towards fostering mutual respect among diverse religious groups.
“As a nation that prides itself on religious harmony and peaceful coexistence, we are deeply concerned by the recurrence of provocative messages around religious holidays.
“Such messages not only threaten the delicate fabric of our national unity but also undermine the efforts of countless Nigerians working towards fostering mutual respect among diverse religious groups,” CAN stated.
Responding to the displeasure that accompanied the post, the FIRS apologised to Christians, stating that it would never denigrate Jesus Christ.
In a statement signed by the Special Adviser on Media to the FIRS chairman, Dare Adekanmbi conveyed the Service’s “unreserved apologies for this misinterpretation.”
The FIRS spokesperson’s statement said that the message was their way of uniquely engaging taxpayers and reminding them of the need to prioritise payment of their taxes as a civic obligation.
He stated that the unintended meaning being read into the post was not what they were out to communicate as an agency.
“FIRS, as a responsible agency, has no religion and will not bring down any religion or offend the sensibilities of adherents of various faiths in the country. Our goal is to assess, collect, and account for revenue for the well-being of the Federation. We believe it is an investment in the progress of the country when citizens pay their taxes. Once again, we wish to apologise to CAN and Christians who felt offended at the unintended consequence of our message on Easter Sunday,” Mr. Adekanmbi stated.
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