The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) recently found itself at the center of controversy following the release of an Easter message that sparked significant public outcry among Christians.
The message, which denigrated the name of Jesus Christ, has led to demands for an apology and retraction from the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).
The controversy began with the Easter message released by the FIRS, which drew a comparison between the pivotal Christian doctrine of redemption and the civic duty of tax payment. This analogy was received with distress and indignation by the Christian community, who felt that the message trivialized and mocked their core religious beliefs.
In response to the outcry, the FIRS has since deleted the message and issued an apology to CAN. The organization has expressed its commitment to adhering to communication strategies that promote respect, unity, and cohesion, recognizing that religious convictions are at the heart of many people’s identity and deserve the utmost respect.
The incident has raised concerns about the recurrence of provocative messages around religious holidays by corporate institutions, which have crossed the bounds of cultural and religious decorum. CAN has called upon the management of the FIRS to retract the message and offer a public apology for the distress caused. The organization has also urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, and the Department of State Security Service (DSS) to take cognizance of the incident and to guide the FIRS in adhering to communication strategies that promote respect, unity, and cohesion.
The full statement reads:
Our attention has been drawn to a statement by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) about a flier posted on our social media platforms with the headline “Jesus paid your debts, not your taxes.” As a responsible agency of government, we would like to say we did not put out the flier purposively to denigrate Jesus Christ or detract from the huge sacrifice He made for humanity. We are acutely aware that the essence of the Easter period is to celebrate this huge sacrifice.
The message was our way of uniquely engaging taxpayers and to remind them of the need to prioritise payment of their taxes as a civic obligation. Yes, we would say the message ruffled feathers in some circles. The unintended meaning/insinuation being read into the post was not what we were out to communicate as an agency. Good a thing, this much is acknowledged by CAN in its statement wherein it said “We recognise that the intended message may have been to creatively engage taxpayers…” We wish to offer our unreserved apologies for this misinterpretation.
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 wellbeing 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.
Signed
Dare ADEKANMBI
Special Adviser (Media) to the FIRS chairman
The Christian Association of Nigeria has advised all public and private organizations to exercise caution and consideration for the diverse religious backgrounds of society. It is crucial that communications, especially from public institutions, are crafted with a clear understanding of the cultural and religious tapestry that defines our nation.
This incident serves as a reminder of the importance of respecting religious convictions and the need for sensitivity when intersecting religious symbols and narratives with secular matters. It is imperative that public and private organizations exercise caution and promote respect, unity, and cohesion in all their communications.