The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Cross River State, Arthur-Jarvis Archibong, has alleged that Governor Bassey Otu’s administration is after him, accusing the state government of using tax authorities to persecute him through his privately owned Arthur Jarvis University.
Archibong made the allegation on Friday while speaking with journalists in Calabar, where he raised the alarm over what he described as attempts by the state’s tax authorities to clamp down on the university through an audit over alleged Pay-As-You-Earn (PAYE) tax liabilities.
The PDP governorship candidate described the move as politically motivated, insisting it was part of a broader campaign to intimidate and weaken the opposition in the state.
He said, “It is so insulting. A state government that has not given the university even a pin is now gathering directors to x-ray what taxes we have not paid.”
Archibong, founder of Arthur Jarvis University, the first private university in Cross River State, said the institution has remained self-funded despite making significant contributions to education and employment in the state.
According to him, the university employs more than 500 people and has awarded scholarships to over 300 students without receiving any form of support from the state government.
“Private universities in other states get grants of about N500 million and above. Their roads are done.
“Here, not even a pin. All requests for the University Management to pay a courtesy call on the governor since he was sworn in have not been approved. We have made efforts to reach him through all the designated channels, but it has not seen the light of the day,” he said.
The allegation comes days after the Water Board Estate residence of his running mate, Alphonsus Eba, was marked for demolition, a development Archibong linked to what he described as the government’s continued efforts at “crushing the opposition.”
He maintained that Arthur Jarvis University has complied with its tax obligations, dismissing the planned audit as unnecessary.
“Our taxes are up to date. The planned audit is just very funny and insulting. We are watching,” he said.
Reacting to the allegations, the Cross River State Commissioner for Information, Erasmus Ekpang, told journalists that, “Tax payment is obligatory. You cannot benefit from a system for you to come out to say you will not do that which is expected of you. Therefore, Archibong and Eba cannot stop the government. The government must go on.”
(The Whistler)