Abuja –  The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Wednesday in Abuja advocated for what it called tax justice which would ensure that the rich paid more tax.

It also called for the probe of those indicted in the Panama Papers.

Panama Papers is a leakage of sensitive documents detailing how political world leaders, celebrities, athletes, FIFA officials among others, laundered  money using anonymous shell corporations across the world.

NLC President Ayuba Wabba made the demand  at a rally to  canvass for the halt  in illicit financial flow from Africa.

He said it had become necessary to punish those guilty of tax evasion as well as personalities indicted in the Panama Papers.

Wabba said that there must be tax justice that would make the rich to subsidise the poor and not the poor subsidising the rich as currently is the case.

According to him, a situation where only the working class and the poor pay tax is unacceptable.

Wabba said that  such anomaly must be corrected as it amounts to corruption

“The normal thing is for the rich to subsidise the poor as done in developed countries.

“ But in Nigeria, it is the poor that subsidises the rich; the poor must stop servicing the rich.”

The NLC President said payment of tax would impact positively on the economy and the lives of ordinary Nigerians.

Wabba noted that Panama Papers exposed some of the heinous crimes by the rich, adding that the Federal Government should swing into action by taking a look at the papers and punish whoever was found culpable.

He said that  it would  be a good step, if the Federal Government could initiate probe and sanction culprits.

Documents numbering 11.5 million held by Panama-based Mossack Fonseca were released to Süddeutsche Zeitung, a German newspaper, and an International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.

The Panamanian law firm, regarded as one of the world’s most secretive companies, according to the documents, has helped clients launder money, dodge sanctions and evade tax.

Prominent Nigerians named to have links with the offshore assets revealed in the Panama Papers include Senate President, Bukola Saraki, former Senate President David Mark  and former Delta State Gov. James Ibori.

Others are Industry mogul Aliko Dangote, his cousin, Sayu Dantata and a former Army chief and Minister of Defence, Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (rtd).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the NLC president led a protest march and submitted a letter to the Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, to register the displeasure of the congress  with the illicit financial flow from Africa.

NAN reports that the Minister was said to have gone for the Federal Executive Council meeting, but Mr Muhammed Dikwa, the Acting Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, received the group on behalf of the minister.

Dikwa said that the Muhammadu Buhari administration was poised to block all financial loopholes, adding that the ministry was working hard to correct tax discrepancies.

He said the minister was working hard to ensure that justice reigned in  the collection of taxes, adding that all illicit financial activities would be addressed.

NAN reports that placards were displayed with inscriptions such as “No to Tax Haven”; “Tax Justice Now”; “PMB probe Panama papers’ leaks” and “$50 billion lost to illicit financial flows can do a lot for Africa”.