- Ensure Tax Reform Bills Promote Equity, Justice, Atiku Tells N’ Assembly
- Don’t Enhance Status Of Few States While Unduly Penalizing Others
- Lagos State Would Be Primary Beneficiary Of Policy, Zulum Kicks
A fresh uproar has again greeted the tax reform bills proposed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Since President Tinubu sent four tax reform bills to the National Assembly for consideration and passage on October 3, 2024, it has been greeted with opposition and outrage from several quarters.
The Northern Governors Forum, the Northern Elders Forum, the National Economic Council, and Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, among others, have openly called for the withdrawal of the bills because they do not reflect the region’s interests.
However, President Tinubu has held his ground maintaining that his bills will not be recalled.
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Amid the stiff opposition, the bill was passed for a second reading on the floor of the Upper Chamber last week.
Joining the debate, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar called on the National Assembly to ensure that President Tinubu’s proposed tax reform bills address Nigeria’s uneven development and promote equity among the federating units.
He emphasized the need for a fiscal system that fosters justice and fairness rather than favouring certain regions at the expense of others.
Atiku in a statement on his official X handle on Sunday, urged the lawmakers to conduct an open, inclusive, and transparent public hearing on the bills.
Atiku stressed the importance of transparency and urged the National Assembly to publish the NEC’s resolutions on the reforms.
“I have followed the intense public discourse on the Tax Reform Bills with keen interest,” Abubakar wrote.
“Nigerians are united in their call for a fiscal system that promotes justice, fairness, and equity.
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“They are loud and clear that the fiscal system we seek to promote must not exacerbate the uneven development of the federating units by enhancing the status of a few states while unduly penalising others.
“I call for objectivity and transparency in the conduct of the public hearing being organised by our representatives in the National Assembly.
“As a concerned stakeholder, I firmly believe that transparency and objectivity are essential for promoting accountability, good governance, and public trust in policy-making.
“The public hearing process must facilitate open and inclusive participation by all stakeholders, including civil society organisations, traditional institutions, politicians, public officials, and subject matter experts.
“The NASS must be appropriately guided and ensure that in the final analysis, the contents of the Bills align with the interests of the vast majority of Nigerians” he stated.
On his part, Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Zulum, has revealed why the northern governors are urging President Tinubu to reconsider the contentious tax reform bills.
Making an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Zulum clarified that the Northern Governors Forum is not opposed to the administration but seeks time for consultation.
Zulum emphasised that the northern governors are not against President Tinubu, considering the region contributed significantly to his 2023 electoral victory, with over 60 per cent of his votes coming from the north.
The governor expressed concerns that if the bill passes through the National Assembly, states would be disadvantaged, as Lagos State would be the primary beneficiary of the policy.
“I’m not withdrawing my statement; to my own observations, if this tax bill is passed, the North, South East, South-South, and South West will all be shortchanged. The only state that will benefit is Lagos.”
