Nigeria’s President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has directed the Federal Ministry of Justice and the National Assembly to address concerns raised over the tax bills.
The transmission of the Tax Reform Bills to the National Assembly has sparked widespread criticism, particularly from some governors in the northern region. Critics argue that the bills could harm the northern region and further impoverish Nigerians.
To address these concerns, President Tinubu has instructed the Ministry of Justice to engage with the National Assembly’s leadership to address any issues with the bills.
“It is pertinent to state that the government has nothing sinister to warrant the suggestion that the process is being rushed. In line with the established legislative procedure, the Federal Government welcomes meaningful inputs that can address whatever grey areas there may be in the bill,” Minister of Information and National Orientation Mohammed Idris said in a statement on Tuesday.
“In this vein, President Tinubu has already directed the Federal Ministry of Justice and relevant officials who worked on the drafts to work closely with the National Assembly to ensure that all genuine concerns have been addressed before the bills are passed.”
- ‘Spirit of Democratic Engagement’
Mohammed stressed that President Tinubu remains committed to accountability to the Nigerian people and praised the debates generated by the tax bills as “welcomed, and commendable.”
“It is very inspiring to see Nigerians from all walks of life coming out to express their views and opinions on these matters of critical national importance,” he said. “This is the very essence and meaning of democracy.”
“In the spirit of democratic engagement, there should be no room for name-calling or the injection of unnecessary ethnic and regional slurs into this important national conversation,” the minister added.
Some critics have argued that the bills are targeted at impoverishing certain states, particularly in the north. However, the minister dismissed these claims as “fake news” and “misinformation.”
“The fiscal reforms will not impoverish any state or region of the country, neither will they lead to the scrapping or weakening of any federal agencies,” he stated.
Once passed, he added, these bills are expected to “bring relief to tens of millions of hardworking Nigerians” and “empower and position our states and the 774 local governments for sustainable growth and development.”
“On top of this necessary foundation, the resources being conserved and realized from these reforms will be invested in critical infrastructure (healthcare, education, transportation, digital technology, etc.) and in social investments that will benefit all Nigerians and ensure that no one is left behind,” the statement read.
- Experts Call for Restraint, Patriotism
The Tax Reform Bills have continued to generate significant debate among Nigerians.
Following the heated discussions, Channels Television hosted a town hall event on Monday to examine the pros and cons of the tax bills. The event featured a range of experts, including the Chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, Taiwo Oyedele; former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara; Group CEO of Global Investment and Trade Company, Baba Yusuf; Public Affairs Analyst and Writer, Michael Chibuzor; and former President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria.
Governor Sule Abdullahi of Nasarawa also participated in the discussion.
At the town hall, panelists urged restraint and called for a thorough review of the bills to address any grey areas.
Oyedele, who was instrumental in drafting the bills, highlighted that they contain over 200 “transformative provisions” aimed at fixing the country’s fiscal system and guiding it toward prosperity. He reassured Nigerians that the bills should not be held up by a few contested provisions.
“These Bills have more than 200 transformative provisions to fix our country and set us on the right path to prosperity,” Oyedele said. “We should not allow one or two provisions that we can easily discuss and agree on to become the pain or the bottleneck.”
Dogara also appealed to the northern region, urging them not to condemn President Tinubu over the bills, asserting that the measures are not aimed at undermining the north.
“I want to talk to my brothers in the North. I don’t think this is the time for us to begin to condemn the president and to begin to say that on account of these bills, he is anti-north,” Dogara said.
The Tax Reform Bills have already passed their second reading in the senate, despite calls for their withdrawal.
