Northern leaders have expressed displeasure over President Bola Tinubu’s declaration that there will be no reversal on the controversial tax reform bills.
The leaders, comprising members of the National Assembly, the League of Northern Democrats, and the Northern Elders’ Forum, criticised the President’s firm position, describing it as unilateral and devoid of inclusive consultations.
During his maiden media chat held on Monday in Lagos, the President acknowledged that the bills might not be embraced by everyone, but maintained that there was no turning back on them.
He added that the tax reform bills were necessitated by the need to eliminate colonial-based assumptions in the nation’s tax environment.
Speaking to Saturday PUNCH, the lawmaker representing Nasarawa South Senatorial District, Senator Mohammed Onawo, said the President must allow National Assembly members to perform their duties without undue interference from other arms of government.
He emphasised the importance of adhering to due legislative procedures, noting that, as a former legislator, the President should respect the established process.
Onawo stated, “If the President, who was once a legislator, is passing judgment on bills that are before the National Assembly, it is unfortunate.
“Be it good or bad, the President should let the bills go through the normal legislative process and get the approval of the legislators. If they get approval, they will become law, but if they don’t, they die.
“I don’t subscribe to a situation where a president introduces a bill to the National Assembly and doesn’t give the lawmakers a chance to go through it and says it’s here to stay. For a legislature as reputable as this one, I think that’s wrong.”
He added, “Most of the people, even the legislators commenting on the bills, have not gone through the full content to know whether they’re good or bad. It’s just the summary that is being passed around.
“There is no bill initiated by anyone that is totally bad. The right thing is for legislators to go through the bills, identify contentious areas, and amend those that do not represent the public’s opinion or will not benefit the general public.
“Even laws as old as 100 years can be amended; so, I don’t see any reason why anyone will claim it’s good or bad without reviewing the content.
“We will look at the bills, and if any part is contentious or doesn’t benefit the people we represent, we will bring our opinions together, and at the end of the day, those with popular opinion will ensure the bills pass.”
Also commenting on the issue, Senator Ibrahim Gobir, who represented Sokoto East in the 9th Assembly, accused Tinubu of playing “politics of tribalism” with the tax reform bills.
According to him, the President cannot unilaterally implement the bills without legislative approval.
He criticised the proposed allocation of value-added tax revenue, saying, “If the parliament agrees with the bills, that’s fine, but if they do not agree, what can he do? Will he do it without the legislature?
“The bills are not only about the North; they are about Nigeria. You cannot be the president of only the Yoruba; he is the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. All Nigerians, not just Yoruba people, voted for him. Why should he be a regional president when this bill will benefit only Lagos, Rivers, and Ogun states?
“Section 77 of the bill is the main issue. Consumers in Nigeria are not only Yoruba or Lagosians; they are all over the nation. When I drink Pepsi here in Abuja, I have to pay VAT to Lagos – why? If that is the case, then for any food item brought from the North, the VAT on it should be paid to the North.
“How can you give the impression that one section of the country is better than the other? What about the people from the Niger Delta who produce the oil that everyone is stealing?”
When asked if the legislators would review the bills before passing them, Gobir said, “We are not going to review them; we are going to dump them unless they correct all the abnormalities in the bills.”
On its part, the Northern Elders’ Forum said Tinubu’s declaration that the “tax reform bills are here to stay” undermined the principle of democracy.
The spokesman for the NEF, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, in an interview with Saturday PUNCH, cautioned Tinubu against causing a crisis between the executive and legislative arms of government.
He said, “President Tinubu’s declaration raises concerns. The potential for bypassing the legislative process, inherent in his strong assertion, undermines the principles of democratic governance.
“By pre-emptively declaring the bills’ passage, the President risks alienating lawmakers and potentially creating unnecessary political friction.”
Commenting on Tinubu’s declaration, the League of Northern Democrats cautioned the President against rigidity on issues affecting the general welfare of citizens.
Speaking on behalf of the group, a former spokesman for the ex-Vice President Namadi Sambo and a pioneer member of the LND, Umar Sani, said, “We know that the country requires tax reform. One of the reasons for tax reform is to fight corruption.
“Corruption is very high because people don’t pay taxes. If people pay taxes, the rate of corruption will be lower because you know the larger part of the money you steal will go to the government.
“But there are areas we want the government to review, like the inheritance tax, which is against religion, and some other incidentals. There are areas we agree with the bills, and we have given suggestions on areas we don’t agree with. In summary, our position is not against the bills.
“The President has offended the sensibilities of many Nigerians, particularly those of our leaders, with his declaration, and it shows the level of independence of our National Assembly. The President should not be rigid in decision-making.”
The PUNCH reported that on September 3, 2024, Tinubu transmitted four tax reform bills to the National Assembly for consideration, following the recommendations of the Taiwo Oyedele-led Presidential Committee on Fiscal and Tax Reforms.
The bills include the Nigeria Tax Bill 2024, which aims to provide the fiscal framework for taxation in the country, and the Tax Administration Bill, which will provide a clear and concise legal framework for all taxes in the country and reduce disputes.
Others are the Nigeria Revenue Service Establishment Bill, expected to repeal the Federal Inland Revenue Service Act and establish the Nigeria Revenue Service, as well as the Joint Revenue Board Establishment Bill, which will create a tax tribunal and a tax ombudsman.
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