President Bola Tinubu‘s announcement that the contentious tax reform laws would not be retracted has angered northern leaders.
The leaders, which included representatives from the Northern Elders’ Forum, the League of Northern Democrats, and the National Assembly, attacked the president’s tough stance, calling it unilateral and lacking in inclusive consultations.
The President stated that there was no going back on the bills, even if he understood that not everyone would support them in his first media appearance on Monday in Lagos.
He went on to say that the country’s tax system needed to get rid of colonial-based presumptions, which is why the tax reform laws were necessary.
Senator Mohammed Onawo, the legislator for the Nasarawa South Senatorial District, told reporters that the president must permit members of the National Assembly to carry out their responsibilities free from excessive intervention from other branches of the government.
He stressed the significance of following correct parliamentary procedures, pointing out that the President should respect the established process because he was once a legislator.
“It is regrettable if the President, who was formerly a lawmaker, is rendering a decision on bills that are before the National Assembly,” Onawo said.
“Whether a law is excellent or horrible, the president should allow it to pass the legislature and go through the regular legislative process. They will become law if they are approved; otherwise, they will perish.
“I oppose a scenario in which a president presents a bill to the National Assembly, says it’s here to stay, and doesn’t allow the members to review it. I believe that to be incorrect for a legislature of this calibre.
“The majority of people, including the lawmakers who are commenting on the bills, have not read the entire content to determine whether they are good or bad,” he continued. All that is being circulated is the synopsis; no one has introduced a completely awful law. It is the proper course of action for lawmakers to review the laws, pinpoint any controversial passages, and make changes to those that do not reflect popular sentiment or will not benefit the broader public.
“I don’t see why anyone would argue that a law is good or bad without first examining its content since even laws that are 100 years old can be changed.”After reviewing the laws, we will discuss any controversial or unhelpful parts with the people we represent. Ultimately, the individuals with the most support will make sure the bills are passed.
Senator Ibrahim Gobir, a member of the 9th Assembly who represented Sokoto East, also offered commentary on the matter, accusing Tinubu of using the tax reform measures as a tool for “tribal politics.”
He asserts that without congressional consent, the President cannot enact the bills on his own.
“If the parliament agrees with the bills, that’s fine, but if they do not agree, what can he do?” He said this in criticism of the proposed distribution of value-added tax funds.
“Will he accomplish this without the legislature’s help? Nigeria is included in the bills, not only the North. He is the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; you cannot be the president of just the Yoruba. He was elected by all Nigerians, not just Yorubas. Given that this bill will only help the states of Lagos, Rivers, and Ogun, why should he be the regional president?
“The primary problem is Section 77 of the bill. Nigerian consumers are found throughout the country, not just in Yoruba or Lagos. I must pay VAT to Lagos while I drink Pepsi in Abuja. Why? How can you convey that one region of the country is superior to another if that is the case? The VAT on any food item imported from the North should be paid to the North. But what about the Niger Delta folks who make the oil that everyone is pilfering?”
“We are going to dump them unless they correct all the abnormalities in the bills,” Gobir responded when asked if the lawmakers would examine the bills before passing them.”
According to the Northern Elders’ Forum, Tinubu’s assertion that the “tax reform bills are here to stay” contradicted the democratic ideal.
