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Akume dismisses claims of Northern bias in tax reform bills
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, has dismissed claims that the proposed Tax Reform Bills are targeted at the North.
Speaking on a TVC News programme on Sunday, Akume emphasized that he has consulted with senior citizens, leaders, and religious leaders from the region, and they have all expressed their support for the bills.
He said: “People say it’s against a certain section. I come from that part of that section and I am 100 per cent supportive of these bills.
He said: “I have spoken to quite a number of notable northerners and they’re not against these bills. These bills have nothing to do with any one section of this country. It’s not proposed against the north. I am also a northerner.”
The SGF attributed the opposition to the bills to “opposition politics,” stating that some individuals are attacking the bills solely because they are proposed by the party in power.
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“There are others who are attacking the bills purely from the perspective of opposition politics, ‘It is coming from the party in power. Therefore, we have to attack it in order to gain support for 2027,'” he added .
Akume urged critics of the bills to channel their concerns through the proper channels, rather than resorting to protests.
“So, my candid advice would be that the final analysis will be going to the National Assembly. And therefore, if they have any comment to make, they can put it down in writing. Or whenever the Assembly decides to hold public hearing, they can make their views,” he advised.
The Tax Reform Bills, which include the Joint Revenue Board of Nigeria (Establishment) Bill, 2024, the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, 2024, and the Nigeria Tax Bill, 2024, have sparked widespread debate since their introduction to the National Assembly.
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