Politics
Ex-Niger governor speaks against opposition to tax bills, blames govt for poor communication
The former Governor of Niger State, Babaginda Aliyu, has berated those opposing the Tax Reform Bills under consideration in the National Assembly.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony for the Executive Intelligence Management Course 17 at the National Institute for Security Studies in Abuja on Saturday, Aliyu said that those against it have not taken their time to study the bill.
The bills, including 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 President Bola Tinubu sent them to the National Assembly.
During a meeting on October 28, governors of the 19 northern states under the platform of the Northern Governors Forum had rejected the new derivation-based model for Value Added Tax distribution outlined in the tax reform bills.
Days later, the National Economic Council called for the bills’ withdrawal, urging the president to allow more consultations.
READ ALSO: South-south senators support Tinubu’s Tax Reforms Bills
President Tinubu has since ordered the review of the bills in order to address the concerns they have.
Aliyu also criticised the government for poor communication about the policy, adding that the citizens need to understand that no policy benefits everyone equally.
He said: “I was speaking to the NSA when we were in the common room, and I said to him, look, many of the people debating the tax bill have not read it. But again, there is the problem of communication; the government should speak more when the majority of the people are not literate.
“You should be the first to speak on any major policy, particularly one that will bring changes so that people can understand it.
“People can know that there is no policy that will come to somebody; if the majority comes and one person is disturbed, you can only tell him. But you cannot say because of one person, the policy cannot be taken. So communication is very, very important.”
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