Tax Reforms Bills: Tinubu not against North – Former House of Reps Speaker, Dogara

Tax Reforms Bills: Tinubu not against North – Former House of Reps Speaker, Dogara

Yakubu Dogara, the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, has called on northern Nigerians to refrain from criticizing President Bola Tinubu over the proposed tax reform bills.

Speaking during a town hall discussion on Channels Television, Dogara emphasised that the proposed reforms mark a significant step forward and that Tinubu should not be viewed as anti-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.

“I want to remind us that the president has done something that is significant and if he can pursue this to the end, it will be that there is no northern leader of my lifetime that has done what the president has done for the north.”

He encouraged the people of the north to view the tax reforms as an opportunity, particularly highlighting the creation of the Ministry of Livestock Development.

According to Dogara, this new ministry has the potential to unlock significant economic opportunities for the region. He also pointed out that the north could thrive independently, even in the absence of the value-added tax (VAT).

“The creation of the livestock ministry is the global business around that; the global market size of dairies, of beef. In the next three years, we will rise to about $2.5 trillion,” Dogara said.

“So if in the north, we are able to organise ourselves in such a way that we can honour just 5 percent of this global market size of diaries and beef, I tell you, that gives us $250 billion.

“We don’t need VAT from any state in Nigeria to survive. The North can survive on its own. We are the most endowed part of Nigeria and don’t joke about it.

“If you are in doubt, find out from Australia how much they are raking from just mining minerals. There’s gold everywhere in the north. We have all the resources. We can survive.”

On October 3, President Bola Tinubu called on the National Assembly to review and pass four crucial tax reform bills, including the Nigeria Tax Bill, the Tax Administration Bill, and the Joint Revenue Board Establishment Bill. In a significant shift, the president also proposed repealing the existing law that established the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and replacing it with the Nigeria Revenue Service.

The Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF), representing the 19 northern states, swiftly expressed its opposition to the proposed reforms.

During a meeting with the Northern Traditional Rulers Council at the Kaduna Government House on October 28, the governors collectively urged the National Assembly to reject any legislation perceived as detrimental to the interests of the northern region.

They emphasised the importance of ensuring that national policies and programs are implemented in a way that guarantees fairness and prevents the marginalization of any region.

In response to these concerns, the presidency sought to reassure the Northern governors on October 31, clarifying that the proposed tax reforms were not aimed at disadvantaging any part of the country.

The administration affirmed that the reforms were designed with the overarching goal of enhancing the well-being of all Nigerians and improving the efficiency of the national tax system for the benefit of every region.