Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State has voiced the North’s opposition to President Bola Tinubu’s Tax Reforms Bill currently before the National Assembly.
In an interview on BBC News Hausa, which was posted on X, Zulum stressed that the North will not be party to the proposed legislation.
He emphasized the detrimental effects the bill would have on the North and other regions in the country.
Zulum warned that the tax reforms would lead to economic decline, hunger, poverty, and insecurity, especially in the northern region.
The governor also questioned the rush by the National Assembly to ensure swift passage of the bill, contrasting it with the prolonged delay of the Petroleum Bill in the National Assembly.
Expressing further concerns on affordability and sustainability, he says, “Our agitation is that we know if passed into law, we will not be able to pay and if, we pay once, the next year, it will become trouble because we won’t be able to pay again.
“Let’s not create problems and leave them behind for our future generations.”
According to him, Lagos State has also expressed concerns about the bill, citing potential economic difficulties thereby underscoring the widespread concern across regional lines.
The governor appealed to President Ahmed Tinubu to intervene, citing the North’s significant contribution of about 60 percent votes to his presidential victory.
Zulum urged Tinubu to consider the region’s concerns with compassion.
“We believe this Bill, if passed into Law will completely destroy or kill the North as a whole. We are calling on all relevant stakeholders including President Ahmed Bola Tinubu to raise up and look into this matter.
“It will not only affect the North, but the Eastern and Western even the South-South regions. States like Oyo, Ekiti, Ondo will have problems too. They are equally saying it will also take Lagos State backward and if that’s the case, we all don’t want Lagos to go backward.
Therefore, let’s leave things the way they are currently.”
Addressing members of the National Assembly, Zulum said, “Do not betray the trust of your constituents by passing the bill. Opposing the bill does not imply opposition to the government but rather a commitment to protecting regional interests.
“My position is that we should all be careful, we have families, grand children, brothers, sisters in our communities, our states to look out for.”
“Therefore, whatsoever that will not favour the North, our states – we – the Northern Governors – have met and discussed our position on it and will not be party to this Bill.
“The President should stop listening to comments that those from the North hated him. Let us be careful, no one should be deceived. This is politics, we voted him, this issue of tax will not remove us from our positions,” Zulum insisted.
Recall the Presidency, through the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, had explained that the Tax Reform Bills before the National Assembly are critical to improving the lives of Nigerians and were not proposed by Tinubu to undermine any part of the country.
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