Northern Elders Reject Tinubu’s Tax Reform Bill, Cite Threat to Unity

The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has criticized the proposed tax reforms by President Bola Tinubu, stating that the initiative is detrimental to the interests of the northern region.

In a communiqué signed by NEF convener Professor Ango Abdullahi and released on Saturday, the forum expressed strong opposition to the Tax Reform Bill, currently under consideration by the National Assembly. The statement followed deliberations during the second bi-annual meeting of the NEF Board of Trustees held on Wednesday, November 20, 2024, at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Center in Abuja.

The NEF described the bill as poorly conceived, packaged in bad faith, and a direct threat to national unity and cohesion. It also alleged that those pushing the bill have ulterior motives.

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“The meeting unanimously endorsed the patriotic stand taken on the raging national debate about the Tax Reform Bill by the Northern States Governors’ Forum in conjunction with the Northern Nigeria Council of Traditional Rulers,” the communiqué read. It reaffirmed NEF’s strong opposition to the proposed policy, describing it as “pernicious.”

The forum also condemned the lack of opposition to the bill by lawmakers from the northern region, accusing them of failing to defend the interests of their constituents. The communiqué continued:

“In its present form, the Tax Reform Bill was conceived in bad faith, poorly packaged, and imposed on the nation without input from critical stakeholders. The suspicious manner in which the bill was advanced, excluding members of the National Economic Council, confirms the sinister intentions of its promoters.”

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NEF further warned that such neglect of northern interests, whether from within or outside the region, would no longer be tolerated, calling out northern politicians for their “conspiratorial silence” on the matter.

The forum affirmed its support for the Northern States Governors’ Forum and the Northern Nigeria Council of Traditional Rulers in rejecting the Tax Reform Bill, urging a reconsideration of policies that threaten unity and regional equity.

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