Some youths from the North, on Tuesday, staged a protest at the National Assembly in support of the tax reform bills.
Bearing placards mostly with the inscription, ‘Leave Senator Barau alone,’ the protesting youths described critics of the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, over his support for the reform bills as “enemies of the North, enemies of progress, enemies of the nation.”
Speaking on behalf of the protesters, Tijani Mohammed, said they were satisfied with the explanations offered by the Chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, Taiwo Oyedele, on the benefits of the bill to the nation at large.
Mohammed urged President Bola Tinubu, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio; Senator Barau Jibrin and others not to relent until the passage into law of the tax bills.
He said, “The tax reform bills are in order and Nigerians should work towards her perfection and progress. For so long, we have lived on a decadence of tax reforms that have not produced anything good or meaningful to this nation.
“We are from the North; we are categorically in support of this tax reform bill. To those who have for the past few days castigated Senator Jibrin Barau, they are nothing but enemies of the North, enemies of Nigeria, enemies of our generation, enemies of progress, and supporters of retrogression.
“We call on Nigerians, as we have vowed that we shall continue to voice from one state to the other, one region to the other, we shall canvass, and this bill, by the grace of God, shall see the light of the day.
“The man who is in charge of the tax review came out to list the intents of the bill. What people were listing before are personal things like whether Alpha and Beta Consultants will be the consultants of the entire project.”
He added, “What we are looking at is, what comes to the states. And the man has said, if formerly you have five per cent, with this reform bill, you should be able to have between 15 and 20 per cent. That is progress. We cannot continue to stand stagnant for decades.
“We pray that the President will not relent, the President of the Senate supported by the Deputy Senate President, Senator Jibrin Barau must ensure that this bill is looked into properly and see that it is passed.
“It is a germane issue; it is overdue; it is something that Nigerians should look forward to to make progress. We cannot continue to stand stagnant. This is our generation. The generation of those who have led this country, in the past, have failed us. This present generation is in support of the reforms.” he said.
Prominent Islamic scholar, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, also on Tuesday expressed his support for President Tinubu’s tax reform bills, describing it as a step towards improving Nigeria’s economic landscape.
Sheikh Gumi’s approval of the reforms marks a notable shift from the ongoing debate.
“I believe the contentious VAT issue is the only part that needs to be reviewed; otherwise, it is a good package for all,” Gumi stated.
His remarks highlighted a key point of contention in the reforms, which some northern leaders argue might favour wealthier states like Lagos and Rivers at the expense of poorer regions.
Read Also: President Tinubu Orders Ministry to Review Tax Reforms Bills Amid Harsh Criticisms
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