The Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs to Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State, Peter Ahemba, has explained why the north is against the Tax Reform Bills before the National Assembly.
Ahemba said the north observed that the bills would only be favourable to states in the southern part of the country, which was why the region kicked against them.
He noted that the agenda to stop the bills was a collective responsibility for all political players from northern Nigeria.
Ahemba said, “You can see the senators and House of Representatives members from the north speaking with one voice. It is the north speaking in one voice on the matter.
“Also, the stand of the Northern Governors Forum is clear on the matter. They are urging the President to step down the tax reform bills and allow for further consultations.
“They want him to consult widely so that people will see reasons with the bills. For now, the perception is that the bills will only favour some states like Lagos while the north will be shortchanged, and in that regard, the President needs to convince the north about the bills.”
Also, the Director General, Media to Governor Dikko Radda of Katsina State, Maiwada Danmallam, said it was too early for any governor to preempt the bills before the public debate.
“We should wait and see what the new bills will look like before we preempt what will happen. It is too early to say what any governor will do when the debates resume.
“The bills were rejected because of some controversial clauses. So, if the bills are withdrawn by the presidency to address the contentious clauses, we can only wait to see how far the presidency will go in addressing the concerns before saying what governors will or will not do,” he explained.
