The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has called on the Federal Government to tell Nigerians full details of the recent agreement on digital tax reform and revenue administration signed by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) on their behalf with French government.
ADC in a statement on Sunday by the National Publicity Secretary Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said though it supports efforts to modernise the country’s tax system, the process raises serious questions about transparency, national sovereignty, and the protection of Nigerians’ data.
“We note the overwhelming concern that the agreement potentially endangers Nigeria’s data security and exposes strategic national economic information to foreign exploitation,” the party stated.
It added that attempts by the FIRS to explain these concerns have failed to convince anyone that the agreement was done in the nation’s best interest.
“Tax matters are about business, not charity,” ADC said, and faulted the hast the agreement was concluded.
The party noted that the FIRS has told Nigerians what the country stands to benefit, but has failed to tell them what France stands to benefit from this deal.
It wondered why the Federal Government entered into a serious agreement such as this, “which potentially infringes on national security and sovereignty, without public disclosure of its full terms, without open engagement with the National Assembly, and without any meaningful effort to carry Nigerians along.”
ADC observed that France’s role and influence are openly questioned across West Africa, with former French colonies severing their neo-colonial ties with the country.
“Yet, under the Bola Tinubu administration, Nigeria appears to have become more Francophone than the French,” the party said.
It reminded the All Progressives Congress (APC) led Federal Government that Nigeria’s local content policy was designed to encourage the development of national human capital and to reduce capital flight by promoting domestic industries, especially in the provision of services, and wondered why Tinubu prefers to promote his French connection over and above the plethora of competent and globally acclaimed national service providers in the nation’s financial sector.
“These tax reforms should provide opportunities to strengthen national institutions and build local capacity, not to create new dependencies or hand over strategic control of our economic intelligence to external actors,” the party said.
It demands full publication of the tax agreement, proper briefing of the National Assembly, and an independent assessment of its implications for data security, cybersecurity, and national sovereignty.
“The details of this closed-door arrangement must be published for all to see, or be terminated,” ADC asserted.
