Tax Reforms Bills: Tinubu warns Kwankwaso against ethnic sentiment

Tax Reforms Bills: Tinubu warns Kwankwaso against ethnic sentiment

President Bola Tinubu has responded to recent comments by former Kano State Governor and 2023 presidential aspirant, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, regarding the proposed tax reform bills before the National Assembly.

In a statement by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, Tinubu welcomed the vigorous national debate on the bills but cautioned against the use of ethnic or regional slurs that could inflame tensions.

Kwankwaso, while speaking recently at the convocation ceremony of Skyline University in Kano, alleged that the proposed reforms were part of an agenda by Lagos to “colonize” the northern region.

The former New Nigeria People’s Party presidential candidate accused the Tinubu administration of attempting to centralize tax revenues and interfere in affairs of Kano State.

“The Emir has just been installed at this difficult time in our country, especially in this part of the country, northern Nigeria,” he said.

“Today, we can see very clearly that there is a lot of effort from the Lagos axis to colonise this part of the country.

“Today, Lagos wouldn’t allow us to choose our Emir. Lagos has to come to the centre of Kano to put their own Emir.

“Today, we are aware that the Lagos young men are working so hard to impose and take away our taxes from Kano and this part of the country to Lagos,” the former governor had said.

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Kwankwaso further claimed that factory owners in the north had been compelled to relocate their headquarters to Lagos to allegedly give the southwestern state undue advantage in tax revenue collection.

He alleged that such moves were deepening economic inequalities between regions and called on the National Assembly to reject the bills.

But responding, the information minister stressed that the tax reform bills are designed to benefit all Nigerians irrespective of region or ethnicity.

Idris, who did not mention Kwankwaso directly, described the proposed tax reform bills as pivotal to ensuring financial autonomy for states and local governments while addressing long-standing issues of resource allocation.

“I call on all commentators and groups to keep up the spirit of informed engagement, and to strive to be respectful and understanding at all times despite the diversity of opinions. In the spirit of democratic engagement, there should be no room for name-calling, or for the injection of unnecessary ethnic and regional slurs into this important national conversation.

“Similarly, it is important to be aware that there is a lot of misinformation and fake news circulating around the tax bills and the overall reform agenda of the Tinubu Administration. The fiscal reforms will not impoverish any State or region of the country, neither will they lead to the scrapping or weakening of any federal agencies,” he said.

Idris added, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is implementing an ambitious fiscal reform agenda that will devolve more resources to Nigeria’s State and Local Governments, and ultimately to the Nigerian people, in the spirif of harnessing democracy that works for the people.

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“It is pertinent to state that the government has nothing sinister to warrant the suggestion that the process is being rushed. In line with the established legislative procedure, the Federal Government welcomes meaningful inputs that can address whatever grey areas there may be in the bill.”

The minister revealed that the president has directed the Federal Ministry of Justice to work with the National Assembly to address concerns being raised by Nigerians before the bills are passed.

The statement further reads, “We are indeed witnessing, at this moment in the history of Nigeria, the most far-reaching, impactful and beneficial set of fiscal reforms that Nigeria has seen in decades.

“In addition to the four tax bills being debated and deliberated upon, there is also the 2023 Supreme Court ruling on financial autonomy for local governments, which will significantly empower the tier of government that is closest to the Nigerian people.

“In all, these reforms will not only facilitate increased revenues (without imposing additional tax burdens on the people), they will also make it possible for citizens to demand and enjoy greater accountability in the management of public resources at all levels of government.

“President Tinubu and the administration will continue to champion policies that close the loopholes and gaps through which Nigeria’s valuable public resources have been frittered away for decades.

“On top of this necessary foundation, the resources being conserved and realised from these reforms will be invested in critical infrastructure (healthcare, education, transportation, digital technology, etc) and in social investments that will benefit all Nigerians and ensure that no one is left behind. This is the promise and the reality of the Renewed Hope agenda.”

 

Tax Reforms Bills: Tinubu warns Kwankwaso against ethnic sentiment