Gov. Zulum Speaks On Why Northern Govs Asked Tinubu To Pause His Tax Reform Bills
Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum reveals that the Northern Nigeria Governors Forum advised President Tinubu to delay controversial tax reform bills for wider consultation.
The Governor of Borno State, Professor Babagana Zulum, has explained that the Northern Nigeria Governors Forum, NNGF, advised President Bola Tinubu to hold on before pushing the controversial tax reform bills to enable them consult widely.
The bills include the Joint Revenue Board of Nigeria (Establishment) Bill, 2024 -SB.583; the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) BILL, 2024- SB.584; the Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, 2024-SB.585; and the Nigeria Tax Bill, 2024 – SB.586.
Tinubu presented the bills to the National Assembly in October for passage into law.
However, Ziulum who spoke on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, noted that the NNGF's position did not mean that the governors were against President Bola Tinubu.
According to Zulum, if the bills scale through the National Assembly, states would be short-changed as only Lagos State would be the main beneficiary of the policy.
His words, "On this tax issue, there are a lot of misconceptions. We felt that the VAT provision in the tax law, based on the calculations that we did, only Lagos and Rivers States will benefit from this scheme. We did our own research and concluded that we would lose.
“Why are we in a rush? We advised the Federal Government to take a pause and expunge some of the clauses that are inimical to Northern Nigeria.
“What we are saying is that give more time, let us do a deeper consultation to understand the nitty-gritty of this tax regime before passing it into law.
“Why are we in a rush? We advised the Federal Government to take a pause and expunge some of the clauses that are inimical to Northern Nigeria.
“What we are saying is that give more time, let us do a deeper consultation to understand the nitty-gritty of this tax regime before passing it into law.
But the bills passed the second reading on the floor of the Senate on November 28, 2024.
Zulum further said that contrary to some insinuations in some quarters, the northern governors were not against President Tinubu’s administration,pointing out that, before the 2023 general election, he was one of the few governors who insisted that power must go to the south.
He also, explained that as a member of the All Progressives Congress, APC, he backed Tinubu’s presidential ambition, adding that,
the north cannot be against Tinubu as over 60 per cent of his votes in the 2023 general elections came from the region.
The governor then expressed displeasure
that some people were passing negative narratives that the north was against Tinubu’s administration.
“I am a strong member of APC. If you can count two governors before 2019 and 2023 who were in support of Tinubu, you can mention Governor Zulum. I was the first governor to come out publicly and say that power must go to the South.
“Unfortunately, the President was told by many that the North was against him, but 60.2 per cent of his votes came from the north,” he further added.
Zulum further said that contrary to some insinuations in some quarters, the northern governors were not against President Tinubu’s administration,pointing out that, before the 2023 general election, he was one of the few governors who insisted that power must go to the south.
He also, explained that as a member of the All Progressives Congress, APC, he backed Tinubu’s presidential ambition, adding that,
the north cannot be against Tinubu as over 60 per cent of his votes in the 2023 general elections came from the region.
The governor then expressed displeasure
that some people were passing negative narratives that the north was against Tinubu’s administration.
“I am a strong member of APC. If you can count two governors before 2019 and 2023 who were in support of Tinubu, you can mention Governor Zulum. I was the first governor to come out publicly and say that power must go to the South.
“Unfortunately, the President was told by many that the North was against him, but 60.2 per cent of his votes came from the north,” he further added.
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