Governor Babagana Umara Zulum of Borno State has accused President Bola Tinubu of attempting to destroy the northern region of the country with the new tax reform bills.
The bill which passed second reading on Thursday has generated criticism especially from northern governors and elders who have called for its withdrawal.
In spite of the opposition to the bill, the Senate during the week debated on it and passed it for second reading.
The bill seeks to prioritize the location of consumption as the basis for sharing Value Added Tax, VAT among states. It is a known fact that several northern states ban consumption of alcoholic beverages with several bottles of beer regularly confiscated and destroyed.
Stakeholders have expressed opinions that states that ban alcohol drinks should also not be entitled to share from taxes and VAT paid by companies producing them.
In his reaction to the bill, Governor Zulum while speaking in an interview with BBC Hausa service, wondered why the bill was hurriedly passed compared with other bills which have been before the senate but have not received urgent attention.
He reiterated the stand of the northern governors against the bill saying the north will be mostly affected.
He said, “We condemn these bills transmitted to the National Assembly. They will drag the north backward, and not only the north, South East, South West and some states in the South West such as Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, Ondo, will have problems with these bills,” Zulum said.
He added: “It is not opposition. This, based on our understanding, is something that will destroy the north in its entirety. Therefore, we call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and others to review this decision. He secured 60% of his votes in the north. He should not listen to those telling him that northerners are not supporting him. What we need now is the withdrawal of the tax bills.
Speaking on the speedy passage of the bill, Zulum said there is need for the national assembly to take a second look at the bill and urged them to be cautious in their approval of it.
He noted that the north will find it difficult to pay salaries as it will affect the amount of federal allocations they get.
“Why all the rush! There’s a petroleum bill that was presented but it took almost 20 years before it was finally passed. But this one was transmitted and now receiving legislative attention within a week. What we are saying is that, let it be treated carefully and with caution so that even after our exit, our children would reap the benefits.
“How we see it is, if these bills scale through, we will not be able to even pay salaries. And if we paid, it won’t be sustainable the following year .These bills will not mean good for us.”
