Northern Youth Back Tinubu’s Reasons for Rejecting NEC’s Call to Withdraw Tax Reform Bills

The Progressive Northern Youth Forum (PNYF) has thrown its weight behind President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s decision to reject the National Economic Council’s (NEC) recommendation to withdraw the tax reform bills.

The PNYF, in a statement signed by Secretary General Abdulkadir Bala, commended President Tinubu for resisting pressure from the NEC, including the Northern Governors’ Forum.

The PNYF, in a statement signed by its Secretary General, Abdulkadir Bala, expressed its support for the President’s decision to disregard the stance of NEC members, particularly the Northern Governors’ Forum

Recall that during the 144th meeting of the NEC, chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima, the council suggested that the bills be withdrawn following a meeting of governors from the 19 northern states in Kaduna, where they, along with prominent traditional leaders from the region, collectively decided to oppose the Nigeria Tax Reform Bill.

In response, President Tinubu, through a statement issued by his media aide, Bayo Onanuga, urged the NEC to allow the process to run its full course.

In its statement, the PNYF General Secretary emphasized that the position taken by the Northern Governors’ Forum does not accurately represent the views of the people of the region regarding the tax reform bills.

Bala criticized the governors for focusing on blocking the reforms rather than creating avenues to enhance their states’ internally generated revenue. According to Bala, the governors have shown a persistent reliance on federal allocations rather than pursuing self-sustaining initiatives for regional growth.

The forum encouraged the governors to take advantage of the legislative process to provide constructive input on the tax bills instead of outright rejection.

Highlighting that the proposed reforms aim to streamline Nigeria’s tax administration and align it with global standards, the PNYF asserted that the people of the North are eager for policies that support economic self-reliance.

“If the governors genuinely care for their constituents,” Bala noted, “they should prioritize accountability and seek ways to strengthen their fiscal independence, rather than undermining initiatives that could benefit the nation as a whole.”

He said further that, “The Progressive Northern Youth Forum (PNYF) commends President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for rejecting the National Economic Council’s (NEC) recommendation to withdraw the tax reform bills,” the statement said.

“We also want to clarify that the North does not support the position of the Northern Governors’ Forum regarding the tax reform bills. The Forum’s call for the withdrawal of these bills does not represent the views of the people in the region.

“The governors have consistently demonstrated a lack of initiative to lead the North and instead rely on federal allocations, squandering the resources of the people. Rather than proposing similar bills to enhance their states’ internally generated revenues, the governors are inexplicably opposing efforts to reduce dependence on the federal government.

“If the governors genuinely cared for their constituents, they would have taken advantage of the opportunity to provide input and propose changes during the legislative process, rather than calling for the withdrawal of the bills from the National Assembly.

“What is the Northern Governors’ Forum afraid of? Clearly, they are afraid of taking responsibility. They want to continue being financially sustained by the Federal Government without making any efforts to develop their own revenue-generating initiatives. There is no evidence to show that the current Northern governors have effectively utilized all the allocations they have received from President Tinubu’s federal government.

“The governors should stop opposing people-oriented bills brought forth by the federal government and focus on fulfilling their responsibilities to the public. Otherwise, the people may feel compelled to demand their impeachment or resignation.

“Once again, we commend President Tinubu for remaining steadfast in his support of the tax reform bills, despite attempts by some self-serving individuals to dissuade him.

“The North fully supports the tax reform bills, as they aim to streamline Nigeria’s tax administration processes, completely overhaul the nation’s tax operations, and align them with global best practices.”