A former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has called on northerners not to criticise President Bola Tinubu over the proposed tax reform bills.
Since the introduction of the bills in the National Assembly, many northern leaders have voiced opposition, claiming that the reforms unfairly target the region.
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The Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF), representing 19 northern states, along with the Northern Traditional Rulers Council, has called for a review of the bills.
However, speaking during Channels Television’s town hall on tax reforms on Monday, Dogara urged northern leaders to reconsider their stance, arguing that the criticism is largely uninformed. He emphasized that the tax reforms should be viewed in the context of their potential benefits for the entire country.
“I want to talk to my brothers in the North. I don’t think this is the time for us to begin to condemn the president and to begin to say that on account of these bills, he is anti-north because I want to remind us that the president has done something that is significant,” Dogara said.
He highlighted the creation of the livestock ministry, which he believes could have a transformative impact on the northern economy. “If he can pursue this to the end, it would be that there is no northern leader of my lifetime that has done what the president has done for the north,” he added.
Dogara explained that the global market for dairy and beef is expected to reach $2.5 trillion in the next three years, and if the North can capture just 5% of this market, it could generate $250 billion. “We don’t need VAT from any state in Nigeria to survive. The North can survive on its own. We are the most endowed part of Nigeria,” he concluded.
He also dismissed concerns over the timing and consultation process surrounding the bills, arguing that the focus should be on whether the reforms are beneficial, rather than political agendas or previous discussions.
