Chukwu David 
Erstwhile House of Representatives Leader, Abdulmumin Jibrin, has defended President Bola Tinubu’s Tax Reforms Bills before the National Assembly, saying they are not against the interest of the North.
Many Nigerians criticised Tinubu’s proposed tax reforms, and northern governors and monarchs promptly rejected them on the grounds that they were “not favourable to the North.”
The bills are the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, Nigeria Tax Bill, Nigeria Tax Administration Bill and Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Bill.
The Senate Committee on Finance met with Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) Chairman, Zacch Adedeji, last month to discuss the bills’ objectives. Both chambers of the National Assembly are preparing to consider and pass the bills when they resume from recess next week.
But speaking on a TV programme monitored yesterday, Jibrin, Jibrin, a member of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) representing Kiru/Bebeji in Kano State, urged the critics to study the contents of the bills before concluding.
The legislator, who expressed confidence that the National Assembly would pass the bills, insisted that the North is not unanimously opposed to them.
He said: “There’s a crisis of perception here. People hear ‘tax reform’ and immediately assume it will negatively impact them, without ever taking the time actually to review the details of the bill. Many of the critics haven’t even looked at the bill closely.
“President Tinubu is seen as a tax and revenue-focused person, and because of that, when you hear discussions about the bill, people jump to conclusions. I urge everyone, including lawmakers, the media, and the public, to engage with the actual content of the bill before making judgements.
“It’s easy to assume, but if you look at the bill, you’ll see that it’s not about imposing new taxes on the common man. Instead, it addresses systemic issues and proposes reforms that benefit the broader society.
“The bills entail protective measures, or ‘buffers’, designed to prevent any negative impact on northern states. “These buffers are important in safeguarding the interests of the Northern region. “They ensure that, even as the tax system is reformed, the North will not face any adverse consequences.”
