The Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF) has endorsed the stand taken by the Northern States Governors’ Forum in conjunction with the Northern Nigeria Council of Traditional Rulers, about the proposed Tax Reform Bill by President Bola Tinubu.
The 19 state governors in the Northern region had aired their strong displeasure on the recent Tax Reform Bill the Federal Government submitted to the National Assembly for approval.
The governors particularly rejected the proposed shift to a Derivation-based Model for Value Added Tax distribution.
They claimed that the proposed model would be at the disadvantage of the northern states and other less industrial regions.
The governors, under the auspices of the Northern States Governors’ Forum, voiced their strong opposition in a communique issued after a strategic meeting in Kaduna in October.
However, NEF Board of Trustees during its Second Bi-Annual Meeting on Wednesday November 20th, 2024 at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Center, Abuja, reaffirmed the NEF’s strong opposition to this pernicious policy.
According to a statement, NEF maintained, that, in its present form, the Tax Reform Bill is conceived in bad faith, poorly packaged and it is a palpable threat to their unity and national cohesion.
The forum in a communique signed by Professor Ango Abdullahi, its Convener and released on Saturday, condemned the conspicuous loss of voice on the burning issue by the elected lawmakers in the National Assembly from the region.
The communique partly reads; “The meeting unanimously endorsed the patriotic stand taken on the raging national debate about the Tax Reform Bill by the Northern States Governors’ Forum in conjunction with the Northern Nigeria Council of Traditional Rulers, just as it reaffirmed the NEF’s strong opposition to this pernicious policy.
“In addition, the meeting seriously maintained, that, in its present form, the Tax Reform Bill is conceived in bad faith, poorly packaged and it is a palpable threat to our unity and national cohesion. The Meeting proceeded by drawing attention to the brazen cavalier way and suspicious manner in which the Tax Reform Bill was imposed on the nation, without allowing the inputs of critical stakeholders, even as it kept members of the National Economic Council in the dark, thus; confirming the sinister intentions of those promoting this outrageous Bill.
“The Board-in-session, condemned in very strong terms, the conspicuous loss of voice on this burning issue by the overwhelming number of elected politicians in the National Assembly from the region, and fiercely warned, that indeed, the days are fast gone, when such conspiratorial connivance against the vital and strategic interest of the region, either by those within or outside the region, would be condoned or even tolerated.”