“Why We Asked Tinubu To Pause On Tax Reform Bill,” Northern Govs Speak

• Northern governors, led by Borno governor Babagana Zulum, have explained that their states will not benefit from Tinubu's tax reform bills
• In an interview on Sunday, Zulum urged Tinubu's government to reconsider the tax reform bill for further consultation, noting that only Rivers and Lagos states will benefit from the bill
• The four tax reform bills proposed by Tinubu are stoking anger in Northern Nigeria, with groups in the region demanding the suspension of passage of the legislation

Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.

Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno state has explained why governors of the 19 states in the northern region urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to hold on before pushing the controversial tax reform bills.

Zulum: North will lose out if bills pass

Governor Zulum said the Northern Governors Forum (NGF) only needs time for consultation.

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He spoke on Sunday, December 1, when he appeared as a guest on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics.

According to Zulum, if the bill sails through the National Assembly, states would be shortchanged as only Lagos State would be the main beneficiary of the policy.

“On this tax issue, there are a lot of misconceptions. We felt that the VAT provision in the tax law. Based on the calculations that we did, only Lagos and Rivers States will benefit from this scheme. We did our own research and concluded that we would lose,” Zulum said.

“Why are we in a rush? We advised the Federal Government to take a pause and expunge some of the clauses that are inimical to Northern Nigeria.

“What we are saying is that give more time, let us do a deeper consultation to understand the nitty-gritty of this tax regime before passing it into law.”

Read more about tax reform bills here:

• Nigerian gov Zulum rejects Tinubu’s tax reform bill, cites consequences
• Ndume identifies 3 major issues with Tinubu’s tax reform bill, video trends
• Senate passes Tinubu's Tax Reform Bills for second reading, details emerge

Presidency releases highlights of tax reform bills

Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that President Tinubu's administration released 13 highlights of the Tax Reform Bills that were earlier sent to the National Assembly.

According to the presidency, the existing tax system was complex and stifling growth, bringing low revenue results.

Sunday Dare, the special adviser to the president on public communication and orientation said the bill would help to promote sustainable economic growth.

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Proofread by Kola Muhammed, journalist and copyeditor at Legit.ng