Northern group criticises Ndume over tax bills as Shehu Sani backs policy

The Northern Redemption Coalition (NRC) has criticised Senator Ali Ndume for opposing the tax reform bills forwarded to the National Assembly by President Bola Tinubu.

The proposed legislation includes the Nigeria Tax Bill 2024; Tax Administration Bill and the Nigeria Revenue Service Establishment Bill to repeal the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) Act and create the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) and the Joint Revenue Board Establishment Bill.

Northern leaders, including traditional rulers and the Northern Governors Forum (NGF), had opposed the Nigeria Tax Bill 2024, claiming it would impoverish the North.

Further emphasising the position of the Northern leaders, Ndume, during an appearance on a live programme on Tuesday, declared that the bills were dead on arrival.

He said the National Assembly should throw them out.
Responding to Ndume’s comments in a statement yesterday, NRC President, Adamu Bashir, warned the lawmaker against “over-inflating his political worth and following.”

He maintained that Ndume’s comments did not reflect the position of Nigerians.
But the senator, who represented Kaduna South in the Eighth National Assembly, Shehu Sani, has stated that the bills were harmful to the North or any part of the country.

According to him, the North must not ascribe sentiments to the tax reform bills, insisting that they were economically beneficial and fair to all parts of the country.

Sani, who is also a civil rights activist, in a statement yesterday, observed: “People should keep aside sentiments and read the bill carefully,” adding: “It’s a comprehensive and bold move to harmonise and simplify tax administration and streamline its operations and enforcement.”

He urged the 19 northern governors to promote its passage.