Governors of 19 states under the aegis of Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF), have rejected the proposed Tax amendment Bill.
In a communique issued at the end of a joint meeting with Northern Traditional Rulers Council on Monday at the Government House, Kaduna, the governors urged the
National Assembly to “oppose any bill that can jeopardise the well-being of the north.
President Ahmed Tinubu had on October 13, asked the national assembly to consider and pass four tax reform bills.
The proposed legislations include the Nigeria tax bill, tax Administration bill, and Joint Revenue Board establishment bill.
Tinubu also sought to repeal the law establishing the Federal Inland Revenue Service and replace it with the Nigeria Revenue Service.
The communique, read by Mohammadu Inuwa Yahaya, governor of Gombe State and Chairman of the NSGF, called for equity and farness in the implementation of all national policies and programmes to ensure that no geopolitical zone is short-changed or marginalised.
“Forum notes with dismay the content of the recent Tax Reform Bill that was forwarded to the National Assembly”, the communique reads.
“The contents of the Blare against the interests of the north and other sub-nationals especially the proposed amendment to the distribution of Value Added Tax (VAT) to Derivation-based Model.
“This is because companies remit VAT using location of their headquarters and tax office and not where the services and goods are consumed.
“In view of the foregoing, the forum unanimously rejects the proposed Tax Amendments and calls on members of National Assembly to oppose any bill that can jeopardise the well-being of our people.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Northern Governor’ Forum is not averse to any policies or programmes that will ensure the growth and development of the country.
“However, the Forum calls for equity and farness in the implementation of all national policies and programmes so as to ensure that no geopolitical zone is short-changed or marginalised”.
On the present economic hardship affecting the country, the governors appealed to all citizens to remain calm, as the states and federal government are working hard to implement measures that will cushion effects of the hardship.
The forum emphasises that the traditional institutions are critical in the quest for lasting peace and security in the region and urged them to cooperate with security agencies in the fight against banditry, cattle rustling, communal clashes, farmers/herder clashes and other forms of criminality.
The governors also commended Gen. Christopher Musa, Chief of Defence Staff, who briefed the meeting on efforts being made to tackle insecurity in the north, pointing out that his “professionalism and innovative approach has made the difference in the security architecture of the country at large.”
The governors, however said, more needed to be done to address pockets of challenges that abound in the region.
The communique said “with the recent ‘End Bad Governance’ protests that took place in August, it has resolved to scale up efforts to tackle the root causes of youth restiveness by investing in education, skills development, job creation and pathways for the youth to chanel their energy into productive ventures, thereby reducing their vulnerability to crime and social vices.”
The forum also decried the current electricity blackouts in most parts of the Northern states and resolved to call on the federal government and relevant agencies to urgently address the situation, caused by vandalization of electricity transmission infrastructure.
“This matter not only underscores the vulnerability of critical infrastructure, but also the need to build adlitional transmission lines and diversify our energy supply so as to better connect our region and improve our energy resilience,” the governors said.
According to the communique, the north holds immense agricultural potentials, which, if fully harnessed, can significantly alleviate hunger and boost economic growth.
“To achieve this, we resolved to provide adequate support to our farmers, including access to financing, modern farming techniques and infrastructure such as roads and irrigation systems.
“Agriculture should not only be seen as a means to feed our people but also as a catalyst for industrialization and job creation across the region.
“That can be achieved through re-industrialisation of the North especially by reviving the textile value chain and development of other agro-allied industries.
“Forum commends His Excellency, the President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the reform initiative in the livestock sub-sector and agreed to provide the necessary political will and commitment to ensure the success of the Federal Government livestock development initiatives.
“The Forum also agreed to sustain engagement and cross-fertilization of ideas with the Presidential Livestock Reforms Implementation Committee to achieve greater results.
“Forum acknowledges the fact that climate change has greatly affected our environment resulting in the recent flood incidents in many parts of the North and therefore resolved to partner with the Federal Government and other stakeholders to build irrigation infrastructure like canals and waterways to divert excess water and channel them towards irrigation activities, thus enhancing rural livelihoods and safeguarding food security.”
The meeting was attended by the governors of Zamfara, Borno, Bauchi, Adamawa, Kogi, Yobe, Gombe, Kaduna, Nasarawa and Kwara states.
Plateau, Benue, Katsina, Kano, Jigawa, Sokoto, Kebbi, Taraba and Niger were represented by their deputies and secretaries to their state governments (SSGs).
