Tinubu’s tax reform bills: Real reason we are openly against DSP, Jibrin – Northern Youths

Youths from Northern Nigeria have voiced their dissatisfaction with the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, following his alleged anti-north stance on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s tax reform bills.

The leaders of the Northern Youth Assembly, Mohammed Idris (President) and Abdulhafiz Garba (Secretary), expressed their concerns in an open letter released on Saturday.

The controversy erupted after Jibrin, i an interview with BBC Hausa, explained that the Senate allowed the tax reform bills to proceed to a second reading to enable further discussion and consultation from experts and the public.

However, the Northern Youth Assembly leaders criticized Jibrin for backing the bills, describing his position as insensitive to the interests of the northern region.

“The Northern Youth Assembly (Majalisar Matasan Arewa), on behalf of the 19 northern states leadership of the assembly, wishes to express our unequivocal disappointment and dismay in you, following your action towards the scaling for the second reading of an evil tax reform bill, which would certainly undermine the North and further relegate the region economically and commercially.

‘’Your support for the passage of the proposed evil tax reform bill put forth by the Tinubu administration is the highest order of your insensitivity to the economic and commercial plight of your constituency, Kano State, and the entire Northern Nigeria,” NYA stated.

The Northern Youths stated that the bills in their current form would clearly place the region in an economically disadvantageous position.

“As representatives of the Northern Nigerian youths, we believe the proposed tax reform bill, in its current form, would surely disproportionately affect the economic livelihoods and aspirations of our people, and it is of course without taking into cognisance of the current economic reality in the country,” the group stated.

There has been a wide range of rejection, especially from elites in Northern Nigeria, since early October 2024, when Tinubu sent the four tax reform bills to the National Assembly.

The Northern Governors Forum, the Northern Elders Forum, the National Economic Council, and Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, among others, have openly called for the withdrawal of the bills.

The latest was last week, when Governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum, said the tax reform bills will cause backwardness in the North and Nigeria in general.

However, Tinubu has insisted on the passage of the bills.

Tinubu is not alone, as a former senator who represented Kaduna Central Senatorial District, Shehu Sani, had in several fora backed the bills, noting that it is not against the North.

The Northern Youth Association, Arewa Grassroots Network (AGN), also supported the bill on the basis that it meant well for the generality of Nigerians.

The bills gained momentum last week when they secured second reading at the Senate.

News360 Nigeria reports that economic experts have also backed the tax reform bill on the ground that it will boost Nigeria’s revenue.

Taiwo Oyedele, Chairman Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, provided an explanation on why the tax bills were generating controversy.