*Says Nigerians too harsh on Davido
Former presidential aide and seasoned journalist Laolu Akande has expressed strong support for President Bola Tinubu’s decision to reject the National Economic Council’s (NEC) recommendation to withdraw the Tax Reform Bills currently before the National Assembly. Speaking on My Take segmanen of Inside Sources with Laolu Akande on Channels TV, Akande hailed Tinubu’s stance as a demonstration of political will and emphasized the importance of the legislative process in shaping such reforms.
Akande described the Tax Reform Bills as “long overdue” and argued that the National Assembly remains the appropriate forum for negotiating such critical national issues. He dismissed any attempts to frame the reforms within ethnic or religious agendas, insisting that robust discussions and consensus-building are the way forward.
“I disagree strongly with NEC asking that the President should withdraw it first. The NASS is the best forum to negotiate and dialogue on such pertinent national issue.”
Akande took particular exception to the suggestion that the bills should be withdrawn, reworked by governors, and then returned to the Senate for expedited passage.
“How can a Senator ask for a bill to be withdrawn from the National Assembly and sent to the Governors so that it can be reworked by the GOVS and then according to the Senator passed by the Senate within 24hours? Senator, if we should do that it means law-making has been outsourced to the Govs. Should we then close down the Senate?” he asked rhetorically.
Praising Tinubu’s decision to instruct the Attorney-General of the Federation to address differences in the bill, Akande urged immediate resolution: “Let us negotiate the percentages where we need to. And let us do it now if we are serious. Let every meaningful difference be aired and resolved.”
Shifting focus, Akande also commented on recent reports that the Port Harcourt refinery is operating at 70% capacity. While acknowledging murmurs of skepticism about these claims, he called for optimism.
“After the joyous news that the Port Harcourt refinery is up again, running on 70% capacity….there were some murmurs that it may all be hype!,” he remarked.
“What kind of Kill-joy is this?
Or what does that gentleman (the Secretary of the ALESA Community in Rivers State) up to saying NNPC only supplied from old stock and all that? This was after we all hailed the good news about the revival of the PH refinery last week.
As for me, as things stand, I choose to believe a true media professional, Mr. Femi Soneye-NNPC Chief Spokesman who gave us the good news. And I congratulate Mele Kyari and the entire team. Professional engineers and PENGASSAN too have confirmed.”
In a lighter segment, Akande addressed the backlash against Nigerian music superstar David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido. Following criticism of Davido’s recent remarks about national issues, Akande urged restraint and understanding.
“Aren’t we being too harsh on Davido? The young man, Mr. David Adeleke, said what we don’t want him to say, especially outside, washing the dirty linen in public. But not only is Davido speaking his truth, he has a lot of credit in showcasing his talents about us as a people and he’s doing it on a global scale. So, please, don’t let us be too harsh on Davido. Instead, let us seek effective ways to cure some of the ills in our country while we yet may.”
Akande’s remarks underscore his consistent call for constructive dialogue and meaningful engagement in addressing Nigeria’s challenges. From tax reforms to refinery operations and even cultural critiques, he highlighted the need for collective effort to move the nation forward.
