Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Zulum, has raised concerns about President Bola Tinubu’s proposed tax reform bills, emphasizing the potential for economic imbalance if implemented in their current form.
Speaking during an appearance on “Sunday Politics” aired by Channels Television, Zulum explained why northern governors advised the federal government to pause the process.
According to Zulum, the tax reform bills, particularly the Value Added Tax (VAT) provision, would disproportionately favor Lagos and Rivers States, leaving other states, especially in the north, at a disadvantage. He pointed out that the calculations carried out by northern stakeholders revealed significant disparities in the proposed framework.
“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 conclude 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 not only 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.”
Zulum also dismissed allegations that northern governors are opposed to Tinubu’s administration, noting that the region played a significant role in his electoral victory.
“I am a strong member of APC. If you can count two governors before 2019 and 2023 that were in support of Tinubu, you can mention Governor Zulum. I was the first governor to come out publicly and say that power must go to the South.
“Unfortunately, the President was told by many that the north are against him. 60.2 per cent of his votes came from the north,” he added.
