President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Festus Osifo, on Thursday cautioned Nigerians against politicising the tax reform bills.
President Bola Tinubu on October 3 presented the four bills to the National Assembly for deliberations and passage. Since then, the bills have pitched some state governors against the Federal Government, with the governors calling for the withdrawal of the bills to create room for more consultation.
The bills are the Joint Revenue Board of Nigeria (Establishment) Bill, 2024 -SB.583; the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, 2024- SB.584; and the Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, 2024- SB. 585; and the Nigeria Tax Bill, 2024 – SB.586.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Osifo said the bills are good, stressing that the concerns raised from the bill are to be expected.
“Those undertones are clearly there. It started from the Northern Governors Forum, it metamorphosed into the General Governors’ Forum and it went into the National Economic Council.
“At this stage of our development, we should be wary. We shouldn’t politicise everything. Bringing in tribal talks or ethnicity, I don’t think this is right,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Senators from the South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria have expressed support for the Tax Reform Bills presented to the National Assembly by President Bola Tinubu.
The lawmakers under the aegis of the South-South Senators’ Forum stressed the importance of tax reforms in boosting national revenue and fostering economic stability.
In a statement issued in Abuja by the Chairman of the Forum, Senator Seriake Dickson (PDP, Bayelsa West), the lawmakers highlighted their commitment to conducting a comprehensive evaluation of the bills to ensure they align with national interests, particularly the well-being of the South-South region.
They also called on South-South governors to work collaboratively with lawmakers to refine the bills for mutual benefit.
The Senators, representing Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Edo, Cross River, Delta, and Rivers States, passed a vote of confidence in Senate President Godswill Akpabio, praising his leadership in advancing the Senate’s constitutional mandate.
The Forum urged stakeholders to avoid introducing regional, ethnic, or tribal sentiments into the national dialogue, advocating for robust interactions and consultations in the legislative process.