President Bola Tinubu has assured northern politicians that the tax reform bills before the National Assembly will not impoverish northern Nigeria.
His reaction follows a statement credited to Borno State governor, Babagana Zulum, who claimed that the proposed Value Added Tax (VAT) sharing model would only favour Lagos and Rivers states.
Reacting to the statement made by Zulum while speaking on Channels Television over the weekend, the presidency dismissed the claims.
In a statement released on Monday, December 2, presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, said the reforms aim to improve the quality of life for all Nigerians, particularly the disadvantaged, and streamline tax administration to foster a better business environment.
Onanuga described Zulum’s statement as unfounded and based on misinformation.
“The tax reform bills will not make Lagos or Rivers states more affluent than others, nor will they impoverish any region,” Onanuga stated, urging Nigerians to reject attempts to polarise the nation over the bills.”
He clarified that the bills do not propose scrapping agencies like the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), or the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA). He said these agencies will continue to operate and receive funding through budgetary allocations.
Onanuga added that President Tinubu’s tax and fiscal policy reforms are intended to simplify tax collection, alleviate the burden on businesses, and support national development.
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