Northern Group Supports Tinubu’s Rejection of NEC’s Tax Reform Bill Recommendation

A prominent northern group has voiced support for President Tinubu’s stance against the NEC’s decision on the tax reform bill, endorsing his push for a revised approach.

The Progressive Northern Youth Forum (PNYF) has voiced its support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s stance on the debated tax reform bills.

The group stated that Tinubu’s decision to reject the National Economic Council’s recommendation on the bill was a positive step.

recalls that during its 144th meeting, under the leadership of Vice President Kashim Shettima, NEC recommended withdrawing the bills due to opposition from northern stakeholders.

The suggestion emerged after governors from the 19 Northern states and esteemed traditional leaders from the area jointly resolved to oppose the tax reform bills.

Nevertheless, in a statement released on Friday by his media aide Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu disregarded the recommendation and encouraged the NEC to let the process proceed to completion.

READ ALSO: Tinubu Overrules Shettima-led NEC, Pushes for Immediate Tax Reform Bills

In response, PNYF expressed support for President Tinubu’s decision through a statement released on Saturday by its Secretary General, Abdulkadir Bala.

Bala stressed that the stance of the Northern Governors’ Forum does not accurately reflect the regional population’s views on the tax reform bills.

The Forum’s request to retract these bills does not reflect the opinions of the region’s residents.

If the governors truly cared for their constituents, they would have seized the opportunity to offer input and propose changes during the legislative process instead of urging for the bills’ withdrawal from the National Assembly.

Why is the Northern Governors’ Forum apprehensive? It seems they are hesitant to assume responsibility.

They want to keep receiving financial support from the Federal Government without taking steps to create their own revenue-generating initiatives.

The statement added that there is no evidence indicating the current Northern governors have effectively utilized all the allocations received from President Tinubu’s federal government.