Di Tax Reforms Bills don put division amongst di governors

Strong indications don emerge say di 36 state governors under di aegis of Nigeria Governors’ Forum, don dey seriously divided ova di Tax Reforms Bills wey dey pending before di Senate and di House of Representatives for consideration as President Bola Tinubu forward dem.

Una remember say di governors don, for some weeks now, dey confronted with di tax reform bills, just as di bills don dey bring in so many controversy, criticisms and stiff opposition from many quarters.

Di Northern 19 governors don also reject di sections of di bills as dem call for di withdrawal from di National Assembly to allow for further consultations.

Di National Economic Council, NEC, wey di Vice President be di chair and wey dey combine of di 36 governors and some ministers, don earlier reject di bills.

E clear for Wednesday night wen di governors get one very short unusual meeting wey last just for one hour as dem rush out of di meeting without one communique and refuse to address waiting journalists for di entrance of di venue of di meeting say all no go well.

Di governors afta about one hour of di meeting for Lake Chad Crescent, di Secretariat of di NGF, com out with sealed lips without di usual smiles and exchange of banters, except say some waka togeda with some states of origin.

Di meeting start by 10 PM and end for 11 PM

Journalists don expect say either one go release of one communique or to be addressed by di Chairman of NGF and Governor of Kwara State, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, wey for dey flanked by di Chairman of Progressives Governors, Senator Hope Uzodimma or in di alternative, Chairman of NGF, Alhaji Abdulateef Shittu.

For di end of di day, di waiting journalists dem com comot for di place for about 11 PM as nobody com talk to dem.

Meanwhile, di information wey dem gather be say di governors wey attend di meeting no fit reach one official agreement for di controversial tax reform bills.

So, dem com discova say di failure to take agree na di reason why di NGF no fit produce one communique afta di meeting.

Di first indication be say di meeting go be deadlock na wen some of di governors no com di venue foe 10 PM, even wen di meetings dey hold for Asokoro.

Reports dey talk say by 9 PM, say di meeting no go hold because e fit com turn to plenty argument because of di differences with regard to di tax bills.

E dey clear say di meeting no go com hold wen two governors com reach di place, wey one bus dey follow dem with di inscription, Imo Liaison office, Abuja wey bring di Chairman of Progressives Governors and Imo State Governor, Uzodimma, along side some of him colleagues from di All Progressives Congress, APC.

According to wetin news men dem gather, say di APC governors com in group because dem don meet earlier with di Chairman of di party, Abdullahi Ganduje, just as dem talk say dem don summon dem by President Tinubu as dem rush to di villa for di meeting. Na afta dat dem com for di short meeting.

Pipo wey dey present for di meeting na 15 governors mostly of di APC, Governors Alex Otti of Abia State and Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State, governor of Plateau State of di Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, among oda dey also in attendance.

Una go still remember say for October 3, 2024, President Tinubu transmit four tax reform bills to di National Assembly for consideration, following di recommendations of di Presidential Committee for Fiscal and Tax Reforms wey Taiwo Oyedele head for di review of existing tax laws.

Di bills include di Nigeria Tax Bill 2024, wey dem expect to provide di fiscal framework for taxation for di country, and di Tax Administration Bill, wey go provide one clear and concise legal framework for all taxes for di country and reduce disputes.

Odas na di Nigeria Revenue Service Establishment Bill, wey go repeal di Federal Inland Revenue Service Act and establish di Nigeria Revenue Service, and di Joint Revenue Board Establishment Bill, wey go create one tax tribunal and one tax ombudsman.

ACF constitute committee to study tax reform bills

Dis one com as di Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, announce di constitution of one committee to take study di tax reform bills and make appropriate recommendations for di Federal Government.

For one statement, Tukur Muhammad-Baba, spokesperson of ACF, talk say di current debates suggest say dem no do enough consultations wen preparing di bills.

Him dey call on all di concerned stakeholders to cooperate with di relevant senate committee wey dem charge with di assignment to review di content of di bills.

Muhammad-Baba talk say opposing views against di bills dey essential inputs into di policy process, adding say decorum and mutual respect suppose dey honored in di discussions of provisions of di proposed laws.

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