Tax Bills: Tinubu Not Against North, Says Nasarawa Senator Wadada
Senator Ahmed Aliyu Wadada (SDP, Nasarawa West) has dismissed claims that President Bola Tinubu is waging a war against the North through his proposed Tax Reform Bills.
Wadada made the clarification during an interview with journalists in Abuja on Saturday, highlighting various positive initiatives by the Tinubu administration in the North. These include the AKK gas pipeline project, the revocation and re-awarding of the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Road contract, the Sokoto-Badagry superhighway, and the government’s commitment to addressing insecurity in the region. According to him, these efforts contradict any notion that the President is undermining the North through tax reforms.
As the chairman of the Senate Public Accounts Committee (SPAC), Wadada dismissed concerns over the tax reforms, arguing that even if President Tinubu had intentions to challenge the North, the region had the capacity to respond effectively. He added, “No Northerner should fear taxes; we have historically led in community taxes, such as cattle tax. Many citizens have benefited from these contributions.”
Wadada emphasized that the backlash against the tax reforms was likely due to resistance to change, noting that any new policy requires thorough consultation. He also rejected claims that the tax reforms would negatively impact the President’s chances of securing a second term. “What if before 2025 he introduces initiatives that resonate with the North?” he posed.
Wadada cited the late Comrade Balarabe Musa, former Governor of Kaduna State, saying, “We are living in times of great changes, with old orders crumbling and new systems emerging. Our task is to understand these changes and use them for human progress.”
In closing, he stressed that the reforms and other interventions by the Tinubu administration have the potential to significantly transform the North’s economy.
