By Abba Anwar

Part of the objective of this piece, is to look at the trending issue of Tax Reform as enunciated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, legislative innuendo and how, from the scratch, the Executive arm of government, confuses the process with little or no proper communication strategy for the needed engagement of the citizenry.

The piece does not intend to go into the nitty gritty areas of the document, Tax Reform Bill, for x-raying the good, the bad and the ugly sides of the document. A lot has been said by tax experts and celebrated economists. I believe such technicalities should be left to technical people. For honest and proper comprehension of the process.

I am not interested in discussing whether Senator Barau was trapped, or what he did was deliberate to give him access to other corridors come 2027. My major concern as a student of media and communication is, where is the missing communication link, that creates all hues and cries?

The approach to inform citizens about the Bill and other embedded explanations is highly elitist. Even at that, a significant percentage of our elites do not understand the document well.

My area of great concern is, how the communication aspect of the entire process was pushed down the ladder, not minding the far reaching consequences of the byproduct, if you wish. Whose fault? Those saddled with the responsibility of handling the project. By that I mean the gamut from abstract expressionism to realistic portraiture of the entire project. Not Presidency, in my view.

Even if the inputs from the public would not be regarded to be part of the process, but at least Nigerians deserve clearer understanding of the entire process. As per the content, direction, actions, responsibilities, historical position of the existing tax laws within the framework of the new Bill and specific roles of the stakeholders, among many other factors.

As loaded as it appears, the Bill has 4 parts or aspects. These are, Nigerian Tax Bill, Nigerian Tax Administration Bill, Nigerian Revenue Service Bill and Joint Revenue Board Bill. Which some commentators call four-in-one.

With good communication strategy and for the sake of gaining popular support from the public, I thought the Executive would have design some proactive media and communication interventions to tell Nigerians what has been in the offing.

Most of the critical commentaries are louder from the North. Which many see and believe that the script was made to further impoverish the North. I also observe that, some of the comments and commentaries hovering around in the last few days are critically objective, some quasi-critical and quasi-objective, some pseudo-critical and pseudo – objective, some critically subjective and some embedded on the premise of ignorance of the entire process.

But I also believe that, the Executive fueled that with their flagrant disregard to effective media and communication plan. That is why I said, in the caption of this piece “… Assisted Misconceptions.” Assisted by who? By the Executive themselves. Particularly the main actors playing the script to screen.

Nowhere in the North where I saw aggressive campaign for awareness creation of this Bill. Northern Nigeria, has listening audience when it comes to media usage. Yes, social media is also visible in youth. That is basic. So even at the level of the social media, the engagement in the North by the government is poor, poorer and poorest!

Nothing like aggressive radio programmes, phone-in programmes with experts sponsored by government. In Kano for example, where we have about 30 radio stations, I doubt very much if there are 5 radio stations that run either special bulletin or special programmes or documentaries on retainership basis, sponsored by the people handling this new Bill. Not to talk of other Northern states.

I therefore call on the National Assembly, not to repeat what the Executive entertains. Which could be by ommission or commission. Both Chambers, I suggest, should push for clearer understanding of this document to the public.

It is glaring to all of us that, the Executive was not able to employ scientific communication strategy in creating spaces for proper engagement for the newly introduced document.

That could be the explanation why, even legislators, some of them do not comprehend the document. As revealed by the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, in the interview he granted to the BBC Hausa Service.

At the level of the Governors’ Forum, the new Bill is not a darling document to many. Reason for boxing it down. With this (mis)conception of the document among elites, what then can stop people from rejecting the entire process?

Right from day one, I thought the authors of the Bill, the Executive, would create amplified awareness creation strategy around the process and its content.

As Senator Ali Ndume was arguing that, he was not against the Bill, but his concern is the timing. It is therefore pertinent, for our legislators, to first an foremost, paint a picture of clearer understanding of the process and the content, before throwing it to Nigerians for public hearing.

From the way I see it, because of these heated debates there is every likelihood that, some adjustments may come into play. This is just an opinion, anyway.

Anwar writes from Kano and can be reached at fatimanbaba1@gmail.com
2nd December, 2024

The Labour Party (LP) Presidential Candidate in the 2023 polls, Peter Obi, private visit to the Abuja home of a-born chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdulsalam Abdulkarim Zaura, popularly known as AA Zaura, has once more raised the craft significance of Zaura importance in the Nation Grassroots Politics.

Although, one might think the Visits is just one of those Obi’s Visits to his Friends and Political Poe’s, but is per beyond that,many who knows the strategies touches of Zaura in capturing the minds of Nigerians through his philanthropist magnanimous historic attendances, will appreciate the Political strategy of Peter Obi in making the realignment with Zaura.

Although the only things that could be reported from the meetings was the two politicians engagement in a closed-door meeting that lasted over an hour, many Analysts believes that there is more than meets the eye’s in the Obi/Zaura meetings.

It is true that, neither Obi nor Zaura disclosed the motive of the meeting after their discussion, as both maintained that it was a private matter. But reports has it that the realignment of the two old friends is a strategic moves towards 2027.

Although the meeting between Obi and Zaura has been described as highly confidential, sources close to both parties suggested that the visit was part of Obi’s broader efforts to engage with influential political figures across Nigeria ahead of the 2027 Presidential Election.

AA Zaura, who is the President of the AA Zaura Foundation International, was the APC candidate for Kano Central Senatorial District in the 2023 general election, and a key figure in the Kano political scene.

Zaura influence and Obi’s push for broader political alliances ahead of 2027, the timing of the meeting could signal strategic moves aimed at fostering unity among diverse political forces.hile the specifics of their talks were still unknown, the meeting’s private nature has only added to speculations about possible collaboration between the two leaders in the near future.

Before the duo went into the private talks, Obi openly commended Zaura for his exceptional leadership and philanthropic initiatives, particularly through the AA Zaura Foundation International, which has been instrumental in lifting many Nigerians, especially those from his region, out of poverty, former Anambra State governor lauded Zaura’s passion towards lifting ordinary Nigerians from being consumption-focused to a people with production mindset through his empowerment initiatives, stressing the long-term impact such initiatives bring to the country at large.

AA Zaura expressed his admiration for Obi’s consistent posture on national issues, particularly his commitment to a more prosperous and self-reliant Nigeria, a statement that could clearly be seen as a thumps Up to Obi’s commitment and courage in his Presidential pursue.

It could be recalled that Zaura calculative Political Moves was among several efforts that gave President Tinubu victory in 2023, where he openly predicted that Bola Ahmad Tinubu will be the next Nigeria President no matter what. Zaura at that time insisted that zoning formula must be maintained and out of that the only Person that will benefit from it was Bola Ahmad Tinubu because of the fact that he was the last Man standing as far as South is concerned and that his struggles for the survival of the Polity can only be paid by allowing him to be the next President, the remaining is History.

Many saw that position as just a political jester coming from a desperate ally trying to sold his Friend (Tinubu) backs in 2022, more so that Zaura not only stick to his position but went on campaigning for Tinubu even before the commencement of proper Campaign stipulated times.

Today, Zaura dogged stand for Tinubu Presidential Candidature is history because it had well being achieved and the President has already fully taken the mantle of Leadership trying his best for a better Nigeria.

In a sum up, AA Zaura is one person that could not be played with because of his Political influence, courage, zeal and passion for a better Nigeria, that enough could trigger Peter Obi to run back to his old Political Friend for a prosperous Nation.

A Director of Accounts in the Ministry of Labour and Productivity has continued to stay in the Ministry despite approval of his Posting to the Ministry of Defence.

POLITICS DIGEST exclusively gathered that the said Treasury Officer who doubles as Director of  Accounts has continued to approve the release of funds despite his posting to another Ministry which is a breach of the civil service rules under the watch of the Permanent Secretary who is aware of what the civil service rules.

In a letter dated 12th November, the Accountant General of the Federation Oluwatosoyin Mudsin approved the Posting of the said Treasury officers with immediate effect but the officer in question Bala Saleh has continued to serve in the Ministry of Labour instead of Defence where he was posted to with immediate effect.

Boost for Nigeria’s Oil Production, As NNPC’s Utapate Crude Grade Hits Global Oil Market

A staff of the Ministry who pleaded for anonymity told this paper that he abandoned his new posting because of the support of a retired permanent secretary while both the Minister and that of State were not aware of the said letter which is totally against the civil service rules.

However, some staff of the Ministry have confided to this paper their readiness to petition the Director in question to the ICPC.

When contacted over the matter, the spokesperson of the Ministry declined to comment and promised to call our reporter back after his findings on the matter.