The Arewa Broadcast Media Practitioner’s Forum, a body of media professionals from Northern Nigeria, has voiced strong opposition to the proposed Value Added Tax (VAT) bill currently before the National Assembly. In a press statement signed by its Chairman, Abdullahi Yelwa (Ajiyan Yauri), the forum expressed concerns that certain provisions of the bill are detrimental to the interests of the Northern region and the overall economic development of the nation.
The forum highlighted that while some aspects of the bill, if implemented judiciously, may generate much-needed resources for national development, the resort to ethnic and regional sentiments by some supporters of the bill is unacceptable. “We take exception to the resort to ethnic and regional sentiments by some of the supporters of the bill, who mischievously adduced ulterior motives to the legitimate concerns of the Northern Governors Forum and National Economic Council,” the statement read.
The forum emphasized that the North, like any part of the country, has the right to comment on any public policy, especially those it considers injurious to its survival. “The conceivers of the bill have shown total disregard for the concerns of a large majority of Nigerians, especially the North that is economically disadvantaged,” the forum stated.
One of the key concerns raised by the forum is the provision in the bill that imposes tax on inheritance funds, which they argue is contrary to religious doctrine and cultural norms. Additionally, the forum criticized the lopsided distribution of VAT revenue to states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as proposed in the bill, calling it unjust and likely to exacerbate economic disparities between the North and other regions of the country.
The forum also noted the “fire brigade approach” by the Tax Reform Committee to engage key stakeholders after the fact, which they believe has not erased the suspicion and distrust the bill has generated. “In light of these concerns, we advise the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to honourably withdraw the VAT bill for further consultations with stakeholders,” the statement urged.
The forum believes that withdrawing the bill for further consultations will promote national unity and cohesion and ensure that the VAT regime is fair, equitable, and beneficial to all Nigerians. “This approach will not only promote national unity and cohesion but also ensure that the VAT regime is fair, equitable, and beneficial to all Nigerians,” the forum concluded.
