Group knocks Kwankwaso over comments on Tinubu’s tax reforms

A political support group, Nationwide Agenda for Tinubu (NAT), has criticized the Presidential Candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in the 2023 election, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, over his reaction to President Bola Tinubu’s Tax Reform Bills currently before the National Assembly. A statement by Mohammed Yusuf Ajiji, Publicity Secretary of NAT, said […]

A political support group, Nationwide Agenda for Tinubu (NAT), has criticized the Presidential Candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in the 2023 election, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, over his reaction to President Bola Tinubu’s Tax Reform Bills currently before the National Assembly.

A statement by Mohammed Yusuf Ajiji, Publicity Secretary of NAT, said Kwankwaso’s comments while addressing students of Skyline University during their convocation in Kano recently, demonstrate either “a lack of understanding of the tax reforms or a deliberate attempt to politicize President Tinubu’s visionary initiative.”

The statement read in part: “President Tinubu’s tax reforms are a necessary step toward addressing the economic challenges facing the country and ensuring equitable development for all Nigerians, including those in the north especially the President’s initiative to tackle the disproportionate distribution of revenues from the Value Added Tax to all 36 states of the Federation and the FCT.

“It is unfortunate that former Governor Kwankwaso chose to use the platform of the convocation to mislead the youth by claiming that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is scheming to undermine the economy of the north through his tax reforms.

“Rather than presenting the facts, Kwankwaso neglected to tell the students the truth: that currently, 70% of Value-Added Tax (VAT) proceeds are allocated to just Lagos, Rivers, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) with the other 34 states left with the short end of the stick simply because of the provision in the Act that says chunk of VAT goes to states where the headquarters of companies are located and not where goods are consumed. President Tinubu’sreforms aim to address this imbalance and ensure fairness for the remaining 34 states, including northern states, by promoting equitable distribution of the Value Added Tax.

“Such reforms are a critical step toward national economic justice and inclusivity, and it is imperative for leaders to educate, not misinform, the public, especially the youth, on these important issues.

“The focus must remain on supporting President Tinubu’s reforms, which are designed to uplift every part of the country, and ensuring that all citizens, regardless of their region, experience the benefits of true national progress.”