In a bold stance against President Bola Tinubu's proposed tax reform bills, Senator Ali Ndume, representing Borno South, has voiced strong opposition, asserting that the National Assembly does not need to study the bills before dismissing them outright.
The bills, which include the Nigeria Tax Bill, the Tax Administration Bill, and the Joint Revenue Board Establishment Bill, were submitted to the National Assembly in October by President Tinubu as part of his administration’s efforts to reform Nigeria’s tax system.
However, the proposals have already sparked controversy, with both the Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF) and the National Economic Council (NEC) expressing reservations.
While NSGF outright opposed the bills, the NEC urged President Tinubu to withdraw them for further consultationsa suggestion Tinubu firmly rejected, instead encouraging lawmakers to make amendments as they see fit.
Appearing on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Senator Ndume didn’t mince words, stating that the timing of these tax reform bills is both ill-advised and insensitive to the current economic climate. “I can tell you that it will be dead on arrival.
We don’t need to study the bill,” Ndume declared. He emphasized that the economic strain on Nigerians is simply too high for the government to consider implementing new taxes.
“The general thing is that Nigerians are not willing to talk, hear, or pay any tax now, considering the situation we have faced because this is the government of the people,” he added.
Ndume pointed out that many Nigerians are struggling with basic survival, and imposing additional tax burdens at this time would only worsen their plight. “Let people live first before you start asking them for tax,” he urged.
The proposed bills have drawn criticism from several quarters, reflecting the broader public sentiment of exhaustion and economic frustration.
With inflation at high levels and many citizens grappling with rising food and fuel prices, Ndume’s sentiments seem to echo the concerns of a population stretched thin.
As the National Assembly debates these controversial bills, the government faces a delicate balancing act: implementing tax reforms to boost revenue without exacerbating the economic hardships already felt by millions.
Whether the bills will indeed be "dead on arrival" as Ndume predicts remains to be seen, but the path to tax reform in Nigeria looks set to be a contentious one.