Former Kano State Governor, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau, has clarified that Northern leaders did not outrightly reject President Bola Tinubu’s tax reform bills, but instead sought further consultations.
Shekarau, who is the chair of the League of Northern Democrats, explained that the Northern leaders’ concerns centered on the lack of public involvement when the bills were first introduced.
In an interview with ARISE NEWS, Shekarau expressed that the Northern leaders were not opposed to the reforms, but they emphasized the importance of inclusivity in the process. He acknowledged that reforms are necessary for the progress of any nation, but they must be carefully examined to ensure that the public’s interests are considered.
Shekarau shared that a technical committee had been established to review the proposed tax reforms, comprising experts in various fields, including economics, finance, and tax matters. The committee’s findings have already been compiled and were publicly presented on December 19, 2024.
He pointed out that while the League of Northern Democrats was generally supportive of the reforms, they had concerns about certain aspects of the bills. Specifically, the group had no objections to the first two bills but raised issues with the third bill, which pertains to the leadership structure of revenue services.
Shekarau explained that they believed the proposed change—where the Chairman of the board would also serve as the Chief Executive—could undermine accountability and transparency. Instead, they recommended separating the roles, with the Chairman overseeing the board’s activities and the Chief Executive managing the day-to-day operations of the agency.
He emphasized that these concerns were largely administrative in nature, and the League had also scrutinized the proposed sharing formula for revenue. Shekarau assured that the League would release their detailed findings in the coming days and had already sent their observations to the President, Vice President, Senate, House of Representatives, and relevant committees.