The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Kano State Government have urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to withdraw the contentious tax reform bills from the National Assembly.
NLC President Joe Ajaero made this call in his New Year’s message, emphasizing the need for a national dialogue to create a new tax law that promotes national development and has wider acceptance.
Ajaero stressed that the tax reform bills should be withdrawn to allow all key stakeholders to be part of the process.
He also warned that the increasing use of violence in engagements with workers and unions must cease, as it can lead to industrial disharmony.
Similarly, the Kano State Government declared its opposition to the tax reform bill, describing it as “ill-timed, lopsided, and inimical to the unity of the country.”
The government emphasized that Nigerians, particularly in the North, are struggling with hyperinflation and unprecedented insecurity, and that the presidency should focus on addressing these issues.
The controversy surrounding the tax reform bills has also drawn criticism from other stakeholders, including the Academic Unions of Universities and Colleges of Education, which have warned against scrapping the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI).
