The League of Northern Democrats (LND) led by a former Kano State Governor, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau, has set up a committee to review the four tax reform bills presented to the National Assembly by President Bola Tinubu.
Prominent northern leaders, including governors and traditional rulers, lawmakers and religious leaders have all expressed strong opposition to the Tax Reform Bills. They claim it would impoverish the region.
However, the LND said given the current raging debates and controversies on the Tax Reform Bills currently before the National Assembly, it decided to inaugurate a technical committee to review the proposed legislations clause-by-clause so as to reach an informed position on each clause therein.
Spokesman of the group, Dr Ladan Salihu, on Friday in a statement, said the initiative underscored its commitment to ensuring that laws reflect the principles of justice, equity and prosperity for all Nigerians, with the sole intent to safeguard the developmental interests of the people.
“The committee, composed of dedicated Northern experts in law, public accounting, legislation and academia, will spend one week to conclude a comprehensive review of the bills.
“Their mandate includes identifying provisions that may be injurious or inequitable, proposing necessary amendments, and ensuring that each clause of the bills upholds the constitutional, religious and cultural norms of our people, while promoting national unity and fairness.
“At the conclusion of its assignment, the committee will publicly present its findings in an electronic and tabular format, effectively communicating its recommendations to policymakers, legislators, the media and the Nigerian public,” Salihu said.
He assured Nigerians of their confidence in the committee’s ability to produce thorough and well-reasoned recommendations.
He said, “These will aim to maximize benefits for all Nigerians, ensuring that the tax reforms support sustainable development and equitable economic growth across the nation.
“We urge Nigerians to stay tuned for LND’s public presentation, which will provide clear insights into the bills and our proposed policy position.”
