Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has claimed that the controversial tax reform bills’ implementation would disproportionately benefit Lagos State while economically disadvantage other regions.
Zulum cautioned that the bills, if passed into law, could exacerbate existing economic inequalities across Nigeria.
“Only Lagos will benefit from this scheme. But what we are telling them is to give us time. Why are we in a rush? Let us pause and have a deeper consultation because we are in a democracy,” Zulum said this on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Sunday.
Zulum argued that the bills, if passed into law, would further widen the economic divide between Lagos and other states.
“I am not an economist. But based on the calculations we did, only Lagos will benefit from this scheme. However, we have had a series of consultations with the FIRS team and had a meeting with the tax team of Lagos State. Lagos told me that they would lose a lot if this were implemented. They said, ‘We did our research and concluded we will lose,’” Zulum said.
He also noted the importance of equitable policymaking, saying, “Then why are we in a rush? Not only Northern Nigeria but also the Southeast, South-South, and even the Southwest will be severely affected.
“We should look at the nitty-gritty of these bills before passing into law. This is our only bone of contention. Then, people started saying that Prof Zulum and the governors were against the president. This is a democratic setting. People want us to run a garrison democracy. Most of this money will go to Lagos. We need more time.”
