The Northern Youth Assembly (Majalisar Matasan Arewa) has written an open letter to all the National Assembly that are of Northern extraction calling on them to stop the proposed tax amendment planned by president Bola Tinubu allegedly to please the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The group warned of the dangers of the tax reform that will include the wrath of Nigerians against them.
Part of the letter reads as follows:
The Northern Youth Assembly (Majalisar Matasan Arewa), on behalf of the 19 Northern States leadership of the Assembly, wishes to express our firm resolve as a united voice to express our unequivocal rejection of the proposed tax reform bill put forth by the Tinubu administration. As representatives of Northern youth, we believe that this proposal, in its current form, will disproportionately affect the economic livelihoods and aspirations of our people, without taking into cognisance the current economic reality in the country, or any clear or potential benefits that may justify the impacts of the proposed bill on the lives of Nigerian citizens
Our Basis for the Rejection of the proposed Bill:
1. Increased Economic Burden
The proposed tax reforms threaten to impose a greater financial strain on low- and middle-income earning citizens, who already grapple with economic challenges. Rather than spurring growth and opportunity, the reforms risk creating further hardship for the majority of Nigerians, particularly in the North where poverty rates remain high and economic development lags behind other regions.
2. Youth Unemployment and Economic Exclusion
This bill does not provide viable solutions for any of Nigeria’s most pressing issues: youth unemployment. The Northern region suffers from particularly high rates of youth unemployment, and we find it deeply concerning that this reform prioritizes additional taxation over the creation of opportunities for economic inclusion and job creation. Our youth need support, not added barriers to economic participation.
3. Impact on Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
SMEs are the backbone of our economy and a crucial means of livelihood for millions of our citizens. The tax burdens proposed in this bill would stifle the growth of small businesses, making it harder for young entrepreneurs to establish and sustain their ventures. We believe that any policy affecting taxation must consider the welfare of SMEs and provide support mechanisms to foster their growth.
4. Lack of adequate Stakeholder Consultation
We are concerned by the limited engagement of key stakeholders, including youth representatives, community leaders, and business owners, in the conversation around this tax reform. A policy with such significant implications, all categories of citizens should be involved in the process, especially those that may be directly affected
5. Lack of Transparency and Accountability on Government Revenue and Spending
Before introducing additional taxes, the citizens should be satisfied with the level of transparency and accountability on Government revenues generation and utilization of the public funds. The people of Nigeria deserve to know how their taxes are being utilized, and it is imperative that government spending is apparently seen as prudent and accountable, with the best practices of transparency and openness
Our Demands:
We therefore wish to beseech all the National Assembly members, especially from Northern Nigerian extraction, to as a matter of urgency and in the interest of humanity, national interest and development, peace and tranquillity to heed to the following:
1. Instant killing of the proposed bill: We urge all the national assembly members from Northern Nigerian Extraction, to kill the proposed tax reform bill, the day it is presented before the floor of the National Assembly
2. Concentrate on youth Friendly laws to safeguard the future of the Country
As the largest political demography in the nation, youth must have a say in laws and policies that directly impact the future of the country We call for the creation of a special place at the centre, to allow the youths to contribute to solutions that may promote sustainable development, job creation, and economic empowerment.
3. Prioritize Laws on Investments, Job Creation and Education: The youth are Nigeria’s future, and our prosperity hinges on investments in education, skills development, and job creation. We urge the National Assembly members, to direct their resources and energy towards creating laws that would prioritize and encourage foreign investment, skills development and jobs creation for the teeming population of the youths, to improve measures that risks stifling the Nigerian economic opportunity.
4. Stop complying to dictates and advisory of the agents of destruction, IMF and World. We must stay away from the trap of IMF and World Bank, as they are all out to destroy our country though their ill – formulated policies and misleading advisory
The Northern Youth Assembly, wishes to at this juncture, draw the attention of the National Assembly members that, Nigerians are already at the pinnacle of poverty, angry and frustrated, therefore they are susceptible to all forms of action which may trigger their emotions, we therefore advise you to kill the proposed tax reform bill sent to the National Assembly, by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, because it is evil, dangerous, anti – peoples, ant- economic development, and it is an instrument of slavery designed to further impoverish the Nigerian citizens, into more abject poverty, on the dictates of World Bank and International Monetary Fund.
It should be noted that, the Tinubu Economic Reforms, are measures of destruction and we would not fold our arms to allow some few Nigerians to destroy our dear country. We are set to mobilize against any member of the National Assembly, especially those from the North, who supports the proposed Tinubu Tax Reform Bill, as we shall identify and tag them as anti – Nigerians and agents of destruction,
Signed,
Dr. Ali Idris Mohammed
President
Dr. Garba Abduljafiz, Secretary General