A former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has urged northerners not to criticize President Bola Tinubu over the proposed tax reform bills currently before the National Assembly. Since their introduction, the bills have sparked significant opposition from northern leaders, with many in the region calling for a review, arguing that the reforms unfairly target the north.
In response, the Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF), representing 19 northern states, voiced opposition after a meeting with the Northern Traditional Rulers Council.
During an interview, Dogara argued that critics of the bills, including governors and other elites, were approaching the matter from an uninformed perspective. He urged them to consider the long-term benefits of the reforms, especially in addressing key national issues.
Dogara said, “I want to speak to my brothers in the North. This is not the time to condemn the president or accuse him of being anti-north because of these bills. I want to remind us that the president has achieved something significant. If he can see this through, it will be unprecedented. No northern leader in my lifetime has done what the president has done for the north.”
He highlighted the creation of the Livestock Ministry as one of the president’s major achievements, pointing out that the global market for dairy and beef products is expected to reach $2.5 trillion in the next three years. Dogara emphasized that if the north could capture just 5% of this market, it would generate $250 billion. “We don’t need VAT from any state in Nigeria to survive,” he added. “The north is the most endowed part of Nigeria, and we can thrive without it.”
Dogara also dismissed concerns over insufficient consultation and the timing of the tax reform bills. He argued that what mattered most was whether the reforms were right for the country, rather than political agendas or past discussions.
