The Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has clarified his place on the controversial tax reform payments, saying he was not an enemy of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Zulum, nonetheless, insisted that if the 4 tax payments at the moment present process overview earlier than the Inexperienced Chamber are handed into legislation, solely one of many 36 states – Lagos – would be the main beneficiary.
The governor made the clarification when he was featured as a visitor on Sunday’s version of Channels Tv’s Politics In the present day.
He stated, “I’m a powerful member of the APC. If you’re to depend two governors who’ve been in help of Tinubu from 2019 to 2023, you’ll be able to point out Prof Zulum. I used to be the primary governor to come back out publicly to say that energy should go to the South.
“Sadly, the President was instructed by many who the North is towards him. About 60.2 per cent of his votes got here from the North. There are a number of misconceptions about this tax situation. Throughout the NEC, we suggested the Federal Authorities to pause for a second to have a deeper session with stakeholders. That was our personal assertion.
“However in a while, folks have turned it the wrong way up. I would like you to consider that our session is central to democracy, and in a democratic setting, we’re begging for the proper to be consulted. That is solely what has occurred.”
Previously few weeks, the controversial payments have pitched the 36 state governors towards the Federal Authorities, with the previous calling for the withdrawal of the payments to create room for extra session.
However Zulum had known as on his colleagues and Northern stakeholders to reject the payments, insisting that the payments would harm the area’s economic system if applied.
Equally, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has known as for transparency and equity within the ongoing overview of the tax reform payments.
Nevertheless, Zulum argued that the decision to quickly droop the payments was not achieved out of hatred for the president.
The governor emphasised that they’d run the numbers and concluded that the push to go the tax payments was useless because it favours solely Lagos, Nigeria’s former federal capital.
He stated, “I’m not an economist. However primarily based on the calculations we did, solely Lagos will profit from this scheme. Nevertheless, we have now had a collection of consultations with the FIRS staff and had a gathering with the tax staff of Lagos State. Lagos instructed me that they’d lose so much if this had been applied. They stated, ‘We did our analysis and concluded we are going to lose.’
“Then why are we in a rush? Not solely Northern Nigeria but additionally the Southeast, South-South, and even the Southwest will likely be severely affected. Solely Lagos will profit from this scheme. However what we’re telling them is to provide us time. Why are we in a rush? Allow us to pause and have a deeper session as a result of we’re in a democracy.
“We must always take a look at the nitty-gritty of those payments earlier than passing into legislation. That is our solely bone of rivalry. Then, folks began saying that Prof Zulum and the governors had been towards the president. It is a democratic setting. Folks need us to run a garrison democracy. Most of this cash will go to Lagos. We’d like extra time.”