TAX REFORM BILLS: WHY GOVERNORS ENDORSEMENT NOT ENOUGH-NDUME.(PHOTO).

 Tax reform bills: Why governors’ endorsement not enough — Ndume 

Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume has stated that the Nigeria Governor’s Forum’s (NGF) recommendations on tax reform bills are a welcome development, but not enough.

Ndume, representing Borno South, believes there are still sections of the bills that require further clarification.

The tax reform bills, currently before the National Assembly, have faced heavy criticism, particularly in northern Nigeria, with many describing them as part of an “anti-north agenda” by the President Bola Tinubu-led administration.

Ndume has been critical of some of the government’s policies and maintains that the tax reform would further burden the poor, urging the president to withdraw the bills.

Speaking in an interview with BBC Hausa service, Ndume emphasized the need for transparency and wider consultations on the legislation.

He warned that rushing the process could lead to mistakes and called for a more inclusive approach.

The Borno lawmaker believes it is now up to the legislators and the public to shape the bills into something more beneficial for all Nigerians.

“What the governors did is a welcome development, but it is not enough because we still do not have comprehensive understanding of the bills.

“There is a need for transparency. The process should not be rushed as this would lead to making mistakes.

“The door for correcting the mistakes has been opened now, unlike before when it was closed and the bills left as they were. The work is now with the legislators and the general public,” he opined.