Tax Reform Bill: Is Nigerians Divided Along Religious Line?

By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna

As the back and forth over Tax Reform Bill (TRB) of the Bola Tinubu led administration lingered, number of supporters and those against the bill have continue to widen by the day in scope and along the region, religious and faith lines.

The Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF) mostly of the core north, and their Emirs first rejected the bill in a communiqué issued at the end of its meeting held at Sir Kashim Ibrahim House, at Government house Kaduna, shortly after the bill was presented to the National Assembly.

Although the meeting had some input from their Christian northern Governors, as most of them were represented by deputy or SSGs and maybe some chiefs when the decision to kick against the bill was discussed elaborately muted.

However, while that was domiciled and echoed in the public domain, the Christians leaders in northern Nigeria endorsed the TRB, at “the expense of their Muslim counterparts that had consistent kicked against the bill for obvious reasons, allaying fears of ruing the region’s economy.

Penultimate last week Christians thew its full weight behind the bill, in a several news report, stating that “Northern Christian leaders have declared their support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s tax reform initiative”.

Indeed, the Christian leader’s urged their followers to gain a deeper understanding of its benefits for the region and Nigeria at large.

“This resolution was made during a town hall meeting organized by the Christian Awareness Initiative of Nigeria (CHAIN) in Kaduna, themed “The Church and Society: Tax Reforms and Matters Arising”, the report stated.

Speaking at the event, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, delivered a scathing critique of Northern leadership, accusing them of neglecting the region’s development despite decades of political dominance.

Dogara emphasized the importance of understanding the proposed tax reform, calling for honest discourse on the issues facing the North.

“Our problem in the North is not about VAT allocations or political appointments,” Dogara stated. “The North has controlled the presidency for over 40 years, with key positions in the Senate, House of Representatives, and NNPC, yet the region remains underdeveloped.”

He pointed out that much of the North’s allocated resources are mismanaged, highlighting that funds meant for hospitals, schools, and infrastructure often end up squandered or spent abroad.

“Instead of addressing our challenges, many of our leaders prioritize personal gain. If this continues, no amount of leadership or resources will change our circumstances,” Dogara warned.

Dogara defended the tax reform as a crucial step for economic growth, explaining that it aims to simplify Nigeria’s 11 existing tax laws into just two, making the system more investor-friendly.

“Every investor considers tax policies before committing funds. A simplified system will attract investments, expand opportunities, and boost our economy,” he said.

Rev. Joseph John Hayab, CHAIN’s Executive Director, called on Christian leaders to embrace knowledge and guide their communities on critical national issues like tax reform.

“The tax reform bill holds many prospects for Nigeria. While some areas require adjustments, it is critical to support reforms that can move our nation forward,” Hayab added.
Quoting Hosea 4:6, Joseph Hayab said, “My people perish for lack of knowledge.”, he stated, urging leaders to avoid religious or ethnic sentiments in assessing the reform, emphasizing the need for constructive dialogue and collaboration.
The event was attended by key figures, including Mr. Sunday Dare, Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication to the President (represented by Mr. Simon Achuba), Elder Sunday Oibe of Northern CAN, Archbishop Praise, Archbishop Mathew Ndagoso, and other Christian leaders from across the Northern states.

The leaders collectively stressed the importance of unity and accountability in tackling the North’s challenges, urging citizens to prioritize national development over divisive rhetoric.

As Nigeria navigates its path to reform, the role of faith-based organizations in fostering understanding and accountability remains vital. The message from Kaduna was clear: true progress will only come when the North confronts its internal challenges and collaborates for the nation’s advancement.

In a similar manner, Muslim youth group under guise of Northern youths caution FG against new Tax Regime Bill, saying ‘it’s designed to ruin region”, as other group under aegis of “Northern Youth Group Rejects FG’S Tax Reform Bill, Calling On their Law Makers To Throw It Out:

A northern good governance advocacy group, Northern Star Youth Empowerment Initiative led by a one, Abdullahi Idris PhD, as
Director General, in a statement dated 18th December 2024, rejected the federal government’s tax reform bill that is currently before the National Assembly.

Although the group, the Northern Star Youth Empowerment Initiative is a non political, non tribal and non religious youth movement that aims at uniting and protecting the interests of the North. It is a pressure group that promotes good governance, unity, progress and development of northern Nigeria.

In a statement issued to news men in Kaduna, the Director General of the Group Dr Abdullahi Idris however said having studied the controversial bill thoroughly, his Group has come to the conclusion that though there are aspect of it that may be beneficial, sections especially those that deal with the distribution of VAT revenue are unfair and will lead to economic adversity for the North.

He therefore called on the Tinubu administration to withdraw it with immediate effect.

Wondering why there was no enough consultations before the bill was presented to the National Assembly, Dr Idris called on members of the National Assembly especially those from the north not to endorse it lest they incur the wrath of their people.

He recalled that the bill was presented for passage into law at it’s current form against the advise of many well meaning Nigerians including the National Economic Council because of its potential to benefit some sections of the country at the detriment of other sections.

Finally, Dr Idris called on the Federal Government to “withdraw the bill and allow for more thorough scrutiny and wider consultations before it is reintroduced to the National Assembly for passage into law”.
In the southern part of the country predominantly Christian, the situation is almost eighty percent support with majority of the South West, South-South and South-East, given their support to the Tax Reform Bill in it entirety, signifying the divisions along religious line.

The question consistently being asked by many, without corresponding answer is what a bill of that nature had to do with Faith line? And what would be the faith of the losers and winners, Christian and Muslim North, and Southern region of the country in the event that the TRB scaled through or dropped in the long run? Only time shall tell.