Amid Tinubu’s Tax Controversies, Sanusi Mentions 1 Problem of North

• The Emir of Kano Muhammadu Sanusi II has lamented the high level of underdevelopment in the northern parts of Nigeria
• Sanusi noted that the region had failed to utilise its population strength, adding that many northerners are agrarian farmers without knowledge of the modern equipment
• The emir’s comment came amid the controversies over the tax reform bills before the National Assembly and proposed by President Bola Tinubu

Muhammadu Sanusi II, the 16th Emir of Kano, has expressed his concerns about the North’s significant underdevelopment, particularly in education and agriculture. Speaking at the 50th anniversary of the visit of Sheikh Ibrahim Nyass, the founder of Faidha Tijjaniyya in West Africa, Sanusi emphasized the region’s failure to capitalize on its massive population.

Sanusi noted that a substantial percentage of people from the North are agrarian farmers lacking knowledge of modern agricultural technology. He urged stakeholders to invest in education and agriculture to improve the region’s prospects. Sanusi’s comments highlight the need for the North to address its developmental challenges and tap into its vast potential, Daily Trust reported.

Read also

Tinubu’s tax reform bills divide 36 governors, details emerge

Sanusi speaks amid reject’s of Tinubu’s bills

The emir’s comment came amid the controversies surrounding President Bola Tinubu’s tax reform bills. The northern governors have rejected the bills, stating that they would make the region poorer and only favour Lagos and Rivers in the long run.

Senators and House of Representatives members from the northern region have also rejected the bills, many of them citing the governor’s position. However, some northern elites, including former Senator Shehu Sani and ex-Speaker Yakubu Dogara, have endorsed them.

The bills, which include the Nigeria Tax Bill 2024, the Tax Administration Bill, the Nigeria Revenue Service Establishment Bill, and the Joint Revenue Board Establishment Bill, aim to provide a fiscal framework for taxation in the country, reduce disputes, and establish a tax tribunal and a tax ombudsman.

Lawyer speaks on Tinubu’s bill

Speaking on the bill, Titilope Anifowoshe, a legal practitioner, who spoke with Legit.ng, said it was time for states to spend based on their earnings. She said:

Read also

Shehu Sani tears into northern senators over Tinubu’s tax reform bills: “They just ramble”

“States spending triple and double what they earn may not find the new reform comfortable, but it is high time we started to cut our coats according to our sizes.”

Tinubu’s tax reform bills: Nigerian governors divided

Legit.ng earlier reported that President Bola Tinubu’s tax reform bills before the National Assembly have reportedly divided the 36 governors in Nigeria.

Under the aegis of the Nigerian Governors Forum, the governors could not reach a resolution at the end of their meetings on Wednesday, December 11.

The northern governors have earlier voiced their opposition against the bills and asked lawmakers representing their states at the National Assembly to reject the proposal.

Source: Legit.ng