The Federal Government has warned against name-calling or the injection of unnecessary ethnic and regional colouration into the national conversation on the Tax Reform Bills before the Senate.
This warning was issued by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, in a statement on Tuesday.
Commending what he termed the robust nationwide debate that has greeted the arrival of the bills, Idris said the debates is the very essence and meaning of democracy, and that while it is welcomed , utterances that are capable of dividing the country or heating up the polity will not be tolerated.
Idris urged the commentators and groups to keep up the spirit of informed engagement and to strive to be respectful and understanding at all times despite the diversity of opinions, noting that opinions laced with bad blood would not help the nation.
He said President Bola Tinubu, who proposed the bill, will always act in the interest of the Nigerian people.
For him, Tinubu has directed the Federal Ministry of Justice and relevant officials to work closely with the National Assembly to ensure that all genuine concerns have been addressed before the bills are passed.
Expressing disgust at what he described as misinformation and fake news circulating around the tax bills and the overall reform agenda of the Tinubu Administration, the minister said the fiscal reforms will not impoverish any state or region of the country, neither will they lead to the scrapping or weakening of any federal agencies.
The minister assured that the bills will bring relief to tens of millions of hardworking Nigerians across the country and would not make any state redundant.
He added that the bills would empower and position states and the 774 local governments for sustainable growth and development.
Dismissing claims that the Federal Government has something sinister to warrant the suggestion that the process is being rushed, Idris maintained that the Federal General only seek meaningful inputs that can address whatever grey areas there may be in the bill.
Idris reminded Nigerians that, in addition to the four tax bills being debated and deliberated upon, there is also the 2023 Supreme Court ruling on financial autonomy for local governments, which will significantly empower the tier of government that is closest to the Nigerian people.
He said the reforms will not only facilitate increased revenues (without imposing additional tax burdens on the people) but also make it possible for citizens to demand and enjoy greater accountability in the management of public resources at all levels of government.
He assured that the Tinubu administration will continue to champion policies that close the loopholes and gaps through which Nigeria’s valuable public resources have been frittered away for decades.
