By Kolawole Ojebisi
A Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, has berated Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum, for saying Tax Reform Bills are being rushed through the National Assembly unlike the Petroleum Industry Bill.
Zulum had, on Friday while featuring on BBC Hausa, criticized the speed with which the bill is progressing through the legislative process, drawing comparisons to the Petroleum Industry Bill, which took nearly two decades to pass.
The governor alleged that the bill is structured to disadvantage certain regions of the country.
“Why the rush? The Petroleum Industry Bill took almost 20 years before it was finally passed. But this tax reform bill is being transmitted and receiving legislative attention within a week. It should be treated carefully and with caution so that even after our exit, our children will reap its benefits,” Zulum stated.
But reacting to Zulum’s comment on Monday, Ajayi described the Borno governor’s claim as “disingenuous”.
Ajayi expressed his view in a post on his Facebook page on Monday.
He wrote, “It is very disingenuous to say that the Tax Reform Bills that are product of 14 months of extensive work by over 80 professionals drawn from every part of the country, across various professions and sectors of the economy are being rushed through the National Assembly for ulterior motive.”
The presidential aide also said there’s no basis for comparison between the tax reform bills and the Petroleum Industry Bill describing Zulum’s attempt at lumping both together as “backward thinking”.
“The suggestion that it took Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) over 20 years to get through the parliament is backward thinking. Nigeria lost too much to the failure to pass the PIB on time in terms of revenue, investments and jobs in the Oil & Gas sector.
“We should not wait for another 20 years to do what is right for our country.” Ajayi added.
The New Diplomat had reported how the Senate on Thursday passed the tax reform bills for a second reading following a debate among lawmakers.
The bills were subsequently referred to the Committee on Finance, which was instructed to revert in no more than six weeks.
