The Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, has described the ongoing bickering and face-off among Nigerians over the Tax Reform Bill as unnecessary, calling for calm among various groups in the country.
As its own contribution to ensuring an acceptable consensus, ACF said it has set up a committee to advise it on the matter.
The foremost northern social-cultural group made its position known in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Prof. Tukur Muhammad-Baba on Thursday, stressing that major stakeholders in the country must reach an acceptable consensus over the issue because of its importance in having a far-reaching effects on the country at large.
Prof Tukur said the bill like any government policies must take into consideration all shades of interests in the country by putting into consideration “all concerns raised by citizens.”
Calling for support for the National Assembly, the group said contending groups and stakeholders in the country must make their positions known to the legislature, cautioning all and sundry to be civilize rather than resorting to cheap blackmail to achieve their aim over the controversial bill, adding that “nobody has monopoly” of knowledge.
ACF said, “The proposed bills will have far-reaching implications for every citizen and every part of the country.
“Debates over bills are integral to the public policy process in any democracy. Reforms aimed at addressing policy shortcomings must consider all concerns raised by citizens.”
Commending the Senate’s decision to pause and conduct broader consultations, the Forum called on stakeholders to collaborate with the relevant Senate Committee to ensure the legislation equitably serves all regions of the country.
The group “urge all interest groups to view debates on the bills as essential contributions to the legislative process and not as opportunities for blackmail or intimidation.
“No one has a monopoly on knowledge or wisdom. We must engage in constructive debates to ensure the legislative process benefits the entire country, not specific interests.”
The magazine reports that the controversial bill was sent to the National Assembly by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, trailed by serious divisions among Nigerians who either supported or ventilated their opposition to the bill.
The major opposition to the bill has been coming from the northern parts of the country, where opinion leaders from the region insist that their people will be short-changed in the new regime if the bill becomes law. They have called for more consultations going forward.
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