Senator Shehu Sani has hit back at critics of the tax reform bills recently introduced to the National Assembly, particularly those who claim that the northern states will struggle to pay salaries if the bills are passed.
Governor Babagana Umara Zulum of Borno State had expressed concerns, stating that the state would not be able to meet its minimum wage obligations if the proposed tax reforms were enacted. Zulum warned that the bills could set back the northern region’s economic progress and exacerbate its financial challenges.
The tax reform bills, which were submitted to the National Assembly by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in September, have faced widespread opposition from northern political leaders, traditional rulers, and the Northern Elders Forum. These stakeholders have raised concerns, arguing that the bills do not align with the region’s economic realities and may harm the nation as a whole.
However, Senator Shehu Sani, in a post on his verified Facebook page on Saturday, rebuked these objections, asserting that the claim of being unable to pay salaries does not reflect a genuine defense of the northern region. According to Sani, such statements expose the region’s economic dependency on other parts of the country.
“‘We cannot pay salaries’ is not a statement in defense of the North. It is a statement that reveals how the North is dependent on other regions,” Sani wrote. He went on to suggest that if the inability to pay salaries forces the northern states to become more self-reliant and focus on internal development, then such a shift would be beneficial in the long run. “If not being able to pay salaries will reconfigure the region to look inward and depend on itself, let it be. Dignity is worthier than money,” he concluded.
The tax reform bills have sparked a wider debate about economic disparities between the regions, with proponents arguing that they are necessary for long-term growth and fiscal sustainability, while critics contend they could worsen existing inequalities.
