Senator Shehu Sani has openly rebuked those opposing the Tax Reform Bill by claiming they “cannot pay salaries” if it becomes law.
His critique comes amid heightened resistance to the bill, particularly from the northern region.
Governor Babagana Umara Zulum of Borno State recently expressed that implementing the reforms would hinder the state’s ability to meet minimum wage obligations, warning that it could set the North further behind.
The Tax Reform Bills, introduced to the National Assembly by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in September, have ignited widespread dissent, especially in northern Nigeria.
Stakeholders, including Northern governors, traditional rulers, and the Northern Elders Forum, have called for the bills’ withdrawal, arguing they are detrimental to national interest.
However, on the 30th of November, 2024 Sani took to his verified Facebook page to challenge this stance, asserting:
“We cannot pay salaries’ is not a statement in defence of the North. It is a statement that reveals how the North is dependent on other regions.
“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.”
In Sani’s view, the reforms might compel the region to embrace self-reliance, which he considers a pathway to restored pride and independence.