Abuja, Nigeria — Dr. Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, Executive Director of the Patriots for Advancement of Peace and Social Development, has strongly criticized northern governors who are resisting the proposed tax reform bills, describing their stance as a reflection of laziness and an unwillingness to devise strategies for generating internal revenue.
In an interview with Arise TV on Monday, Shinkafi condemned the governors, asserting that they were directly responsible for the economic struggles in the northern region, including chronic insecurity, unemployment, poverty, and educational backwardness. He argued that the claim by these governors that the tax bills would exacerbate hardship in the North was a weak excuse to avoid addressing the region’s pressing issues.
“The northern governors are the ones responsible for the failure of the economy in the region. They are the ones who have allowed insecurity, unemployment, and educational stagnation to persist for so long,” Shinkafi said. “Their resistance to the tax reform bills only exposes their lack of vision and commitment to solving the problems that plague the North.”
Shinkafi strongly defended the tax reform bills, which have faced significant opposition, particularly from northern governors. He dismissed the opposition as politically motivated, alleging that it was based on misinformation and an unwillingness to embrace necessary change.
He also took aim at the Northern Youth Assembly, whose members had criticized the Deputy Senate President for his role in the tax reform discussions. Shinkafi labeled their attack as unwarranted, emphasizing that the Deputy Senate President was simply performing his constitutional duties in overseeing the proceedings.
“The attack on the Deputy Senate President is uncalled for,” Shinkafi stated. “He was doing his job, and the criticisms leveled against him are purely politically driven. The focus should be on how to address the real issues, not on baseless attacks.”
Shinkafi’s remarks come amid a growing national debate on the proposed tax reforms, which aim to overhaul Nigeria’s taxation system in a bid to increase government revenue and reduce dependency on oil. The resistance from some northern governors highlights the political divide over the future of the country’s fiscal policies.
