The All Progressives Congress in Bauchi State has called on Governor Bala Mohammed to stop opposing President Bola Tinubu’s proposed tax reforms and instead support the initiative, which the party views as essential for the country’s progress.
The opposition party described the Tax Reform Bills as a positive development, stating that their passage would significantly improve Nigeria’s economy. APC argued that the reforms would enhance productivity, efficiency, and ensure a fairer distribution of resources among the states of Nigeria’s federation.
The party also called on the governor to provide a detailed account of how funds received by Bauchi State during President Tinubu’s administration, including N144 billion in Federation Account Allocations, have been utilized. Adamu Aliyu Jallah, the Bauchi State publicity secretary of APC, criticized the state’s management of these funds, stating that there was little to show for it.
Jallah made the remarks at a press conference in response to the governor’s recent opposition to the tax reform bills before the National Assembly. He argued that for Nigeria to compete effectively with developing nations, it must embrace a policy of taxation as a vital revenue source. According to Jallah, the Tax Reform Bills would enhance the nation’s revenue generation and bring more development, particularly in terms of fiscal growth.
The APC spokesman emphasized that tax reform is not a new concept and is essential for the government to adjust to the needs of its citizens. He expressed disappointment in the governor’s stance, suggesting that instead of publicly criticizing the bill, Governor Mohammed should have taken the time to study the proposed changes and raised any concerns with the relevant authorities.
In his critique, Jallah also addressed the state government’s privatization policy. He stated that while the government’s plan to privatize certain companies in the state had been presented as a move for improved productivity and efficiency, the APC opposed it. The party believes that these companies should be revitalized to create employment for the youth and generate revenue for the state. Jallah alleged that the governor’s privatization plan appeared to benefit him and his associates rather than the state.
Additionally, the APC spokesperson accused Governor Mohammed of mismanaging state funds. He claimed that instead of focusing on revitalizing state-owned companies, the governor had used state allocations to build unnecessary structures and make inappropriate expenditures. Jallah also pointed out the persistent salary issues in the state, with some workers going without pay for months or even years.
“He said “The government revealed plans to privatise some companies in the state, as a party we kicked against it because we feel that those companies should be revitalised so that it generates employment for youths as well as revenue for the state, but the government saw it as if we were witch-hunting the governor as an opposition party.
“Remember that the governor told the people of the state that he was going to privatise some companies in the state for productivity and efficiency, but he didn’t tell the people that he was going to allocate the companies to himself and his associates.
“Instead of the governor looking at the area of revitalising these companies, he was just there collecting allocations to build structures that the state does not need and spending the money inappropriately.
“The governor has forgotten that in the past three years, there were salary issues in the state where some people did not collect salaries for the past 10 months, 15 months and even 3 years,” he said.
The APC spokesman criticised the privatisation policy of the state government.
