By Bose Adelaja & Adetomiwa Adewoyin
CITIZENS COMPASS— A non-political organisation, Coalition Against Corruption and Bad Governance (CACOBAG), on Tuesday, opposed the implementation of New Tax Law by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu describing it as an act of brigandage against Nigerians.
CACOBAG said the New Tax Law was against the “Renewed Hope” agenda as promised by Mr President.
Addressing a press conference in Ikeja area of Lagos, the human rights body said the tax reform was ill conceived and deceitful to further impoverish many Nigerians and coerce triple burden on the masses.
CACOBAG convened its message in an address by its Chairman, Comrades Toyin Raheem who also demanded that the Minister for Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu to account for the missing N128billion Naira in the power sector.
CACOBAG raised other Sunday issues that negatively impacted the masses.
According to the Chairman: Today’s press conference is mainly on three issues which are: President Tinubu’s tax reform as an act of brigandage or an act of the National Assembly against the common man?
Where is the missing N128billion Naira in the power sector? Minister of Power, Mr. Adebayo Adelabu, must explain this.
President Tinubu’s tax reform is ill conceived and deceits to further impoverish Nigerians. It’s a triple burden on the masses.
We at CACOBAG are disturbed that the present government of President Bola Tinubu whose agenda for the country is captured with what he refers to as
“renewed hope” is indeed a deceit, it’s actually the opposite, making the masses hopeless.
We at CACOBAG express our deep concern and opposition to the enacted tax reform laws, due to lack of transparency, inadequate public consultation, and potential harm to the Nigerian economy.
The laws were rushed through the National Assembly with many ulterior motives based behind the reforms.
The new tax regime, an act signed into law by the president and gazetted, is totally different from what was passed into law and the president is in a hurry to implement it against public outcry.
If the President refuses to allow wise counsel to prevail by stopping the implementation which we hurriedly started on January 1st 2026, we shall have no option than to head to the court of law to stop its implementation.
No building can solidly stand on a faulty foundation. A forged or doctored Act cannot be forced on Nigerians. It’s unacceptable.
The New Tax is against the masses to support profligacy and hedonistic tendencies of unscrupulous political office holders and their agents.
Why should the President insist its implementation must start on January 1, 2026?
The new tax laws are for capital accumulation to exploit the masses.
The wrong impression or deliberate deceit by the government that minimum wage earners will not pay taxes is a ruse. The threshold for not paying taxes at all which is N67,000 per month is insignificant. Can one person live on N67,000 per month?
The rich are to be made richer and the poor poorer. We reject the new tax law.
Effects of inconsiderate removal of the so-called fuel subsidy is still biting hard on Nigerians and over 144 million Nigerians are said to be very poor presently. This figure does not include those who are able to eat ” two bent meals” in a day. What does this denote?
The World bank has also alerted, more Nigerians may go down into poverty. What does this portend for the masses?
It’s a patriotic duty incumbent on us as a people to rescue the country.
2027 general elections
Continuing, he said’ It is frustrating and saddening that political office holders are abandoning governance and focusing on re-election or how to ensure their stooges/puppets succeed them.
The conventional politicians need to be reminded they were put in office, employed, to be in office by their employers, the electorate, for four years.
It is the electorate, their employers, that can decide either to extend their tenure or not and this is determined by a satisfactory performance.
It is worrisome that the actions of some elected political office holders reveal that what they are after is to return to office by any means, be it legitimate or crooked.
Any looting or an act of corruption by any political office holder shall be taken seriously and the masses shall be sensitised to ignore ,shun, shame and reject such political office holders.
The 1999 Constitution of Nigeria does not mandate anyone to be in power for two consecutive terms. A clueless, anti people and corrupt political office holders shall be shunned in 2027.
It is therefore not too late for those seeking re-election to focus on good governance, shun corruption by being frugal, prudent and transparent.
Any politician who thinks he or she could get to power through violence, vote buying, tribal affiliation or religion sentiment, brigandage, thuggery, votes manipulation, unconstitutional zoning and even political affiliation should have a re-think.
Nigerians are now more interested in competence, merit and ability to take Nigeria out of doldrums of economic instability, insecurity and unemployment. They want a government that will comply totally with section 14 (2) (b) of 1999 CFRN, ” Security and welfare of the people shall be the primary aim of the government. A government that will truly fight Corruption through actions and inactions.
Nigerians are not gullible to fall for whims and caprices of anti people and thieving politicians in 2027
Nigerians are no longer interested in motion without movement and oratocracy, government by speech making. Time, energy and resources expended on addressing audiences are more than real governance.
No political office holder, regardless of the position he or she holds, should think it can be business as usual in 2027 or Nigerians can be held to ransom.
CACOBAG warns.
Photo caption
From Left: Comrades Oye Olabanji Toyin Raheem, Idowu Taiwo and one other during the press conference.
