November 07, (THEWILL) – The Northern Youths Assembly, Majalisar Matasan Arewa, has asked members of the National Assembly to “kill” the proposed Tax Reform Bills submitted to the Legislature by President Bola Tinubu, describing the document as “anti-people”.
The group, in an open letter signed by its President, Dr Ali Idris Mohammed, and the Secretary-General, Dr Garba Abduljafiz, to the National Assembly, also branded the bill as “evil, dangerous and anti-economic development”.
“We, therefore, wish to beseech all the National Assembly members, especially those of Northern Nigerian extraction, to as a matter of urgency and in the interest of humanity, national interest and development, peace and tranquillity, kill the proposed tax reform bill the day it is presented before the floor of the National Assembly.”
The youths urged the Assembly to instead concentrate on youth-friendly laws to safeguard the future of the country.
“As the largest political demographic in the nation, the youths must have a say in laws and policies that directly impact the future of the country. We call for the creation of a special place at the centre, to allow the youths to contribute to solutions that may promote sustainable development, job creation, and economic empowerment”, the group said.
It also demanded the prioritisation of the nation’s laws on Investments, Job Creation and Education, arguing that the youths are Nigeria’s future “and our prosperity hinges on investments in education, skills development, and job creation.
“We urge the National Assembly members to direct their resources and energy towards creating laws that would prioritise and encourage foreign investment, skills development and jobs creation for the teeming population of the youths, to improve measures that risk stifling the Nigerian economic opportunity.
“We also urge them to stop complying with the dictates and advisory of the agents of destruction, IMF and World. We must stay away from the trap of the IMF and World Bank, as they are all out to destroy our country through their ill-formulated policies and misleading advisory.
“It should be noted that the Tinubu-led Economic Reforms are measures of destruction and we would not fold our arms to allow some few Nigerians to destroy our dear country”, it said.
The group threatened to mobilise against any member of the National Assembly, especially those from the North, who supported the proposed bill, “as we shall identify and tag them as anti-Nigerians and agents of destruction.”
Abdullahi Yusuf is a seasoned journalist, communicator and was previously the Deputy Editor-In-Chief and Zonal Manager, News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, Jos, where he retired on December 15, 2021
