The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has called for the withdrawal of the Tax Reform Bills forwarded by President Bola Tinubu to the National Assembly.
The bills have elicited a groundswell of criticisms from some parts of the country, especially from northern leaders who say the bills won’t favour their region.
In their New Year message to Nigerians, especially workers, the President of NLC, Joe Ajaero, said organised labour would step up its battle for an upward wage review for workers to mitigate the high costs of living.
Also read: Senate suspends debate on Tinubu’s tax reform bills
The message, entitled “In 2025, hope is in our collective resolve,’’ reads “As we step into the year 2025, the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, extends warm New Year greetings to every worker and citizen across our great nation.
‘’The challenges of survival we have faced as a people must not hold us down. Instead, let us find inner strength to build a collective resolve to drive Nigeria out of the morass of underdevelopment that has held it captive for far too long.
“No external power will deliver us from the scourge of economic hardship and stagnation. It is only through our collective effort and determination that we can propel our nation forward.
“We must build inner strength to find this collective resolve across the length and breadth of our great nation. This is our civic responsibility—one we must embrace with unwavering determination.
“We call on the government at all levels to ensure that governance translates into real benefits for the people. The welfare of the citizens remains the primary justification for the existence of any government.
“Access to food and nutrition, better healthcare, quality housing, education, transportation and greater security of lives and properties, including the right to participate in decisions on how they are ruled, are the key expectations of the people and workers.
“Policies must, therefore, reflect transparency, honesty, and inclusivity, devoid of chicanery, nepotism, and strong-arm tactics.
“To create a thriving, democratic nation, we need a system built on the tenets of social dialogue, allowing critical stakeholders to participate actively in nation-building. Such inclusiveness will foster deeper ownership of government policies, ensuring stability and sustainability.
“It is on this premise that we once again call on the federal government to withdraw its present tax bills before the National Assembly so that all key national stakeholders will be part of the process.
‘’As we embark on a national dialogue in Ibadan in January, 2025, we want to join hands in co-creating a new national tax law that would enjoy wider acceptance and fulfill its purpose of propelling national development which we believe is the main objective of government.
“As we move into 2025, we urge the federal government to prioritize industrial peace by taking social dialogue seriously, pursuing pro-human-progress policies, and respecting agreements with trade unions.
“The increasing use of violence in engagements with workers and unions must cease, as it is a recipe for industrial disharmony. Trade unions which we are, as a pan-people organization, remain a committed partner in progress, striving for the development of Nigeria while protecting the rights of workers and citizens at large.
“We have a very large stake in our nation and are concerned about how our nation is run compelling us to thus seek to ensure that government policies give our nation optimal outcomes. While we therefore urge government to govern well it must understand that we are responsible to our members and this we cannot shirk.
“We insist that governments at all levels must comply with the provisions of the 2024 National Minimum Wage Act from the very beginning of the year. Furthermore, given the economic realities imposed by recent government policies, we shall engage the government for a wage review to safeguard workers’ welfare.
“Our nation will become more productive when the incomes of workers are able to meet at least their basic needs, thus committing more to their work. In this, we believe there ought to be unanimity between us and governments at various levels. We look forward to fruitful engagement on this with our social partners as we move into 2025.
“Let us unite in our resolve to ensure a Nigeria where workers’ welfare, decent work environments, and the security of life and property are prioritized. Together, through collective effort and determination, we can transform our nation into one of progress, inclusion and shared prosperity.”
Opponents of FG’s tax bills
Though it is not clear if NLC described by some stakeholders as ‘toothless bulldog’ will stand to the end to oppose the bills, Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, has berated the policies introduced by the administration of President Bola Tinubu, especially the Tax Reforms Bills describing them as anti-northern Nigeria.
Governor Babagana Umara Zulum of Borno State also criticised the tax reform bills, saying it will drag the northern part of the country backward.
Similarly, former Senate Chief Whip, Senator Ali Ndume, insisted that the federal government must withdraw the tax reform bills from the National Assembly, arguing that they were coming at the wrong time.
He said in a statement in Abuja that the economic hardship being suffered by Nigerians may get worse if the federal lawmakers consider and pass the fiscal bills.
He said: “I’m still insisting that the tax reforms bills be withdrawn for more consultations and by-in of critical stakeholders like state, local government and private sectors.”
