A former Speaker of the 9th House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has attributed the North’s current state of backwardness to its leaders.
He also urged Nigerians to support President Bola Tinubu in transforming the nation through the tax reform bills currently awaiting the endorsement of the National Assembly.
Dogara spoke as a guest speaker at a town hall meeting for Christian leaders in northern Nigeria.
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The event, themed “Church and Society: Tax Reforms and Matters Arising”, addressed issues surrounding governance and development.
The former Speaker lamented that Arewa political leaders mismanaged opportunities to lead Nigeria for over 40 years, leaving the region plagued with poverty and underdevelopment.
According to Dogara, northerners should resist the temptation to blame President Tinubu for the North’s current plight. He emphasised the need to unite in supporting the tax reform bills, which he said were designed to bring transformation to the North and Nigeria as a whole.
“We are all northerners, and it should be made clear that President Tinubu or the South is not our problem. They have not come to cheat the North. That is out of the question. Some are claiming that Yoruba people are getting appointments, but let’s reflect. We ruled this country for over 40 years when northerners were in power. What did we achieve? The North remains the same, impoverished by our own leaders,” Dogara said.
Speaking on Value Added Tax (VAT) and federal allocations received by states, Dogara asked, “We have had so much, but what did our governors do with the resources? They squandered them instead of investing in meaningful development.”
He also cited the Ajaokuta Steel Industry, initiated by the Shagari administration, which was 98 per cent completed but was later allowed to deteriorate.
“The project was almost finished, yet it was left to rot,” he said.
Dogara urged northerners to support President Tinubu’s efforts to transform the country through the tax reform bills currently in the National Assembly.
Meanwhile, the Executive Director of Christian Awareness Initiative of Nigeria (CHAIN), Reverend Joseph John Hayab, stated that the organisation was established in 2007 to provide platforms and opportunities for Christians to explore effective ways of participating in Nigeria’s national life, particularly in areas related to spiritual, social, and economic growth.
Hayab urged Christian leaders to deliberate on the issue of tax reforms currently being considered by Nigeria’s legislative arm.
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