Nigeria is being held hostage by a small group of Northerners; it's time to wake up, says Fapohunda.
Dr. Akin Fapohunda, the secretary of the Eminent Elders Forum, has charged that a small group of northern elites have been keeping Nigeria hostage for more than 40 years due to tribalism and self-interest. When discussing the northern opposition to President Bola Tinubu's proposed tax reform proposals on Sunday on Arise News, Fapohunda argued that the north has been playing a game for too long and that it is time to call their bluff. He claims that although southern Nigerians have been lax in their demands, the North has imposed policies like the federal character and quota system on the southern region.
“It is time for Nigeria to wake up and realize that the interests of the South and the North are not in an alliance.” Speaking specifically about the Tax Reform Bills, the Secretary of the Eminent Elders Forum believed that the proposals could never work because Nigeria is not a unified country and “cannot be unified at all” by a unitary tax system. Fapohuna claimed that such policies have favored the North over the South and that only a few elite people in the North are benefiting from the federal policies at the expense of other citizens of the nation.
"The North can shout Northern interest at the flip of a switch," he remarked. Southerners are easygoing and hope that we are civilized enough to avoid discussing tribalism. We are arrogant about this issue, and tribalism is at work. Look, the North has been playing us for far too long; for more than 40 years, they have imposed federal character on Nigeria. For more than 40 years, they imposed a quota system on Nigeria. Has it been advantageous to them? The only group keeping the entire nation hostage is the small clique in the North. Nigeria has had enough time to realize that the North and South are not together.
The few elites in the North are now speaking as though a feeding bottle were going to be taken away from them. They are shouting and doing just that. They have now established a league called the League of Northern Democrats. During his speech, the governor of Bauchi stated that they would not be able to pay salaries in the future. Look, with this mindset, the North has seriously harmed Nigeria. Which Nigerians are currently japanning? They're from the South. In the 1950s and 1960s, the South made significant investments in education. Nigeria has now forced the products out of the country. Is there a Fulani man who does engineering or medicine in New York or London?
The Yorubas, Igbos, and Southerners are the ones who are marginalized. It is time to confront the North's bluff, not because we agree with Tinubu's actions, but because we need to talk about Nigeria. Nigeria is not—we are pretentious. Let's get down to business. That is why we are calling for regionalization; the North and South are distinct unless we are fooling ourselves.
Nigerians will not be united over this tax issue. If we give the North more VAT, for what purpose? They have had a federal character for forty years; what have they done with it? They have a quota for forty years; what have they done with it? They are simply being spoiled; they do not want to face the fact that they are not performing, and when you compromise, you kill the South. We should be tired of carrying the North along, honestly. Someone has to call their bluff. There is no other option than for the South to call the North's bluff," he continued.
Fapohunda advised President Tinubu to concentrate his efforts on other worthwhile projects, claiming that pursuing the contentious tax revisions is pointless while other problems go unsolved. He asserts that the policy that may propel Nigeria to greatness is not tax reform. "The president is not concentrating in the proper direction," he stated. One thing and only one thing: inheritance tax. Sharia is viewed differently in the North. The customs of the South-West are distinct. The East takes a distinct tack. Isn't it a dead end to try to implement a unitary tax system when everyone has a different way of living?
Regarding that, I won't truly support President Tinubu's efforts based just on the account. To tell the truth, President Tinubu is preoccupied with this tax issue. That will be his administration's catchphrase. What would happen if the tax plan was approved during the next three, four, or five months? On the tax package, Mr. President is risking his political savvy and image, but he is omitting to discuss several problems that he should have encountered. The civil service is in ruins. Civil workers are not functioning naturally with the government; they are merely trying to find a way to make ends meet. According to Orasanye, the president promised to complete it in twelve weeks.
What has happened to the N500 billion agricultural project that the president proposed in 2023? He didn't put it into practice. We now have a ministry dedicated to cattle. I am aware that they are now searching for offices in Abuja. When will the livestock ministry deliver the first cow to us? Therefore, in general, Nigeria should not be concentrating on tax obligations at this time. More significant basic adjustments are in place. We do not want the tax measure to be a reform. We must restructure the nation so that we may all coexist peacefully as neighbors. There is no denying that we are different. From now till eternity, we can ignore it.
