Leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum, 96-year-old Chief Edwin Clark, has weighed in on the contentious debate over President Bola Tinubu‘s Tax Reform Bills, saying an outright political restructuring of the country will resolve the difficulties and disagreements over the bill.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Chief Clark said, “The ongoing controversies around this tax reform highlight the need for a full and comprehensive constitutional review.”
He asserted that the arguments for and against the bills would be settled if the country adopted a new or 1963 Republican Constitution.
Clark said that “Political consensus building is crucial to ensure that tax reforms have broad-based support.” He wants dialogue among political leaders initiated to create lasting reforms.
“If we must live together as one country,” the sage counselled, “restructuring is a sine qua non. The issues raised for and against the tax bill are all among the issues which will be addressed if we restructure the country and produce a new constitution or adopt the 1963 Republican Constitution. Giving priority to restructuring will provide room for overhauling the country’s tax system.
“It is lack of restructuring that has led us to the quagmire we are in today as a people; that is why we are here today. This brings to mind my usual slogan, that ‘except we restructure Nigeria, non-restructuring will kill Nigeria,” he said.
Pa Clark further explained that, “The complexity of the Nigerian tax system comes from the interplay between constitutional mandates, legislative provisions, and the practicalities of revenue collection and allocation.”
He suggested that the focus should shift from revenue allocation to improving revenue collection and remittance. “A focus on equitable sharing, without improving collection, creates perverse incentives,” he added.
Chief Clark also noted that tax reform has always been a contentious issue in Nigeria because “the leaders of this country have stoutly refused to manage our diversity.”
Instead, he said, “They have instituted themselves as institutions rather than ensuring that the nation’s systems are strong.”
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