Governor Bala Mohammed of Kaduna says he can’t be threatened over his stance on the controversial tax reform bills introduced by President Bola Tinubu.
Our Source reports that Mr Mohammed had criticised the bills, saying they are skewed to favour one region above another.
He also said a forceful passage of the bills without adequate consultation is a “call for anarchy,” adding Mr Tinubu would see “our real colour” if the legislations were passed.
But the governor’s comment elicited backlash from Mr Tinubu’s media aide, Sunday Dare, who asked him to withdraw the inflammatory comment.
But the governor insisted that he stood by his words, reaffirming his warning to the presidency to stop displaying arrogance.
“I cannot be threatened as a governor. I stand by my comments. It is not meant to malign, insult, or to do anything to the contrary other than mean well,” he said.
Mr Mohammed, who is also the chairman of the PDP Governors Forum stressed that the proposed tax bills, if passed, would have “concomitant effects” and threaten the survival of the sub-nationals and impoverish them.
“We believe that as the leader of the federation and all other federating units, they should listen to us, not to be arrogant and showing some elements of impunity that whatever happens, they would go ahead,” Mr Mohammed said.
He also faulted Mr Tinubu’s “undemocratic” stance on the tax bills, saying that even those with military backgrounds would have listened to the people and addressed the “areas of suspicion and mistrust” in the proposed piece of legislation.
He said some states should not be allowed to die because they do not have the headquarters of companies in Nigeria.
By Umar Audu @DailyNigerian
