The women’s wing of the Coalition of Northern Groups has called for more stakeholders’ consultations on the 2024 tax bill to address grey areas before passing it into law.
They made their position known during a national women’s conference in Jos.
Speaking on the position of the Nigerian women on the controversial tax reform bill, the national director, women affairs of the group, Nankling Nanle, said there was a trust deficit in the North on the bill, which seems to ignore the highest concentration of the informal sector in the region, who have little or no idea of details of the bill.
Nankling stressed the need for some evidence of justice and fairness by crafters of the bill, cutting across the diverse interest groups and not a few political class.
Similarly, the national coordinator of the group, Comrade Jamilu Aliyu, called for caution citing the Petroleum Industry Bill which took over 10 years to be passed into law and wondered why the hurry to pass the tax bill.
The key note speaker, Dr Dangwom Dang from ANAN University Kwall also spoke on the impact of the bill on women.
In the same vein, the Plateau State acting chairperson of Gender and Equal Rights Commission Mrs Olivia Daziem applauded the fact that in the processes of legislation, there is room for public hearing.
Daziem pleaded with Northern women to galvanise their thoughts and raise their voices on issues of bad Governance in the country which affects them and their children.
She described as embarrassing, the statistics that showed that northern Nigeria account for 70 percent of the total poverty rate in the country, which she said should be addressed.