Tax Reforms Will Checkmate Systemic Abuse On Taxation -Sen Hanga
…Talks on NNPP Crisis, Akpabio VS Natasha
By Raphael Ekpang
Abuja (Core Reporters) As the debate on Tax Reforms’ gradually wining up, a principal officer of the 10th Senate, Senator Rufai Hanga has stated that the new look taxation if come to enforcement will help checkmate the nation’s systemic abuse of taxation.
Sen. Hanga who spoke to journalists on Friday in his national assembly‘s in Abuja said, the country has loss alot of money to systemic abuse in taxation, stressing that all these while the big men in the country have been evading tax-denying the country from getting require tax remission on a yearly basis for the past years.
Though, Hanga opined that some states in Nigeria depend solely on monthly stipends from the federal government, but said, his state Kano, Lagos and Rivers states as well as some states in South South region can generate enough for the themselves
He noted that Nigeria’s taxation system is grossly abused as such only a reform of this magnitude can correct and change the narrative. Adding that, with the current reforms it will be hard if not imposing for anyone to evade tax and go scores free.
“As a country we are not collecting what we were supposed to be collecting in tax because our big men are evading tax and because the system is abused nothing is done to them. But with the current reform ongoing we will be collecting our taxes as at when due
“If the law has come to place you will see that most of these hardships will fade away because the government would be having enough to service external debts and plan well for its citizens. So we need to support the reform.
“You can imagine currently the government don’t receive upto 20% tax yearly because of systemic abuse but with the reform the government can confidently receive upto 90% tax yearly and that will do a great deal for the country,” he said.
On Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s loggerheads, Hanga expressed confidence their differences could be resolved amicably, saying that because the ‘Senate is a family.’
According to him, “The Senate is a family. As a family, our duty is to reconcile differences. If matter were not in court, I would have personally intervened because I know both of them well.”
Hanga did not hide the fact that Akpabio and Natasha are both close to him. Akpabio is my leader, a friend and a colleague, while Natasha is a daughter and a colleague therefore, he said he was in a better position to mediate but lamented that the case is already in court and he can’t speak further on it.
Hanga recalled, “Natasha’s father and I served together in the House of Representatives. He was a member of my committee on water resources when I was Chairman. We were close, and I still consider her as my daughter,” he said.
The Senator representing Kano Central in the 10th Senate condemned attitudes of some members of their party, New ‘Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) who have refused to embrace change and innovation in the party, the reason they are causing avoidable crisis in the party.
Though he insisted that the crisis in NNPP can’t be compared to what is happening in other political parties. Meanwhile, he emphasized that Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso is their national leader and they will continue to see and keep him as such.
On rumourse of Kwakwaso romancing with All Progressives Congress (APC) for a possible defection to the ruling party, Hanga said nothing is impossible, stressing that they (Kwankwasiya) are open to alignment andnre-alignment, so whatever their national leader want is what all of them in the Kwankwasiya movement will do
“I can assure you that if our national leader, His Excellency Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso says tomorrow will are leaving NNPP for another part be rest assure all if us in the Kwankwasiya Movement will definitely move to the part and you know how large the movement is,” he concluded.
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