The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has advised state governors critical of the proposed tax reform bills to engage lawmakers from their states rather than directing their frustrations at the president.
Bwala’s comments came during an interview with Channels Television on Wednesday, following criticisms from Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed.
Grassroots Parrot reports that Governor Mohammed had accused President Tinubu of ignoring public concerns about the tax bills.
He warned that the proposed reforms, if passed, could undermine the financial stability of states and exacerbate the economic hardship faced by Nigerians.
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However, Bwala defended the president, emphasizing that the bills are under the jurisdiction of the National Assembly.
He rejected the notion that Tinubu was unresponsive to the plight of Nigerians and pointed out that the legislative process is fundamental to the democratic system.
“The part I disagreed with him (Bauchi governor) is that he created the insinuation that the president does not listen,” Bwala said.
“If a group of governors does not get the president to do their bidding, it does not mean he is not responding to Nigerians because the governors are 37 — including the FCT ministers — but Nigerians are over 200 million.”
Bwala further explained that the president’s role in presenting the bills to the National Assembly aligns with democratic principles.
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He stressed that governors with concerns should engage their state lawmakers to articulate these issues during the legislative deliberation process.
“It is a democracy. He has presented the bills to the National Assembly. It is the National Assembly that will deliberate and do what they need to do in the process of the passage,” he said.
“If a governor has a concern after having a conversation with the federal government, he should dialogue with National Assembly members in his state to articulate his concerns in the National Assembly. At the end of the day, it will come down to voting.”
Bwala criticized the tendency of some to scapegoat and blackmail the president over legislative matters. “I think a lot of people are blackmailing the president, and I’m not particularly mentioning anybody. The president is not in the legislative branch of government,” he added.