The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has declared that it will campaign against the return of Northern lawmakers who support the Tax Reform Bills.
Describing such lawmakers as betrayers, the CNG said they will not go unnoticed for signing to enslave the people who entrusted them with their mandate.
The CNG stated at its solidarity visit to Senator Ali Ndume where it pledged to back the lawmaker’s efforts to challenge the controversial bills.
The national coordinator of CNG, Comrade Jamilu Aliyu Charanchi, who reaffirmed support for Ndume’s stance against the proposed Tax Reform Bills, noted that the visit was aimed to exchange ideas on effective strategies to oppose the reforms at various levels.
He emphasized that CNG is actively engaging with citizens across Northern Nigeria through town hall meetings to raise awareness about the bills.
He said the goal is to empower constituents to reach out to their representatives and demand that they reject the proposed reforms. “We will continue to utilize all available democratic tools to ensure these bills, which threaten the livelihood of millions, are rejected outright,” Charanchi said.
The CNG also used the occasion to call on Northern lawmakers to remain true to their constituents and reject the Bills, which appear to be ill-timed and serve as a tool to fulfil external demands, such as those from the World Bank.
According to the coalition, some legislators from the North have chickened out while others are scrambling for crumbs from the presidency, which could lead them to support the unpopular bills for their personal aggrandizement as God-forsaken and evil-spirited political bandits.
The CNG warned that senators and members of the House of Representatives who abandon the interests of their constituents would be treated as enemies of the people whose political relevance must be decisively and immediately destroyed and buried.
“We want to categorically warn any lawmaker from the North who supports these oppressive Tax Reform Bills: your betrayal will not go unnoticed.
You simply sign to enslave the people who entrusted you with their mandate. CNG will practically lead campaigns against such betrayers who should be completely eliminated from the political landscape of northern Nigeria.
“Northern lawmakers must remember that they are in the National Assembly to serve the interests of their constituents, not to rubber-stamp policies dictated by external forces like the World Bank or any ethnic supremacist. Stand with the people, or face the consequences of their rejection,” he said.
According to the leading political pressure group, any lawmaker who discards the interests of his people by supporting the bills would be treated as a dangerous outcasts who deserve our collective censure and opprobrium.
The CNG added that such despicable, mischievous and reckless rascality from legislators, particularly those from the North, is an all-out affront to the collective interest and dignity of the regions that we are determined to go to any length to preserve and jealously guarded.
The group stressed that this is not the time for policies that could further cripple the already struggling economy and increase the burden on Nigerians.
“Any senator from the region who supports these bills is betraying the trust of their people. We urge our lawmakers to critically assess the implications of these reforms and prioritize the interests of the common people over foreign influence or personal gains,” it said.
The CNG charged members of the House of Representatives to make sure that the bills not only do not pass the second reading, but also are unanimously rejected and abandoned in the lower chamber.
CNG reiterated its commitment to holding public officials accountable and ensuring that the voices of the people are heard. The coalition vowed to intensify its advocacy until the proposed Bills are completely rejected or outrightly withdrawn.
Senator Ndume commended the CNG for its proactive role as a vibrant political pressure group dedicated to protecting the interests of the common people.
He assured the delegation of his unwavering commitment to safeguarding the rights and welfare of his constituents in the National Assembly, pledging to act without fear or favour.
