December 22, 2024
By Ayinde Adeleke
A former Speaker of the ninth House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has stated that President Bola Tinubu or the Southern region is not the problem of the North.
Dogara made this assertion while speaking as a guest speaker at a townhall meeting for Christian leaders in northern Nigeria.
He urged Nigerians to support President Bola Tinubu in transforming the nation through the tax reform bills currently awaiting the endorsement of the National Assembly.
At the event, themed “Church and Society: Tax Reforms and Matters Arising”, Dogara addressed issues surrounding governance and development.
The former Speaker lamented that Arewa political leaders mismanaged opportunities to lead Nigeria for over 40 years, leaving the region plagued with poverty and underdevelopment.
“We are all northerners, and it should be made clear that President Tinubu or the South is not our problem. They have not come to cheat the North. That is out of the question. Some are claiming that Yoruba people are getting appointments, but let’s reflect. We ruled this country for over 40 years when northerners were in power. What did we achieve? The North remains the same, impoverished by our own leaders,” Dogara said.
Speaking on Value Added Tax (VAT) and federal allocations received by states, Dogara asked, “We have had so much, but what did our governors do with the resources? They squandered them instead of investing in meaningful development.”
He also cited the Ajaokuta Steel Industry, initiated by the Shagari administration, which was 98 per cent completed but was later allowed to deteriorate. “The project was almost finished, yet it was left to rot,” he said.
Dogara urged northerners to support President Tinubu’s efforts to transform the country through the tax reform bills currently in the National Assembly.
