Secretary of the Eminent Elders Forum, Dr. Akin Fapohunda, has described Nigeria’s federal policies as a tool that has disproportionately benefited the North at the expense of the South. Speaking during an interview with ARISE NEWS on Sunday, Fapohunda criticized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s tax reform agenda, declaring it unfeasible due to Nigeria’s diverse regional customs and traditions. He called for regional autonomy, asserting that the current federal structure is unsustainable.
Fapohunda lambasted the federal character and quota systems, describing them as mechanisms that have drained the South’s resources to sustain Northern elites. “The North has taken us for a ride for too long,” he said. “Federal character and quota systems have been in place for over 40 years. Who has benefitted? Only a tiny clique of Northern elites, while the South bears the burden.”
The Northern opposition to Tinubu’s tax reforms, according to Fapohunda, further underscores the imbalance. He accused Northern leaders of forming alliances to resist the proposed reforms, likening their resistance to “a feeding bottle being removed from their mouth.”
Fapohunda emphasized that Nigeria’s regional differences make a unified tax system impractical. “The South-West, South-East, and the North all have different customs, approaches, and traditions. Trying to implement a unitary tax reform in such a diverse country is a road to nowhere,” he stated.
He also criticized President Tinubu’s focus on tax reforms, arguing that it detracts from addressing more pressing national issues. “The president is staking his reputation on a tax reform bill when civil service remains dysfunctional, the Oronsaye report remains unimplemented, and promised agricultural initiatives like the N500 billion agric project have yielded no results,” Fapohunda said.
Highlighting Nigeria’s economic challenges, Fapohunda questioned the feasibility of raising revenue through taxation. He pointed out that many companies are struggling to survive amidst high energy costs and dwindling demand. “Big companies are folding up and leaving Nigeria. Who will pay the tax? The country is in economic distress, and Tinubu’s tax reforms won’t address the underlying issues,” he noted.
Fapohunda called for a fundamental restructuring of Nigeria. He proposed regional autonomy as a solution, suggesting that each region should manage its affairs according to its worldview. “We cannot be united when we are unequally yoked,” he said. “Let each region live according to its own customs and traditions. Forcing a centralized system on the entire country will only create more tension.”
In conclusion, Fapohunda urged Tinubu to re-evaluate his administration’s priorities, focusing on structural reforms rather than a tax agenda he believes is destined to fail. “It’s time for the president to face reality and rethink his approach. Nigeria’s problems require deeper solutions than a tax bill,” he advised.