A former Governor of Niger State and ex-chairman of the Northern Governors Forum, Babaginda Aliyu, has taken a swipe at those against the tax reform bills.

According to him, those against it have not taken their time to study the bill.

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The bills, including the Joint Revenue Board of Nigeria (Establishment) Bill, 2024, the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, 2024, and the Nigeria Tax Bill, 2024, have sparked widespread debate since their introduction to the National Assembly.

During a meeting on October 28, governors of the 19 northern states under the platform of the Northern Governors Forum had rejected the new derivation-based model for Value Added Tax distribution outlined in the tax reform bills.

Days later, the National Economic Council called for the bills’ withdrawal, urging the president to allow more consultations.

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Speaking at the graduation ceremony for the Executive Intelligence Management Course 17 at the National Institute for Security Studies in Abuja on Saturday, Aliyu also criticised the government for poor communication about the policy.

Aliyu added that the citizens need to understand that no policy benefits everyone equally.

He said, “I was speaking to the NSA when we were in the common room, and I said to him, look, many of the people debating the tax bill have not read it. But again, there is the problem of communication; the government should speak more when the majority of the people are not literate. You should be the first to speak on any major policy, particularly one that will bring changes so that people can understand it.

“People can know that there is no policy that will come to somebody; if the majority comes and one person is disturbed, you can only tell him. But you cannot say because of one person, the policy cannot be taken. So communication is very, very important.”

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Speaking at the event, Vice President Kashim Shettima highlighted the evolving nature of global threats, including cyber warfare and disinformation, calling for innovative responses and a redefinition of security paradigms.

Represented by the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, the vice president also stressed that technology must serve as a tool for progress, not a weapon of destruction.

“The security issues we face—from terrorism and transnational crime to climate migration and cyber warfare—transcend borders.

“Your journey through this institution has equipped you not only to defend but to build alliances that honour our shared humanity. Learning is the gateway to finding lasting solutions to complex problems.

“Our world shrinks every day, and no challenge in one nation can be isolated from others. The social and economic tensions we must douse as leaders cannot be addressed with archaic ideas,” he said.

He urged the graduands to transform crises into opportunities for stability and growth, describing the current era as standing “at the confluence of opportunities and vulnerabilities.