The 2023 Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi has said true leaders do not exploit their people to enrich themselves and a few cronies.
Instead, according to the former governor of Anambra State, they build trust, unity, and shared purpose, which he said, are the foundation of sustainable progress.
Obi in a statement on X on Friday, condemned the decision by President Bola Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress (APC) administration to begin the implementation of the Tax Reforms Act, despite the controversies sorrounding it.
According to Obi, if taxation is to function as a genuine social contract, “It must be rooted in sincerity, fairness, and concern for the welfare of the people.”
He noted that every tax policy should be clearly explained, including its impact on incomes and its expected contribution to national development.
“Without this transparency, taxation becomes a tool of confusion and burden rather than a mechanism for growth and development,” he said.
He l maintained that Nigeria must rethink her taxation policy if it is serious about her economic growth, national unity, and shared prosperity.
“The purpose of sound fiscal policy is not merely to raise revenue; it is to make the people wealthier so that the nation itself becomes stronger.
“Yet today, Nigerians are asked to pay taxes without clarity, explanation, or visible benefit,” Obi said.
He advocated that the solution should begin with empowering small and medium-sized enterprises in every community.
Obi added that when small businesses thrive, jobs would created, incomes rise, and the tax base expands naturally.
“You cannot tax your way out of poverty – you must produce your way out of it,” he stated.
According to him, the ongoing tax saga is alarming because the law empowering it was reportedly forged.
“The National Assembly itself has admitted that the version gazetted is not what was passed into law.
“Yet citizens are being asked to pay higher taxes under this manipulated framework—without transparency, without explanation, and without corresponding benefits,” he said.
Obi argued that there is no virtue in celebrating increased government revenue while the people grow poorer, adding, “Taxing poverty does not create wealth; it deepens hardship.
“Any tax system that makes citizens poorer violates the fundamental principles of good governance and sound fiscal policy.”
The former LP National Leader said Nigeria needs a fair, lawful, and people-centred tax system, “one that supports production, rewards enterprise, protects the vulnerable, and restores trust between government and citizens.
“Only then can taxation become a true tool for unity, growth, and shared prosperity.”
