The Centre for Human Rights and Social Advancement (CEFSAN) has rejected the newly introduced tax law by the Federal Government, describing it as anti-poor and socially punitive.
The organisation, in a statement issued on Friday in Kano and signed by its Executive Director, Mr Yusha’u Sani Yankuzo, said the policy would further worsen the economic hardship facing ordinary Nigerians.
According to Yankuzo, the new tax law amounts to a deliberate assault on the livelihoods of citizens, coming shortly after successive fuel subsidy removals.
“This law, coming on the heels of successive fuel subsidy removals, is nothing short of an economic attack on the people,” he said.
He noted that Nigerians are already struggling with the rising cost of fuel, transportation, food, and basic services, yet the government continues to impose additional financial burdens on the populace.
“Nigerians are already paying exorbitant prices for fuel, transportation, food, and basic services, yet the government insists on extracting more from the working class and vulnerable communities,” Yankuzo stated.
Describing the policy as “state-sanctioned oppression designed to protect the rich while punishing the poor,” the rights group said the tax law reflects a government insensitive to the suffering of its citizens.
“The new tax policy, combined with subsidy removals, demonstrates a government that is blind to suffering and deaf to reason,” he added.
CEFSAN further argued that the policy violates the constitutional and human rights of Nigerians, particularly the right to an adequate standard of living, while worsening inequality and social despair.
The group called on the Federal Government to immediately suspend the new tax law and review fuel subsidy policies in order to shield ordinary Nigerians from further hardship.
It also urged the government to engage in “genuine consultations with civil society organisations, labour unions, and citizens before enacting policies that directly affect their survival.”
The organisation advocated a shift of the tax burden to the wealthy and corporate entities, while addressing corruption and fiscal mismanagement.
“Taxation should target the wealthy and corporations, not the poor, while corruption and fiscal mismanagement must be tackled,” Yankuzo said.
CEFSAN also called for the implementation of robust social protection measures to cushion vulnerable communities against economic shocks.
The group warned that enforcing the law without tackling the root causes of Nigeria’s economic challenges could deepen poverty, hunger, and social unrest.
“We warn that any attempt to enforce this law without addressing the real causes of Nigeria’s economic hardship will only worsen poverty, hunger, and social unrest,” the statement added.
Yankuzo reaffirmed CEFSAN’s commitment to defending the socio-economic rights of Nigerians through legal and civic engagement.
“The people of Nigeria must not be made to pay for the government’s failures,” he said, urging citizens to demand policies that prioritise public welfare over the enrichment of a few.
