The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) in the South-West Zone has spoken out against the Federal Government’s decision to levy a N10 per litre tax on fizzy beverages.
Zainab Ahmed, the Minister of Finance, Budget, and National Planning, revealed the idea lately, claiming that it was an attempt to discourage excessive use of sugar in beverages, which she said contributed to a number of health issues such as diabetes and obesity.
However, the South-West Coordinator of NANS, Olatunji Adegboye, said in a statement on Monday that placing a tax on soft drinks was not a strategy to prevent diabetes and other health problems linked to the intake of sweetened beverages.
Adegboye argued that the introduction of additional duty on the already taxed products showed the government was insensitive and was bereft of ideas to drive its internally generated revenue.
The students’ body described the planned duty as a deliberate attempt by the Federal Government to pile more miseries on the hapless citizens.
The NANS said instead of adding to the economic hardship Nigerians were being made to suffer through the planned duty, the Presidentl Muhammadu Buhari, should look at how to reduce the cost of governance to free more funds for development.
The statement partly read, “Imposition of additional duty on carbonated drinks is anti-people, anti-democratic, and retrogressive. It contradicts the law of humanity and the law of God. It is not in any way constant with the spirit of fairness and starkly contravenes what President Muhammadu Buhari promised Nigerians while campaigning for our votes.
“For an administration whose major source of finance is foreign loans, one would expect those redundant appointees and underperforming ministers who have done nothing but eating national resources be removed so as to salvage precious billions of naira from further waste.
“Holistic means to reduce the cost of governance should also be proffered, adopted and implemented.
“The above will not only save the country trillions of Naira but also reinvigorate our economy and democracy.”
Ojelabi, the publisher of Freelanews, is an award winning and professionally trained mass communicator and a recipient of the D9112 Superstar Icon Award, who writes ruthlessly about pop culture, religion, politics and entertainment.
