The cybersecurity levy on certain bank transactions, recently announced by the Federal government as proposed by the Central Bank of Nigeria, has continued to receive more knocks from the citizenry.
Though the policy has now been suspended on the orders of President Bola Tinubu, the massive bitter reactions that were visited on the new policy by Nigerians from various sectors and backgrounds is proof enough that they detest the policy.
It further goes to show that the pangs of the economic policy of the incumbent administration have dealt a heavy blow to citizens.
Reacting against the newly muted cyber security tax on Friday in Awka at a news conference, an industrialist and investment expert, Prince Chukwukadibia Moneke Jonathan described the idea as one anti-people policy too many.
According to him, “I am vehemently opposed to the proposed cyber security tax policy of the Federal government.
“I have never seen or heard are the office of National Security Adviser is turned into a tax or revenue agent of the government.
“It was shameful that some duty bearers in government and the National Assembly suddenly became self-appointed trumpeters of the new unpopular policy,” he added.
Prince Jonathan, who is the Chief Executive of Anambrian Properties Ltd, with business interests in Agriculture, Estate Development and Management, as well as the Oil and Gas sectors, wondered why most government officials see their offices as a personal estate.
He listed other harsh economic policies of the Tinubu administration that have reduced the cash holdings and take-home pay of citizens including the removal of petroleum subsidy, an increase of electricity tariff, categorization of electricity supply to rich and poor citizens, forcing citizens to pay for darkness in the face of the abysmal performance of the electricity distribution companies (discos), forcing citizens to pay for electricity transformers, cables, meters, and general installation/maintenance services whereas the items were categorized as property of the discos and many others.
Jonathan urged the government to use all the recovered looted funds to take care of these needs that were listed to be tackled, noting that there were still so many leakages begging to be plugged in revenue-yielding federal agencies like the NNPC, the Customs, the FIRS, etc.
He said; “Instead of looking into these areas critically, the Federal government keeps coming up with more means of squeezing the little remaining funds from the citizens.
“Yet no one has at any time come up with policies to better the lot or put smiles on the faces of citizens, more so none of the security agencies has complained that they have been hampered by funds.”
Prince Jonathan also called on the government to drop the idea of a death sentence for hard drug users and dealers, suggesting that with proper rehabilitation most of them would be recovered.
He gave instances where rehabilitated drug users eventually became notable influential investors or leaders in his communities.
“Government at all levels,” Prince Jonathan counseled, “should begin to invest in agriculture, sports and industrialization so as to create massive employment opportunities for the youth in other to take their minds away from drugs, restiveness, idleness, and other antisocial conducts.”
