Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Mr. Peter Obi, criticized President Bola Tinubu’s government for imposing a cybersecurity levy on Nigerians. He accused the government of prioritizing revenue generation from a struggling economy rather than nurturing it towards recovery and growth.
Obi argued that the government’s policies not only exacerbate citizens’ impoverishment but also hinder the country’s economic competitiveness. He expressed concern that the imposition of a Cybersecurity Levy would further deplete citizens’ capital, already impacted by the Naira devaluation and high inflation rate.
In a post on his X handle on Wednesday, Obi questioned the transformation of the office of the National Security Adviser, NSA, into a revenue collection center. He emphasized the burden imposed on Nigerians, already grappling with severe economic distress, by expecting them to fund all government activities separately.
He stated, “At a time when the government should be reducing taxes to curb inflation, the government is instead introducing new taxes.” Obi raised queries regarding the role of the NSA’s office in revenue collection and questioned why it should receive returns on a specific tax, as outlined in the new cybersecurity law.
