“This is not a rebellion against governance. It is a plea for justice, accountability, and compassion. Nigerians are saying: Show us the agreement. Explain the benefits. Fix security. Provide services. Let taxes translate into dignity, not despair”
Nigeria is hurting, and the cry is loud. Across the country, ordinary citizens are asking a simple question: What exactly are we getting in return for this new tax law?
For years, Nigerians have provided for themselves almost everything that should be basic public services. We pay heavily for transportation on bad roads. We drill boreholes because there is no pipe-borne water.
We buy generators, fuel, gas, kerosene, and inverters because electricity is unreliable. We hire private security or live in fear because safety is no longer guaranteed. Housing is expensive, healthcare is costly, and education drains family incomes. Survival itself has become a full-time job.
Now, in the middle of this harsh economic reality, a new tax law is introduced and aggressively defended. To many Nigerians, it feels like punishment, not reform. This is why the law has been described as a “French gift”, a beautiful coffin with a dead body inside. It looks good on paper, but the content feels painful, empty, and disconnected from the daily struggles of the people.
What has deepened public anger is the reported Memorandum of Understanding between the Nigerian government and the French government on tax administration. Nigerians are not against cooperation or reform. What they are demanding is transparency. What exactly was signed? What commitments were made? What does Nigeria gain, not in theory, but in real, measurable improvements in the lives of citizens?
The Bible warns leaders not to burden the people unjustly. “Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees” (Isaiah 10:1). Taxation without visible service delivery feels oppressive, especially when citizens already fund their own existence. Scripture also reminds us that “When the righteous rule, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan” (Proverbs 29:2). Today, the groaning is unmistakable.
Millions of Nigerians are unemployed or underemployed. Many who managed to create small businesses did so with loans and debts. They struggle daily to stay afloat, only to be met with new taxes that seem designed to feed government appetites rather than heal a wounded economy. Meanwhile, insecurity continues to claim lives, and citizens wonder why urgency is shown in taxation but not in protecting lives and livelihoods.
This is not a rebellion against governance. It is a plea for justice, accountability, and compassion. Nigerians are saying: Show us the agreement. Explain the benefits. Fix security. Provide services. Let taxes translate into dignity, not despair.
Leadership is stewardship. The people are watching. And history teaches us that when governments ignore the cries of the masses, unrest is never far behind. Nigeria deserves reforms that lift the people, not policies that bury hope in a beautiful coffin.
The cry of the nation must be heard.
