Peter Obi, former presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), has criticized President Bola Tinubu’s administration for imposing a cybersecurity levy on Nigerians, alleging that the government is focused on extracting resources from a struggling economy rather than nurturing its recovery and development.
Obi accused the government of implementing policies that not only exacerbate citizens’ impoverishment but also undermine the country’s economic competitiveness. He argued that the imposition of a Cybersecurity Levy on Nigerians would further diminish their capital, especially considering the impact of Naira devaluation and high inflation rates.
Taking to his social media platform on Wednesday, Obi questioned the transformation of the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) into a revenue-generating entity. He expressed disbelief at the expectation that Nigerian citizens, already grappling with economic hardship, would single-handedly finance all government activities.
In his statement, Obi remarked, “Introducing another tax, such as the Cybersecurity Levy, on Nigerians who are already experiencing severe economic hardships, demonstrates the government’s preference for extracting resources from a faltering economy rather than nurturing its recovery and growth.”
He further criticized the levy, noting its imposition on business trading capital, which would further deplete their resources. Obi highlighted the incongruity of introducing new taxes at a time when the government should be reducing taxes to mitigate inflation.
Lastly, he questioned the role of the NSA’s office in revenue collection and raised concerns about the lack of clarity regarding the allocation of returns from the cybersecurity levy.