The Senator representing Abia North, Orji Uzor Kalu, has assured Nigerians that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic reforms are necessary and will yield positive results.

Kalu noted that the revamping of the nation’s laws, some of which are over 100 years old, is imperative and inevitable, considering their obsoleteness and ineffectiveness to meet the expectations of the current global realities.

The former Abia State Governor spoke at the Igbere home of ex-Abia State governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Daniel Eke, during his New Year visit.

A statement in Abuja by his media aide, Kenneth Udeh, also spoke on the Tax Reform Bills currently before the National Assembly.

The Abia North senator described President Tinubu’s move as a bold step, but he called for wider consultations.

Kalu faulted the mode of introducing the Bills, saying Nigerians were not sufficiently educated before the proposed laws were introduced.

According to him, for Nigeria to make any meaningful progress, like China is currently doing, the 36 states must be made to compete among each other.

Kalu noted that no state in Nigeria is poor, insisting that every one of them is as important and endowed as the other.

The Abia North senator acknowledged the pains and sufferings Nigerians experienced as a result of the reforms but assured fellow citizens that the challenges would soon become history.

He said: President Tinubu is a courageous leader who took the bull by its horns. I’m not saying this out of sycophancy to gain any favours. As you all know, I’m an accomplished politician and business entrepreneur.

“We need to give the President a chance to carry out these reforms and the Tax Reform is not a bad Bill. It is progressive, but the problem is that Nigerians were not lectured enough and lack orientation about its many benefits.

“The Tax Reform Bill is not bad, but we need to carry other regions along. The other regions need to be educated on what the Tax Bill is all about.”

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Using China as a reference point, Kalu stressed that the Tax Reform Bills would encourage competition among states, a development he said would also bring about the harnessing of state resources and improved productivity.

He said: “We can’t make any headway as a nation if we don’t go the China way, which is a competition. Nigerians must face economic competition. Each of the 36 states should compete with one another in terms of productivity. That is the only way the entire country can grow and develop, like China.

“President Tinubu is trying to ensure that all the states become competitive. A country like China has been growing for the last 35 years at a 10 per cent growth rate, which has made it a great country.

“They are growing not because of human rights but they are growing in competition. We must engage in competition if we want to grow. The practice of sharing free money from Abuja cannot continue.

“We must test our resilience. All our laws need reformation. They are over 100 years old. But we need to consult with the people. To catch up with other nations, we should build more universities. We are still backward.”

The Abia North senator acknowledged the sufferings of Nigerians and lauded their patience.

He expressed optimism that 2025 would be a year of positive outcomes from the Tinubu-led government’s economic policies.

Kalu said: “President Tinubu is fully aware of the pains that people are passing through. I am also aware. There are some reforms going on and there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

“I understand the difficulties and sufferings of our people very well. So, I urge Nigerians to be patient and know that we are going through a process.”

Kalu reiterated his commitment to the delivery of economic and infrastructural dividends to his constituents.

“I will continue doing my duty as a senator and that duty is sacred. I will never compromise. I had to leave my private companies worth millions of dollars to concentrate on my duty as a senator. My duty is more important,” he said.