During an interview on Channels Television, Prof. Khalifa Dikwa, the Elder Statesman and Dean of Borno Elders Forum, claimed that President Bola Tinubu’s administration was pressured into endorsing the cybersecurity levy policy proposed by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.
Dikwa suggested that unseen forces operating through intimidation tactics were behind the approval of these policies by Tinubu’s administration.
Expressing his disapproval, Dikwa stated, “It is ill-timed to implement the cybersecurity levy. It appears that Nigeria is being remotely influenced by external entities.”
Meanwhile, a motion advocating for the suspension of the cybersecurity levy was withdrawn by the House of Representatives, sparking backlash from the Nigerian populace.
Honourable Manu Soro, who initiated the motion on Wednesday, criticized the timing of the levy, especially considering the current economic hardships faced by Nigerians. He argued against the involvement of the National Security Adviser in managing the levy.
Speaker Tajudeen Abbas advised Soro to withdraw the motion, enabling the House leadership to strategize on addressing the issue effectively.
Furthermore, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) denounced the proposed cybersecurity levy imposed by the CBN on electronic transactions, labeling it as an additional financial burden on Nigerians.
The introduction of the levy has triggered widespread condemnation from Nigerians and various civil society organizations.
In a statement rejecting the policy, NLC President Joe Ajaero highlighted the direct impact of such deductions on workers’ disposable income, further restricting the purchasing power of the general population.
Ajaero criticized the directive as a concerted effort by the ruling class to exploit and extort vulnerable workers and citizens for their gain.
“The Nigeria Labour Congress acknowledges the significance of cybersecurity in the contemporary digital era,” the statement emphasized.