In response to President Bola Tinubu directive of revisiting the controversial tax Reform Bill, the Senate has today constituted a committee headed by the Minority Leader, Senator Abba Moro (PDP, Benue South) to meet with the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), to re-examine gray areas associated with the tax reform bills.
The Deputy Senate President, Barau I. Jibrin (APC, Kano North), who presided over plenary made the disclosure saying that the Senate panel and the AGF would meet today (Thursday) in Abuja.
Jibrin said all sides would be given the opportunity to present their bond of contention which will help the committee streamline a final copy of the bill to the public.
Other members of the committee who would interface with the AGF today are: the Senate Chief Whip, Tahir Monguno (APC, Borno North), Muhammadu Aliero (PDP, Kebbi Central), and Seriake Dickson (PDP, Bayelsa West).
Others include; Titus Zam (APC, Benue North West), Abdullahi Yahaya (PDP Kebbi North), Adeola Olamilekan (APC, Ogun West), Sani Musa (APC, Niger East) and Adetokunbo Abiru (APC, Lagos East).
The tax bill which scaled for the second reading at the red chamber and referred it to its committee on finance for further legislative action, after receiving briefings from the Chairman, Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Taiwo Oyedele, Chairman Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Zacchaeus Adedeji; and the Director-General, Budget Office, Tanimu Yakubu.
After receiving a backlash, president Tinubu had to direct the bill to be considered for another presentation.
Explaining, the Deputy Senate president said, “Before the introduction of these bills, we know we have been faced with several problems and insecurity that we have been trying to solve.
“The president has been trying and we are also working with him to solve issues about our economy, which is in line with global economic problems.
“We also agreed that we shouldn’t allow anything else to aggravate our country’s problems. It is on this note that it has been agreed by the executive and also by us that there should be a forum that will sit with the Attorney General of the Federation so that we can sort out all these problems in the interest of this nation.
“It is, therefore, proposed that by tomorrow (today) there will be a meeting with the committee that we have set up here and the leadership to sit with the Attorney General of the Federation to look at those issues and resolve them.
“It’s on this note that the committee on finance that the bills had been referred to, should put on hold further action on it – public hearing and other issues until we resolve these issues. All sides will be given the opportunity and we shall resolve the issues before anything are allowed to go”, Barau concluded.
Why we need To Parley with the AGF – Barau
Deputy Senate president revealed that the lawmakers have to put heads together with the office of the AGF to fine-tune the bill for further presentation.
Barau Jibrin said, “The Senate is composed of men and women of wisdom, of pedigree that this country has entrusted to legislate for them for the peace and tranquillity and the development of this country.
“The Senate of the Federal Republic, as known by everyone and indeed other Senates in the entire world are known to be the stabilisers of every country.
“When there are difficulties and disagreements, the Senate of this country comes in with solutions through dialogue and consensus at all times to solve such problems, and the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has been doing that since 1999.
“Because of this, we decided to put politics, ethnicity, and regionalism aside to sit among ourselves and find the way forward with respect to the issues surrounding the tax reform bills.
He added that it was on this note his colleague had to prevail on the executive to reconsider its stance on the bill.
“New Committee An Aberration”
A senator who does not want his name mentioned because of the sensitivity of the matter described the formation of a new committee to scrutinise the tax reform bills as an aberration.
He said it was “alien in the history of the Senate, not known in law and legislative procedures, and therefore, null and void.”
According to the senator: “Considering that there are contentious issues in the Senate, the right thing is to withdraw the bill in its entirety, work on all the grey areas and bring it back later as a fresh bill.
“It cannot be a legislative and executive bill at the same time. You cannot bring someone from outside to work alongside lawmakers in order to fix the anomalies. It doesn’t work that way. I don’t think it speaks well of the president to be desperate about this.
“He should respect the rules and just withdraw the bill, work on it and accommodate the opinion of various stakeholders, including governors and by extension the National Economic Council (NEC).
“The concerns raised cannot be addressed during public hearing but through wide consultations to get the buy-in of Nigerians through various representatives.
“The outcome of any meeting between the AGF and the new committee will have no place in the eye of law,” he said.
