There was drama on the floor of the Senate on Wednesday over the invitation of experts to explain President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s tax reform bills to Senators and by extension Nigerians who will watch the session on television live.
This is even as the Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Zaccheus Adedeji, Director General of the Budget Office, Tanimu Yakubu and Chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, Taiwo Oyedele briefed the Senate and called on lawmakers to support and pass the tax reform bills geared towards the economic development of the country.
The drama ensued when the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, under matters of urgent public importance and relying on rule 12 (1) of the Senate Standing Orders, moved a motion that the floor privileges of the Senate be suspended to allow strangers into the chambers during plenary.
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He explained that the strangers included the Chairman of the FIRS, Zacch Adedeji, the Director General of the Budget Office, Tanimu Yakubu and two others to explain the Tax reform bills before the National Assembly to Senators and Nigerians at home.
He also informed his colleagues that the House of Representatives has already undertaken a similar exercise to enable lawmakers to understand the Bills before they are presented for consideration.
However, coming under the same order, Senator Abdul Ningi said the strangers cannot be admitted into the chambers because they are not part of the personalities listed under the order.
However, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, who presided over plenary said that the Senate Leader called for suspension of the said order rather than invoking it.
He however called on the Senate Leader to cite the relevant additional order to buttress his motion.
Bamidele on his part, invoked Rule 1(b) of the Senate Standing Orders which gives the Senate which gives the Senate powers to regulate its proceedings where there is no relevant rule to support its actions.
The Minority Leader Abba Moro, supported Bamidele’s motion.
At that point, Senator Ali Ndume citing order 38 opposed the move saying the invitation of the experts to address senators was not reflected on the order paper for the day.
The session was becoming rowdy as Ndume told Barau: “You can have your way but I will have my say. You have the gavel but I have my voice. Go ahead and rule me out of order.”
Barau however responded that since the Senate had suspended its relevant rules to admit strangers and based on the importance of the information to be passed to lawmakers, he had no choice but to rule Ndume out of order.
At this point, Barau called on the Chatman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, Zaccheus Adedeji who was a complaint by the Director General of the Budget Office, Tanimu Yakubu, and Chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, Taiwo Oyedele to address the Senate.
Adedeji after a brief remarks called on Oyedele to make his presentation which is basically to make lawmakers understand the Bills and get their buy-in.
Details shortly…