- Nobody can bully fed lawmakers
- Governors, critics should attend public hearings
Senators will uphold the yearnings of Nigerians in their deliberations and passage of the Tax Reform Bill, Senate President Godswill Akpabio said yesterday.
Akpabio added that those who are opposed to the bills will not be shut out of proceedings.
He challenged governors, traditional ruler and other categories of Nigerians, who have misgivings to attend the public hearing to air their grievances.
He added that nobody can bully the Senate or derail it from its constitutional responsibilities.
Akpabio also listed the advantages of the bills while speaking during plenary.
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele faulted reports claiming that the Senate had suspended legislative actions on the bills or that it had been withdrawn.
“The bill is alive at the Senate,” he explained.
Also yesterday, the anticipated parley between the Senate adhoc committee, led by Minority Leader Abba Moro and Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) failed to hold.
Instead, the adhoc committee held a 40-minute meeting in Moro’s office.
It was learnt that Fagbemi arrived the country yesterday morning from a foreign trip, hence he could not be at the Senate to throw light on grey areas in the bills as directed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Addressing his colleagues, Akpabio said: “The Senate will not be bullied. We are doing our work in the interest of Nigerians, and by the time we come up with our final position, it will reflect the yearnings and aspirations of Nigerians
“If the governors or any state governor in Nigeria, no matter whether the person is a religious leader or a businessman that has problems with the bills, you know where to go to – public hearing.
“And not only that, any reform that we can make…, painful as it may be, so long as this Senate is convinced that it is in the interest of Nigerians, we will go ahead with it, but we will not also shy away from deleting or abrogating or stopping whatever we feel is not in the public interest.
“For the tax reform bills, we believe that there are too many provisions there that will help Nigerians.
“You can’t imagine what it means for businesses that earn less than N50 million not to pay tax. You can’t imagine what it means for a multiplicity of taxes to be abrogated.
“You can’t imagine what it means for people who earn less than the minimum wage not to pay tax. I assume the exceptions are such that 100 million Nigerians will benefit from this tax reform bills.
“Let’s not listen to social media. Let’s not listen to television programmes.
“The government has nothing sinister to warrant the suggestion that the process is being rushed, and you can see we gave our committee six weeks so you can see we are not rushing the process of legislation, and if the period is not enough, we will extend the time for the committee.
“What was done yesterday (Wednesday) was in line with even the directive of Mr. President. The ad hoc committee is working in line with the directive of the President and it also shows that this Senate is composed of men of wisdom and foresight, before even the President gave this directive, we had already passed our second reading, set up an ad hoc committee in the event of any grey area.”
Akpabio rejigged the ahdoc committee to meet with a Federal Government team.
Senate Chief Whip Mohammed Monguno was replaced with Senator Kaka Lawan (APC Borno), who will represent Northeast’s interest. Senate Minority Leader Abba Morro chairs the panel that has Senator Adamu Ailero, Seriake Dickson, Titus Zam, Abdullahi Yahaya, Solomon Adeola, Sani Musa and Adetokunbo Abiru as members.
Bills not halted
The Senate said: “Whatever we are doing is by the provision of our constitution. We are the legislative arm of government.
“We take our instruction and guidance from the 1999 Constitution and not from any other institution or individual no matter how highly placed, not even from the governors or any other person than the 1999 Constitution.
“What was reported is that the Senate had suspended further consideration of or deliberation on the Tax Reform Bills 2024.
“The media platform even invited the Nasarawa State Governor, Mr. Abdullah Sule, pointedly telling the governor that the Senate had withdrawn the Bills.
“The media platform even described the bills as a conundrum, which suggested that the bills were problematic and that we do not move from one television to another.
“The privilege that we have is the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This is where we do our deliberation. This is where we make the law. This is where we do effective representation of our people.
“Mr. President, we have just passed our votes and proceedings. It is a reflection of our deliberation of the previous legislative day.
“Nowhere in our votes and proceedings was it stated that we suspended further deliberation on the Tax Reform Bills 2024. This is because we did not.
“It is important to place on record that this Senate did not suspend and does not intend to suspend deliberations or consideration of the Tax Reform Bills 2024.
“It is a misunderstanding of the legislative process for any person to have even reported that we have withdrawn the bills.
“The bills were Executive bills transmitted by the Executive Arm of Government through the Office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“It is only the Executive arm that can withdraw this bill.
“In a legislative process, it is normal that some people will have concerns, that is why in its wisdom, this Senate is referring this matter to the Senate Committee on Finance.”
“As far as we are concerned, the Tax Reform Bills 2024 are still alive in the Senate. The Bills are equally receiving consideration at various levels. And we are open to further discussion, consideration, and engagement on the Bills.”
S’South Senators endorse proposals
All Senators from the Southsouth have thrown their weight behind the bills.
The Senators made their position known in a statement made available to reporters. They also passed a vote of confidence on Akpabio.
The Senators explained that their support for the bills was borne out of their desire to enhance national revenue and foster economic growth in the country.
The statement reads in part: “We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to standing by him and supporting his leadership in steering the Senate toward its constitutional mandate of making laws that serve the best interests of the nation and its citizens.
“Recognising the importance of tax reforms in enhancing national revenue and fostering economic stability, we resolved to support the Tax Reforms Bills.
“This support will be anchored on a comprehensive study and thorough evaluation of the content of the bills to ensure they align with the overall interest of Nigerians, particularly the well-being of the Southsouth region.
The Caucus called for restraint on “the part of those bent on introducing sentiments, whether regional, ethnic or tribal to a national dialogue”.
North’s governors to present common front
Gombe State House of Assembly Speaker Muhammad Luggerewo said in Dutse yesterday that he was sure that North’s governors would present the region’s stand on the tax reform bills.
‘’I’m sure our leaders, the northern governors, will present our stand,” he told reporters after the opening of a four-day retreat for lawmakers in the state.
What lawmakers should do with bills, by Atiku, Obi
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate for last year’s general election, Peter Obi, have weighed in on the ongoing controversy over the Tax Reform Bills.
They advised the National Assembly members to take into cognisance objectivity, transparency, and inclusivity in considering the bills.
Information and National Orientation Minister Mohammed Idris is expected to further shed light on the tax proposal at the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Public Lecture tomorrow.
Atiku, who was the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate last year, and Obi gave the advice in separate statements.
In a statement by his Media Office on Sunday, Atiku highlighted the importance of a fiscal system that embodies justice, fairness, and equity.
He expressed concerns over the potential for the proposed reforms to deepen regional disparities and urged the lawmakers to ensure that the bills promote balanced development across Nigeria’s federating units.
“Nigerians are united in their call for a fiscal system that promotes justice, fairness, and equity,” the former Vice-President said.
He said “the system we seek must not exacerbate the uneven development of the federating units by enhancing the status of a few states while unduly penalising others.”
He emphasised that stakeholders, including Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), traditional institutions, politicians, public officials, and subject matter experts, must have the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the debate.
Atiku further urged the National Assembly to consult and make public the resolutions of the National Economic Council (NEC), a vital constitutional organ equipped to guide the President on the nation’s economic affairs.
“The National Assembly must be appropriately guided and ensure that, in the final analysis, the contents of the Bills align with the interests of the vast majority of Nigerians,” he stated.
Obi, in a post on his X (formerly Twitter), backed the tax reform bills, saying they were critical and long overdue.
He asserted that a public hearing on the bills was good enough for Nigerians to engage meaningfully.
According to him, the Federal Government needs to sensitise the masses to have their support.
Obi’s statement reads: “Tax reform is a critical issue, and there is nothing wrong with pursuing it.
‘’However, such reform must be subject to robust and informed public debate. A public hearing on tax reform is essential, allowing Nigerians from all walks of life to engage meaningfully.
‘’This is how we build public trust and ensure inclusivity in policy-making.
“Matters of this magnitude require extensive deliberation and careful consideration—they should never be rushed. Public hearings must be conducted to allow for diverse opinions and inputs. Such public hearings would also enable the broadest spectrum of public opinion to be reflected in public policy.
“When considering tax reforms and similar issues, it is insufficient to focus solely on the benefits to the government, particularly in terms of increasing revenue collection. We must also take into account the overall impact on the nation and the sustainability of all its regions.
‘’Furthermore, the government must sensitise the people and secure their buy-in for any policy changes. Trust and legitimacy are the foundation of effective governance, and without them, even the best-intended reforms may fail.
“Let us prioritise transparency, deliberation, and public engagement in charting the path forward. This is how we build a truly participatory democracy.”
In Abuja, Chairman, Kaduna State Chapter of the NIPR Haroun Malami, said that Information Minister Idris will deliver a paper titled “Tax Reform: The Role of Public Relations in Fostering Constructive Dialogue for National Economic Renaissance” at the institute’s AGM.
Malami explained that the topic was informed by the controversy generated by the tax reform bills.
Our fears, by ASUU, COEASU
VARSITY teachers under the aegis of Academic Staff Union of Universities(ASUU) and its Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) counterpart have expressed concerns over plan to scrap Tertiary Education Trust Fund(TETFund).
ASUU appealed to the Federal Government not to systemically phase out the TETFund.
It warned that doing so would spell doom for public universities.
ASUU President Prof Emmanuel Osodeke said Tetfund has transformed tertiary institutions in the last three decades.
He warned that suffocating the funding source of TETFund to run the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) would destroy public education .
Osodeke spoke on Channels Television yesterday.
He said: “The only source of funding is from TETFund. So, when you destroy it, you have destroyed public universities.”
The ASUU leader alleged that some members of the ruling class “want to destroy public universities and ensure that the children of the poor remain slaves.”
Osodeke criticised the Tax Bills, saying that stakeholders were not consulted within the educational sector before the bills were sent to the National Assembly.
He said: “TETFund is a product of ASUU. You can’t make the tax laws without meeting with ASUU for inputs before proposing it before the National Assembly.
“The Vice Chancellors were not consulted, Pro Chancellors were not consulted. The people sat down somewhere and said over the next five years, let’s scrap it without consulting those who initiated this bill that has transformed Nigerian public universities. That’s not how to work in a system. That’s not how to run a country that is democratic.”
Osodeke said rather than systematically phase out TETFund, which derives its funding from consolidated revenue from company income tax, the government should bankroll the newly formed NELFUND from Value Added Tax (VAT).
He said: “Let that Act that was initiated in 1993 that has transformed all Nigerian universities, allow it to stay. If you want to drive NELFUND, go and look for ways to fund it. Don’t take from the one that is in existence to fund it.
“Take 1% or 2% of VAT to fund NELFUND. Don’t take from Peter to pay Peter. Go and look for ways to fund NELFUND.
“When you go around all Nigerian universities, polytechnics and colleges of education today, 90% of the physical structures you have there are products of this struggle for TETFUND.
“But this tax bill is saying that by the year 2030, it should be scrapped and merged with NASENI and NITDA and then reduced to 2%.”
Although the government has assured that TETFund would not be scrapped, but the ASUU president said the government official was playing with words..
COEASU said it rejected the aspects of the proposed tax administration which aims to withdraw or impede on the source of funds to TETFund, saying such injury, if allowed to stand, was bound to undermine the development of public tertiary education .
COEASU made its position known in a statement by its President, Dr. Smart Olugbeko, in Abuja.
It reads: “Our union, the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU), has noted with serious concern the inimical effect of the proposed tax reforms of the Federal Government on Tertiary Education in Nigeria.
“The Tax reform is nothing but a dangerous ambush aimed at destroying public tertiary institutions in Nigeria. We strongly reject the aspects of the proposed tax administration which aims to withdraw or impede on the source of funds to Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund). Such injury, if allowed to stand, is bound to undermine the development of public tertiary education in Nigeria.”
Lagos has concern over bills, says Governor Sule
Governor Sule had during a programme on a national television Wednesday night welcomed the Senate’s decision to temporarily step down deliberations on the bills.
Admitting that there were positive sides to the bills, the governor advised that sections that are being contested should be amended in order not to ‘’throw the entire baby and the bathing water away.’’
He also said that it was mischievous for anyone to think that only the North would be affected by the proposed tax reforms.
Sule said it was important for people to note that even Lagos State, which many believe would benefit more from the reforms, has concerns regarding some provisions of the bills.
His words: “There are certain challenging areas. My good friend, the Governor of Lagos State (Babajide Sanwo-Olu), even said there are parts of the bills that are even disadvantageous to him. Because everybody is accusing Lagos State. But there are parts of the bills that would not benefit Lagos. He is also against some portions of the bills.
“I will pray that the bills would be returned to the National Assembly and amended. I will pray that we will look at the areas of concern and amend such accordingly.
‘’I will pray that we don’t throw the entire baby and the bath water. I believe very strongly some areas are of benefit to all Nigerians. I believe some areas are a challenge to all Nigerians, not just to the Northern part of the country.”
While welcoming the decision by both chambers of the National Assembly to hear from Nigerians, the governor said that was the way to go
“I think that is the way we have to look at it. I’m happy that if they have withdrawn it, it allows us to sit down.
‘’Remember, the NEC (National Executive Council) made up of all the governors, Federal Capital Territory(FCT) Minister, Minister of Finance and Budget Planning and chaired by the Vice President, the number two citizen of the country, said please, take a pause and review them (reform bills.”
