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South-East Lawmakers To Confer with Governors, Constituents Prior to Final Decision on Tax Reform Bills
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Senators from Nigeria’s South-East region have decided to engage in further consultations with their state governments, constituents, and other relevant stakeholders before taking a final stance on the contentious tax reform bills currently under consideration in the National Assembly.
The decision, made under the aegis of the South-East Senators’ Forum, reflects the lawmakers’ desire to ensure that their position on the reform bills aligns with the collective interests and concerns of the people they represent. According to Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe, the leader of the caucus, the senators are committed to ensuring that the views of their constituents are considered before any final decisions are made.
Abaribe shared these details during a press briefing on Monday following a closed-door meeting of the South-East Senators at the National Assembly in Abuja. The bills in question—comprising the Nigeria Tax Bill 2024, the Tax Administration Bill, the Nigeria Revenue Service Establishment Bill, and the Joint Revenue Board Establishment Bill—were submitted to the National Assembly by President Bola Tinubu on October 3, 2024. These pieces of legislation are part of a broader effort to overhaul Nigeria’s tax system, with the goal of enhancing revenue generation and addressing inefficiencies in the country’s tax administration.
However, the proposed reforms have generated significant controversy, with opposition to the bills taking on ethnic and sectional tones. Critics argue that the reforms could disproportionately affect certain regions of the country, leading to fears of economic and social imbalances. In light of these concerns, the Senate established a committee to engage with a federal government delegation, led by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, to address the criticisms and clarify the provisions of the bills. Unfortunately, the scheduled meeting of the committee last Thursday was postponed due to Fagbemi’s absence.
Commitment to Wider Consultations
While Senator Abaribe and other South-East lawmakers expressed general support for the tax reforms, they underscored the importance of conducting wider consultations to address the specific concerns of the South-East zone. Abaribe emphasized that although the senators were not opposed to the bills, it was crucial to consult with their constituents across the 15 senatorial districts in the region, as well as with state governments and other key stakeholders.
“We are not against the Tax Reform Bills currently before the National Assembly,” Abaribe stated. “However, we believe that broader consultations are necessary to ensure that the bills, when passed, are beneficial and equitable for all Nigerians, including our people in the South-East.”
He further explained that, despite their general support, the South-East senators wanted to ensure that the tax reform framework was equitable and took into account the region’s unique challenges and circumstances. “We have read through the bills, and we are prepared to share our understanding of the reforms with stakeholders in our zone,” he said. “Our objective is to ensure that the final outcome reflects the diverse needs of the country and doesn’t inadvertently marginalize any region.”
Abaribe’s comments underscore the senators’ commitment to making informed decisions that reflect the best interests of their constituents while ensuring that the tax reforms achieve the overarching goal of improving Nigeria’s fiscal health.
Support from Other Regions
The South-East senators’ position on the tax reforms contrasts with the stance taken by senators from the South-South region, who expressed full support for the reforms last Thursday. Senators from the South-South emphasized that, despite the criticisms, the reforms were necessary to strengthen the country’s revenue base and promote long-term economic stability. They also urged Nigerians to avoid making the debate about ethnicity or regional interests, stressing that the focus should be on the national interest.
The South-South senators also cautioned those opposing the reforms to refrain from framing their criticisms in ethnic, regional, or tribal terms. “The tax reform bills are intended to benefit all Nigerians,” they said, “and the opposition should be constructive, not driven by sectional or tribal sentiments.”
Next Steps and Future Outlook
As the debate continues, the South-East senators are expected to consult with various stakeholders, including local government officials, business leaders, and civil society groups, to gauge their opinions on the proposed reforms. The outcome of these consultations will likely influence the senators’ final position when the bills return for further debate in the National Assembly.
In the coming days, as discussions around the bills intensify, the role of the South-East senators will be critical in shaping the final version of the reforms. Their commitment to engaging with their constituents and other stakeholders highlights the importance of ensuring that any major policy changes reflect the interests and needs of the diverse regions of Nigeria.
Ultimately, while the tax reforms hold the potential to address long-standing fiscal challenges in the country, their success will depend on how well they are tailored to accommodate the diverse interests of Nigeria’s varied regions, and whether the necessary consultations are conducted to ensure a fair and balanced outcome for all.
The Permanent Chairman of the Southern Nigerian Traditional Rulers Council (SNTRC), Arole Oodua Olofin Adimula and the Natural Head of the Oduduwa race worldwide, the Ooni of Ife, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, has rubbished reports circulating on social media alleging that he conferred a chieftaincy title on popular Nollywood actor and comedian, James Olanrewaju, popularly known as Baba Ijesha.
In a statement on Saturday by the Director of Media and Public Affairs, Ooni’s Palace, Otunba Moses Olafare said the Ooni clarified that although he warmly received the actor and his wife at the Ile Oodua Palace on Wednesday to celebrate the birth of his son and presented him with a brand-new car and cash gifts as a demonstration of his fatherly love and royal generosity, no chieftaincy title was conferred on him.
According to him, the expression “Awada Konge Oduwa,” which Baba Ijesha later described on his social media pages as a chieftaincy title, was merely a light-comedy remark made by the Ooni during a relaxed interaction in recognition of the actor’s outstanding career as a comedian.
The remark was never intended to constitute a formal installation or conferment of a traditional title.
The Ooni noted that Baba Ijesha, as an indigene of Ile-Ife and a proud son of the source, is deserving of honour and could be considered for a chieftaincy title in the future.
However, no such title has been conferred on him.
“The conferment of chieftaincy titles in Ile-Ife remains a sacred traditional process governed by established customs, consultations and traditional rites, which are publicly conducted in accordance with the age-long traditions of the source. None of these customary procedures took place during the actor’s visit to the Palace, “he said.
While appreciating Baba Ijesha for acknowledging the royal kindness extended to him and his family, the Ooni urged media organisations and members of the public to disregard reports claiming that the actor has been installed as the “Awada Konge Oduwa” or conferred with any chieftaincy title.
The Ooni reaffirmed his commitment to celebrating and supporting deserving sons and daughters of Ile-Ife and the Oodua race at large while preserving the sanctity, dignity and integrity of the revered traditional institution of chieftaincy.
The Presidency has called on security and anti-graft agencies to identify, arrest and prosecute government officials who may have collaborated with Prince Matthew Adeniyi Adeyemi in the alleged operation of two fictitious federal government agencies.
Adeyemi is accused of creating the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council and the Presidential Economic Advisory Council using allegedly forged documents purportedly linked to the Presidency.
In a statement on his verified X handle, the Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, said investigators must go beyond Adeyemi and expose the internal network that allegedly enabled him to operate for an extended period.
Ajayi urged the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate all officials within public institutions who may have aided the alleged scheme.
According to Ajayi, much of the public debate has ignored the fact that government institutions detected the alleged fraud and acted on it.
He said officials of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission, working with officers of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, first discovered inconsistencies in Adeyemi’s operations and reported the matter to the appropriate authorities.
“Contrary to the anything-goes narrative being promoted, it was the system itself that raised the red flag and dealt with it administratively,” Ajayi said.
He, however, acknowledged that the suspect could not have operated for long without help from insiders.
“What is not in doubt is that internal collaborators enabled Adeyemi to get this far. That is precisely what investigators from the DSS, the Police and the EFCC must now unravel.
“The criminal network within the affected institutions must be dismantled and everyone found to have played a role should be arrested and prosecuted,” he said.
The Presidency had earlier disowned the disowned the two organisations, insisting that they did not exist as government agencies.
It also maintained that the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, neither authorised Adeyemi’s activities nor had any connection with them.
“In Nigeria, the easiest and most believable allegation anyone can throw at a public officer is corruption.
“Once that accusation is thrown into the mix, the water is polluted, the lines are blurred and everyone is kept busy arguing over distractions rather than the real issues,” he wrote.
He described Adeyemi as “an irredeemable con artist” who was using allegations against the Chief of Staff as “his last straw” to avoid criminal liability.
The Presidency insisted that the case should not be framed as evidence of complicity at the highest levels of government, but as an alleged fraud uncovered by the system itself.
Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, Abuja Region has announced a planned preventive maintenance at the Katampe 132/33 KiloVolt (kV) Transmission Substation on Saturday from 9:00am to 4:00pm.
General Manager, Public Affairs of the TCN, Mrs Ndidi Mbah, made this announcement in a statement in Abuja on Saturday.
Mbah said the scheduled maintenance is to enable TCN’s maintenance crew carry out preventive maintenance on the 100 Mega Volt Ampere (MVA) 132/33kV Power Transformer (TR1), its auxiliaries, and associated switchgear in the substation.
”Consequently, Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, AEDC, will be unable to off-take bulk power for distribution to customers in parts of Mpape, Maitama, Jahi, Life Camp,
”Others are Kado Fish Market, Idu-Karmo, and their environs during the maintenance period,” she said.
According to her, the company regrets any inconvenience the planned outage may cause electricity customers in the affected areas.
She added that equipment maintenance is essential to ensure their continued optimal performance.
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