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South-East Lawmakers To Confer with Governors, Constituents Prior to Final Decision on Tax Reform Bills
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.
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Controversial Nigerian singer, Darlington Okoye, otherwise known as Speed Darlington or Akpi, has blamed juju (charm) for the defeat he suferred in the celebrity boxing match he had with his equally controversial colleague, Badmus Okikiola, widely known as Portable.
The bout, which took place in the early hours of Saturday, was organised by Game Rush and Balmoral Promotions, as part of the ‘Chaos In The Ring’ event.
It is part of ongoing effort to rekindle the interest of Nigerians who are mostly drawn to football, in boxing.
In a video he posted on X (formerly known as Twitter) Speed Darlington maintained that he would never have lost the fight to Portable, if not for the involvement of juju.
He alleged that his shoulder became dislocated during the match, even though he did not experience any significant fatigue.
He suggested that his opponent may have introduced native charms into the ring, which, in his view, influenced the outcome of the fight.
Portable was declared the winner of the boxing match that has continued to gain traction on the internet.
… intercepts cocaine in Saudi-bound religious books,
. ..recovers 563kg skunk, meth, heroin in Bayelsa warehouse, arrests 4; destroys cannabis farms in Edo forest
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a shipment of cocaine concealed in 20 sets of religious books going to Saudi Arabia.
The cocaine consignment consisting of 20 parcels with a total weight of 500grams and buried in the pages of the religious books was uncovered at a courier company in Lagos on Tuesday 15th April 2025 when NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) were searching through export cargos going to Saudi Arabia at the logistics firm.
At another courier company same day, NDLEA officers intercepted five parcels of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis weighing 2.8 kilograms hidden in a carton coming from the United States of America.
In Kano, a 22-year-old supplier of illicit substances to bandits, Muhammad Mohammed, has been arrested by NDLEA operatives on patrol along Bichi – Kano road while heading to Katsina with 277 ampoules of pentazocine injection tied to his thigh and private part with Sellotape. He was intercepted on Sunday 13th April, while another suspect, Mohammed Abdulrahman Abdulaziz, 43, was nabbed same day at Research Rimin Kebe area of Nasarawa, Kano with 68 blocks of skunk, a strain of cannabis, weighing 30kg.
Not less than 557.2kg of skunk, 5.6kg of methamphetamine and 29.8grams of heroin were recovered from a house along Major General Isaiah Alllison Street, Opolo, Yenagoa, Bayelsa state where four suspects were arrested when NDLEA operatives raided the premises on Wednesday 16th April. The four suspects arrested during the raid include: Sarimiye Suwa Kurtis, 46; Roland Prosper, 34; Sarimiye Tare Paul, 45; and Fidelis Ugbesla, 46.
While a total of 1,100 kilograms of skunk were recovered from a delivery van with the driver, Ismail Abdullahi arrested in Surulere area of Lagos on Thursday 17th April, NDLEA operatives in Kaduna on Friday 18th April raided the hideout of a suspect, Ike Ani, 30, in Zaria, where no fewer than 31,950 pills of tramadol 225mg and diazepam were recovered.
In Kebbi, NDLEA operatives on patrol along Bagudo road on Friday 18th April intercepted a vehicle loaded with bags of charcoal coming from Malabil, Benin Republic. A search of the vehicle led to the recovery of 97kg skunk concealed in the sacks of charcoal. Three suspects: Abubakar Ibrahim, 50; Mustapha Aliyu, 32; and Bashar Lawali, 28, were arrested in connection with the seizure.
A 48-year-old Okafor Marcel was nabbed with 11.5kg skunk at Abatete, Anambra state while NDLEA operatives in Osogbo, Osun state on Tuesday 15th April arrested Ajala Mercy, 27, with 43 litres of skushi, a mixture of black currant, cannabis and opioids recovered from her room at Dada estate, Halleluyah area of the state capital.
Two cannabis farms in Egbeta forest, Ovia North East LGA, Edo state were raided by NDLEA operatives who destroyed 3,717.8625kg of the psychoactive plant on 1.487145 hectares and recovered 136.5kg of processed cannabis.
At the Tincan seaport in Lagos, a suspect Basorun Usman Kayode, 40, who has been at large for two years was arrested by NDLEA officers in connection with the seizure of 107kg Loud imported from Cannada in 2023, while another suspect, Dauda Yakubu who distributes illicit drugs within the seaport community was arrested by a team of operatives on Monday 14th April.
The War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, social advocacy activities by NDLEA Commands equally continued across the country in the past week. Some of them include: WADA sensitization lecture delivered to students and staff of St. Michael Anglican Primary School, Epe, Lagos; Community Grammar School, Ipoti Ekiti, Ekiti state; College of Education, Minna, Niger state; traders at Igbona market, Osogbo, Osun state; traders at Marian Market, Calabar, Cross River; drivers and others at Peace Mass Transit park, Upper Iweka, Onitsha, Anambra state, among others.
While commending the officers and men of DOGI, Kano, Lagos, Kaduna, Kebbi, Osun, Zone 13, Edo and Tincan Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) equally praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for ensuring a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.
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