Tax Reform Bills: We’ll Resist Distractions — Senate

Date:

By Yahaya Umar, Abuja 

Senate has said that any attempt to intimidate the parliament will be undemocratic and it will not allow itself to be distracted.

Besides, the upper legislative chamber stated that it did not suspend deliberations on the Tax Reform Bills as reported in some quarters.

Leader of the Senate, Opeyemi Bamidele, made these known when he raised Senate Point of Order 42, during plenary.

Raising the order, Bamidele said that it was reported by a news medium that “The hallowed chamber suspended further consideration of the Tax Reform Bills before the Senate”.

“No where in our votes and proceedings was it stated that we suspended further deliberations on the tax reform bills, because we did not.

“I felt it will be important to place on record that this Senate did not suspend or withdraw. This Senate did not suspend and does not intend to suspend deliberation, consideration of the tax reform bills.

“It was a misunderstanding of legislative process for anybody to have even reported that we have withdrawn the bills.

“The bills were executive bills; transmitted to us by the Executive Arm of Government, through the Office of the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“It is only the executive arm that can withdraw these bills. They are not private member bills sponsored by any senator.

“So, no senator is going to withdraw the bills and there is no reason for these bills to be withdrawn. In a legislative process, it is normal that some people will have concerns”, he said.

According to him, it is normal that people will sit around those concerns and discourse, hence, in its wisdom, the Senate referred the matter to the Committee on Finance and gave them six weeks to report back .

“Six weeks is long enough in a country that wants progress for a consensus to be reached for anybody who has concern to sit down and allow such concern to be addressed in overriding public interest.

“So, the essence of what I am saying is that it is important that members of public are patient with us.

“They understand the legislative process that we have to follow. They understand our role in the Constitution.

“We will encourage consensus. We will encourage discussions, engagement at all levels”, he noted 

In his remarks, President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, said that the members of the National Assembly were all elected to work, which was the work of lawmaking, in the overall interest of Nigeria.

Akpabio, pointed out that  the work was not done through social media, committee or any forum of any nature, but was done according to their conscience, in the best interest of Nigeria.

He said that the moment the bills went through second reading in the Senate, it simply meant that the bills were alive.

According to him, the next procedure is for the committee on finance to commence the process of consultations and public hearings, with a view to bringing recommendations back to the chamber

“But in the wisdom of the Senate yesterday (Wednesday), we had, in a closed session, set up a committee to be headed by the minority leader before the passage of the second reading.

“That committee was an internal mechanism of the Senate, different from the committee on finance.

“I think that was what was announced that the committee should immediately move into work”, he said. 

AljazirahNigeria reports that the four bills since they were sent to the National Assembly have been a subject of heated national debate for and against. However,.the bills have passed a second reading , referred to the Committee on Finance for further deliberation and public hearing.

President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio’s quick rebuttal to a large extent has changed the narrative in the mdia space . Sen.Akpabio reassured that “No amount of intimidation and distractions will stop them”.

Share post:

Subscribe

spot_img

Popular

More like this
Related

Governor Aiyedatiwa Celebrates Ma’ami Ajulo At Amazon Colloquium, Describes Her As Model of Exemplary Motherhood

Ondo State Governor, His Excellency, Dr. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa,...

CSOs Praise President Tinubu, Minister Matawalle, NSA, Security Forces For 90% Drop In Insecurity

A coalition of 774 civil society organisations has lauded...

Elegbeleye visits Family of Late Match Commissioner, Mohammed Sani

Joel Ajayi In a first of its kind demonstration...

Amadu Expresses Optimism In Flying Eagles Chances At CAF U20 AFCON In Egypt

The Chairman of the House Committee on Sports, Hon....