Alleged Alteration: Ndume Urges Tinubu to Suspend January Rollout of New Tax Laws

• NLC: We will reject tax system that ignores workers’ plight

Onyebuchi Ezigbo and Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

Amid mounting controversy over Nigeria’s newly enacted Tax Reform Acts, former Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume, has called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately suspend the planned January implementation of the laws.

Ndume, who represents Borno South Senatorial District, made the appeal in a statement issued in Abuja, yesterday, urging the President to intervene decisively to resolve allegations of alterations in the final documents.

He warned that proceeding with implementation under a cloud of suspicion could undermine the legitimacy of the reforms and weaken public confidence in the legislative process.

The tax laws, which are expected to come into force from January, have triggered intense public debate following claims by opposition politicians, civil society organisations and professional bodies that the versions assented to by the President may not reflect what was duly passed by the National Assembly.

The controversy has since widened, drawing in the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, members of the opposition political parties, regional groups and lawmakers.

Last week, a member of the House of Representatives, Abdussamad Dasuki, formally drew the attention of the Green Chamber to alleged discrepancies between the tax bills passed by the National Assembly and the copies later gazetted by the federal government.  Dasuki had alleged that material alterations were made after parliamentary approval, raising questions about the integrity of the law-making process.

Reacting to the development, Ndume urged Tinubu to constitute an ad hoc committee to verify the veracity of the allegations and halt implementation until the matter is conclusively resolved.

Although the House of Representatives had set up an adhoc committee to investigate Dasuki’s allegations, Ndume cautioned that any attempt to push ahead without addressing the claims could trigger a legitimacy crisis for the tax regime.

According to him, only a thorough probe by the executive, alongside parallel legislative scrutiny by the House of Representatives, could restore public confidence and ensure the credibility of the tax reforms.

He said, “With the controversy surrounding it, the President should constitute a team to verify the veracity of the claim and act accordingly.

“As a responsive leader that he has always been, he should look into it to find out whether the copy that was signed tallies with what the National Assembly passed. If the claim of alterations is genuine, he should do the needful to bring the controversy to rest.”

The former Senate Chief Whip warned that unresolved allegations of forgery or manipulation would make effective implementation difficult, if not impossible.

“If not, the controversy will continue. That is to say the tax law will not be implemented, because you can’t build on nothing,” he added.

In a statement on Tuesday, NBA President, Afam Osigwe (SAN) had said the controversies surrounding the enactment of the laws threatened the integrity, transparency and credibility of Nigeria’s legislative process.

Ndume aligned himself with the position of the NBA and other stakeholders, including civil society organisations and groups from the Arewa community, insisting that January should not be treated as sacrosanct.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has said that it will not accept any tax system that does not take care of the plight of the workers and ordinary Nigerians.

In a Christmas message by the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, the labour movement said it was committed to building a nation that is truly egalitarian, a nation that caters for the majority and not a privileged few.

It said it will resist any tax system that does not include workers in its formulation and passage into law.

“Together, in this season and beyond, we must insist on tax justice where the rich pay their fair share and all forms of regressive taxation are removed. It is therefore our responsibility to once again remind the government that any tax system that does not include workers in its formulation and passage into law remains an unjust tax.

“Any tax system that is mired in apparent distortion and outright forgery is unacceptable and should therefore be rejected by all. It is better to patiently craft a law that is broadly crafted and owned than rush into one filled with serious errors and outright political manipulations.

“We must insist on social justice where all citizens have access to dignity, good healthcare, and quality education; greater equity for workers where labour is justly rewarded and rights are respected and infact,” it said.

NLC urged the government to ensure a safe and secure nation where lives and properties are guaranteed and the people move about their businesses without fear and intimidation.

In the Christmas message, NLC urged Nigerians to show love to each other, adding that it is through love and unity that the people will be able to mobilise action against bad governance.

“ In the spirit of this season of love, we must first demonstrate love to ourselves. This self-love is not selfish; it is strategic. It is shown in our determination to build ourselves into a strong, disciplined collective to protect our interests, our wages, our pensions, and our dignity.

“From this foundation of collective love and strength, we can then let the light of love shine throughout Nigeria.

“This means resolutely chasing all forces of darkness; corruption, exploitation, injustice, insecurity and bad governance; out of our country. This is the most credible, sustainable celebration we can undertake,” said NLC.