Tax reform bills: Senate halts public hearing

• Summons emergency meeting with AGF’s office to iron out disputed areas

The Senate has put on hold any actions on the controversial tax reform bills until ‘grey areas’ are sorted out.

On Wednesday, the Red Chamber directed its Committee on Finance to discontinue its plan to conduct public hearings on the bills until the outcome of a meeting between the Senate and a team raised by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr Lateef Fagbemi (SAN).

The crucial meeting is scheduled for Thursday, December 5.

The Deputy President of the Senate, Sen. Jibrin Barau, who disclosed this on Wednesday during plenary, simply asked the finance committee to take no further actions on the bills in the meantime.

Addressing his colleagues, Barau said, “It’s on this note that the Committee on Finance that the bills have been referred to, should put on hold further action on it – public hearing and other issues until we resolve these issues.

“All sides will be given the opportunity and we shall resolve the issues before anything is allowed to go.”

He explained that the meeting with Fagbemi was aimed at resolving the criticisms on the bills. The bills had earlier passed first and second readings at the Senate.

The DSP added that the meeting would be held at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja, to allow senators to have extensive interactions with the team from the executive arm of government before taking any further actions on the pieces of legislation.

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The senators going to the meeting will be led by the Senate Minority Leader, Sen. Abba Moro.

Also to attend the meeting, according to Barau, are the Senate Chief Whip, Tahir Monguno; Sen. Adamu Ailero, (PDP, Kebbi-Central); and Sen. Seriake Dickson (PDP, Bayelsa -West).

The list includes Sen. Titus Zam, Sen. Abdullahi Yahaya, Sen. Adeola Olamilekan, Sen. Sani Musa and Sen. Adetokunbo Abiru.

Sen. Barau spoke further, “Of the tax reform bills that are before us. This was in consonance with the fact that we understand at all times that this Senate is the highest assembly in this country.

“The Senate is composed of men and women of wisdom, of pedigree that this country has entrusted to legislate for them for the peace and tranquillity and the development of this country.

“The Senate of the Federal Republic, as known by everyone and indeed other Senates in the entire world, are known to be the stabilisers of every country.

“When there are difficulties and disagreements, the Senate of this country comes in with solutions through dialogue and consensus at all times to solve such problems, and the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has been doing that since 1999.

“Because of this, we decided to put politics, ethnicity, and regionalism aside to sit among ourselves and find the way forward with respect to the issues surrounding the tax reform bills.

“It is on this note that we extended our view to the executive arm of government and it was agreed that there should be a forum to sit down to look at the areas that are creating disagreements to resolve them so that the entire country will remain united – united in our effort to solve our problems.

“Before the introduction of these bills, we know we’ve been faced with several problems and insecurity that we’ve been trying to solve.

“The president has been trying, and we’re also working with him to solve issues about our economy, which is in line with global economic problems.

“We also agree that we shouldn’t allow anything else to aggravate our country’s problems.

“It is on this note that it has been agreed by the executive and also by us that there should be a forum that will sit with the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) so that we can sit down and sort out all these problems in the interest of this nation.

“It is therefore proposed that by tomorrow (Thursday) there will be a meeting with the committee that we’ve set up here and the leadership to sit with the Attorney General of the Federation to look at those issues and resolve them.”

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE