Senator Ali Ndume has reiterated his opposition to the tax reform bills, saying that the hurry by the Presidency and some lawmakers to pass the bills looks suspicious.
The tax reform bills which passed for second reading at the Senate on Thursday have raised a lot of controversies since it was sent to the National Assembly by President Bola Tinubu, and Ndume has been one of the people who have mounted the strongest opposition against the bills.
The National Economic Council also advised President Tinubu to withdraw the bills, but the President said he preferred that they go through the processes.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, the lawmaker representing Borno South in the Senate, maintained his position and insisted that it is better for the Presidency to take the advice of the National Economic Council to withdraw the bill.
“It is not that I am totally saying that we should throw away the baby with the bath water, but since the governors who are our leaders, the National Economic Council and many individuals have said that it is not that we should throw away the bills, no. Withdraw the bill, do more consultations and then bring the bill again. Why are they in a hurry? That is a big suspicion,” Ndume said.
Backing up his claim that there is a rush to pass the tax reform bills, Ndume gave instance of the Petrol Industry Bill which he said is more important than the tax bill, adding that it took years before it was passed.
He recalled that the PIB was introduced to the National Assembly when he was in the House of Representatives but wasn’t passed until years later when he had moved to the Senate.
The Senator said one of his grouses with the tax reform bills is the timing, noting that such bills shouldn’t be introduced when Nigerians are struggling to survive.
He said that the opposition to the bills by him and some others is not because people do not want to pay taxes, but the wrong timing.
“I disagree with the timing because Nigerians are struggling to survive. Our forefathers were paying tax, in the North we pay taxes. So, it is not like we are running away from tax, we pay taxes, every responsible Nigerian will want to pay tax, but the timing is wrong,” he said.
According to Ndume, the best time to present the bills is “when there is no hunger, when people are living not surviving.”
The lawmaker likened the tax reform bills to giving someone something with a right hand and taking it back with the left hand.
Ndume said that his his opposition of the bills is because he does not want Tinubu to fail contrary to some insinuations that it is to hurt the President.
President Bola transmitted the controversial four tax reform bills to the National Assembly for consideration on October 3.
On Thursday, the Senate on Thursday passed the four tax bills for second reading through voice votes.
Passed through second reading by the Senate are a Bill for an Act to Establish the Joint Revenue Board, the Tax Appeal Tribunal, and the Office of the Tax Ombud as part of Tinubu’s comprehensive tax reform package.
The proposed legislation seeks to harmonize, coordinate, and resolve disputes arising from revenue administration in Nigeria.
