The House of Representatives is to begin debate on the tax reform bills President Bola Ahmed Tinubu submitted to the National Assembly for consideration and approval.
The Green Chamber on November 30, last year suspended the debate on the bills indefinitely after opposition by overwhelming members from the northern part of the country to sections of the bills.
The northern states governors were equally vehemently opposed to sections of the bills, which they said were inimical to the interests and wellbeing of the people of the region.
However, one of the Representatives from one of the states in the North West told DAILY TRUST that the House has listed the bills for debate when the Reps resume, and is the main subject on the Order Paper of the House of Representatives for legislative proceedings on Wednesday.
The lawmaker said, members of the House of Representatives from the region have resolved to ensure that no section of the pieces of legislation which is inimical to the interests of the people of the North is passed by the green chamber of the National Assembly despite the compromise by the governors of the 19 northern states.
“We in the Northern Caucus (of the House) met today (yesterday), with all leaders of the zonal caucuses in our own part of the country, including the Speaker (Abbas Tajudeen) in attendance, and we have resolved to ensure proper scrutiny of the tax reform bills.
“The House (of Representatives) will begin debate on the (tax reform) bills tomorrow (today), and we have agreed to work collectively and follow the proceedings diligently to ensure that we vigorously scrutinse all the bills so that no section that is harmful to the interests of our people is allowed to be passed into law,” the lawmaker said.
The Rep those who met were s Ahmed Idris Wase (North Central), Mukhtar Betara (North East), and Sada Soli Jibia (North West), adding that the Chairman of the Northern Caucus, Alhassan Ado Doguwa presided over the meeting.
He said “though our governors (in the North) were said to have endorsed the revised bills, we believe that there are still sections that are antithetical to the interests of our people in the North, and we will follow through from the debate that is starting today up to the public hearings to be conducted by the Finance Committee, to make sure that every aspect the bills is not toxic.
“Also, when the clauses in the bills are being passed after the public hearings, we will painstakingly follow the deliberations to ensure that those toxic elements do not scale through that process.”
