Members of the House of Representatives from the 17 southern states said they have welcomed the tax reform bills presented before the National Assembly by President Bola Tinubu, describing them as good for the country.
The four tax reforms bills namely, Nigeria Tax, Nigeria Tax Administration, Nigeria Revenue Service and Joint Revenue Board of Nigeria (Establishment) Bills, 2024 were transmitted by President Tinubu to the two legislative chambers of the National Assembly for consideration and passage.
The Southern Caucus in the House, led by Hon. Nicholas Mutu (PDP, Delta) however, made its position known at a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday where it welcomed the bills.
According to the leader of the group, the southern lawmakers welcomed the tax reform bills with much excitement even as they were open for dialogue with a bid to represent the people’s thoughts that were absent in the proposed law.
“The Southern caucus of the House of Representatives, we have met and welcome the tax reform bills with so much excitement. And at the right time, we’ll capture the people’s element that is missing in the bills.
“Yes, the bills are good for Nigeria and are people-arranged bills. We are open to dialogue. We have not gone beyond that. We are not saying that we are supporting the bills. I didn’t say so. We are open to dialogue. This is just the first process. But just to inform you that we have received the bills, we welcome the bill, and then, we are open to dialogue,” Hon. Mutu said.
Also speaking, Hon. Fredrick Agbedi (PDP, Bayelsa) said it was the responsibility of the National Assembly to receive proposals of any sort of bill from either the executive or individual bills.
“Once they are received, they go through the House procedures, processes, and then the public is invited. Here, Mr. President has signed an executive bill.
“What the southern caucus is saying is that we are ready to take up our official responsibility of making laws for the nation. And so we welcome the bills and that as we process it, inputs are made from our various states and constituencies. Some states have already received those inputs.
“There’s nothing about being southern or northern divide. The National Assembly’s responsibility is to make laws for this country. And the essence of making laws is to receive proposals. When you receive proposals, you put them through the crucible processes of lawmaking.
“At the end of the day, amendments, innovations will be brought into that proposal. And it will be passed by both houses and then the president will assent to whatever amendments that are done to his proposal. The caucus is ready to run with the proposal that Mr President has sent,” he said.
For his part, Hon. Babajimi Benson (APC, Lagos) said the House will properly scrutinise the bills before passage.
“There’s no bill that has a national outlook that there won’t be interest colliding one way or the other. But our job is to sit down with our brothers, find the middle course and I’ll go back to history.
“The derivative, the 13% that is being gotten by oil producing states started with 50%. Recently we did the PIB. We had issue with the host community bill as well. So there’s negotiation back and forth. At the end of the day Nigerians will be better for it,” he said.