Reacting to an earlier comment by Senator Ali Ndume that the “tax reform bill is dead on arrival” and would not scale through legislative proceedings, another member of the National Assembly, Abdulmumin Jibrin, has expressed confidence that the controversial tax reform bills presented by President Bola Tinubu will be passed into law.
The National Executive Council has advised the president to revoke the bills, which have caused a great deal of controversy and encountered some opposition from the northern region of the nation.
However, Jibrin, who is the representative for Kano State’s Kiru/Bebeji Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, stated that the North is not opposed to the bill and that it is not dead on arrival.
He said, “it is not a consensus in the North that this bill should be shut down. And talking for myself and also how I know the National Assembly operates in terms of following procedures for the passage of the bill, I can be able to tell you authoritatively that the bill is not dead on arrival.
“I can explain to you that hundreds of clauses in these bills are things we have been pursuing for ages, and I will be able to tell you this: the work that we are going to do for Nigerians to see all the clauses in detail and everything, I can confidently tell you that bill will go through the processes in the National Assembly and it will be passed.”
According to Jibrin, Nigerians would be able to determine that the bills are not detrimental to the country’s interests or to the northern region if they are passed.
President Tinubu stated last week that the tax reform proposals would not be removed from the National Assembly, notwithstanding the uproar surrounding them.
Tinubu instead clarified that the measures ought to pass through the legislative process in a statement made by Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy.
“The National Economic Council recommended that the tax reform bills that were already sent to the National Assembly be withdrawn for additional consultation,” President Bola Tinubu said.
The Nigerian leader also praised the recommendations given by the members of the National Economic Council, particularly Vice President Kashim Shettima and the 36 state governors.
