Reps Call for Suspension of Tax Law Reforms Pending Investigation

The Minority Caucus of the House of Representatives has asked the Federal Government to immediately suspend the implementation of four recently enacted tax reform laws.

The lawmakers said the pause should remain until an ongoing investigation into alleged alterations to the laws is completed.

The call followed growing concerns within the House over discrepancies between the tax laws passed by the National Assembly and the versions currently in circulation.

According to the caucus, the matter raises serious constitutional and legal questions that must be resolved before the laws can take effect.

The issue was formally brought before the House during plenary by Abdulsamad Dasuki, a lawmaker from Sokoto State.

He raised the matter as a privilege issue, alleging that the copies of the tax laws being circulated by the Ministry of Information do not match those approved by lawmakers and signed by the President.

In response, the Minority Caucus said Nigerians must be cautious about any tax law that does not carry the required authorisation.

The caucus stressed that for any law to be valid, it must bear the signatures of the President and the Clerk to the National Assembly.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the caucus expressed deep concern over the controversy.
The statement was signed by Minority Leader Kingsley Chinda, Minority Whip Ali Isa J.C., Deputy Minority Leader Aliyu Sani Madaki, and Deputy Minority Whip George Ozodinobi.

The lawmakers stated, “We have noted with great consternation and an overwhelming sense of disappointment the current storm brewing over the Tax Reform laws that were duly passed by the National Assembly and properly signed into law by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR.”

They explained that while disagreements over laws are not unusual, the present situation is different.

According to them, allegations of unlawful alterations strike at the heart of legislative integrity and public trust.

The caucus confirmed that the House has already set up a high-powered committee to probe the claims.

The committee is expected to determine whether the laws were altered after passage, improperly gazetted, and wrongly released to the public.

Reaffirming their position, the Minority Caucus said it would work with the entire House to uncover the truth.
They insisted that anyone found responsible for tampering with the laws must be held accountable.

The lawmakers also clarified the proper process for gazetting laws.
They noted that the Clerk to the National Assembly is responsible for transmitting authentic copies to relevant government agencies, making the National Assembly the custodian of the original laws.

Based on this, the caucus urged Nigerians and the business community to reject any tax law lacking proper authentication.

They warned that circulating unauthorised laws amounts to an attack on the constitutional role of the legislature.

The Minority Caucus concluded by calling on the government to suspend implementation of the tax reforms until there is clarity.

They said Nigerians deserve certainty and access to the exact laws they are expected to obey.