7-man Reps Committee To Probe Alleged Alteration Of Tax Laws

The House of Representatives has constituted a seven-member ad-hoc committee to investigate the discrepancies between the tax laws passed by the National Assembly and the gazetted versions.

The panel set up at plenary on Thursday, with Speaker Abbas Tajudeen presiding, has the former chairman of the Appropriations Committee, Hon. Muktar Aliyu, as chairman; and former Deputy Speaker Ahmed Idris Wase, Hon. Sada Soli (APC, Katsina), as members.

Others are Hon. James Faleke (APC, Lagos), Hon. Fred Agbedi (PDP, Bayelsa), Hon. Babajimi Benson (APC, Lagos) and the deputy chairman of Appropriations,Hon. Iduma Igariwey.

This is a sequel to the resolution of the House on Wednesday to address the discrepancies between the tax laws passed by the National Assembly and the gazetted versions, following an issue raised by Hon. Abdulsammad Dasuki (PDP, Sokoto) regarding a matter of privilege.

Dasuki, who had risen under Order Six, Rule Two of the House Rules on a Point of Privilege, argued that his legislative privilege was breached, as the content of the tax laws as gazetted is not the same as the one voted on and passed on the floor of the House.

The lawmaker said he took time over the past three days to carefully review the gazetted copies alongside the Votes and Proceedings of the House of Representatives, as well as the harmonised version adopted by both chambers of the National Assembly and noticed discrepancies.

“I was here, I gave my vote, and it was counted, and I am seeing something completely different. I obtained copies of the gazetted laws from the Ministry of Information and found them to be inconsistent with what was approved by both the House and the Senate,” Dasuki said.

He asked the speaker to ensure that all relevant documents, including the harmonised versions, the Votes and Proceedings of both chambers, and the gazetted copies currently in circulation, be brought before the Committee of the Whole for scrutiny by all members.

“Mr Speaker, I will be pleading that all the documents should be brought before the Committee of the Whole. All members should review the gazetted copy and note what was passed on the floor, so that we can make the relevant amendments. Mr Speaker, this is a breach of the Constitution. This is a breach of our laws, and this honourable House should not take this. Thank you, Mr Speaker,” Dasuki said.