Reps To Probe Civil Servants’ Tax Deduction, Charges, Others

House of Representatives has resolved to investigate the deductions of various taxes and charges from civil servants’ salaries and earnings.

This was a sequel to the adoption of a motion sponsored by the House chief whip, Hon. Usman Kumo, at plenary yesterday.

Moving the motion, Kumo said the deductions aligned with government policies on the National Housing Fund, the National Health Insurance Scheme, and others. Still, he sought clarity on how such deductions were used.

To achieve this, the House constituted an ad hoc committee to conduct the investigation, chaired by Hon. Kelechi Nwogu and Hons. Sagir Koki, Ginger Nwosibi, Mark Obeta, Billy Osaru, and Isosa Iyawe, among others.

Also at the plenary, the House agreed to probe the overlapping jurisdictions, procedural gaps and investor concerns arising from the Federal Competition And Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) digital, electronic, online or non-traditional consumer lending regulations 2025.

FCCPC issued regulations to govern the digital lending market in Nigeria. These regulations provide a framework for registering, monitoring, and sanctioning lenders and address consumer abuses like harassment and privacy violations.

Key provisions include mandatory lender registration, requirements for clear loan terms, data privacy compliance, and prohibitions on abusive debt recovery tactics, with significant fines and potential director disqualifications for non-compliance.

According to the new order, non-compliant operators face penalties including fines of up to N100 million or 1% of annual turnover.

But adopting a motion moved by the member representing Ndokwa/Ukwuani Federal Constituency of Delta State, Hon. Ezechi Nnamdi, the House mandates the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) and ALTON to suspend compliance directives relating to the said Regulations until issues of overlap and ambiguity are addressed.

It also resolved to: “Constitute a Special Ad-hoc Committee to investigate the concerns raised by stakeholders, engage with FCCPC, NCC, CB, NDPC, NIPC, ALTON and other players, and propose a harmonised framework.

“Direct the Committee to review internal inconsistencies and unclear provisions of the Regulations, particularly concerning local content obligations, investor protection, and jurisdictional clarity.

“Call on the Government to ensure a coherent and transparent regulatory framework that sanitises the digital lending space while protecting consumers and giving confidence to investors, telecom operators, and fintech players.”