Tax Row: Ndume Demands Agbese Probe

The lawmaker representing Borno South Senatorial District, Senator Ali Ndume, has asked the leadership of the House of Representatives to call its Deputy Spokesperson, Hon. Philip Agbese, to order over his criticism of the Senator’s views on the alleged tax law falsification controversy.

Ndume made this demand while responding to Agbese’s comments, faulting his claim that there were distortions between the Tax Acts passed by the National Assembly and the version subsequently gazetted and circulated to the public.

The House deputy spokesperson had, in his reaction to the Borno lawmaker’s last week’s television appearance, described Ndume’s position as mischievous.

“It is sheer mischief to suggest that the tax laws were falsified,” Agbese declared.

But in an interview with journalists in Abuja on Sunday, the former Senate Chief Whip accused Agbese of playing to the gallery in order to curry favour with the House leadership.

“I call on the leadership of the House to call this maga dog to order. The man who claims to speak for the House should not be a maga dog.

“Agbese is too junior to join issues with me on a matter that does not affect him directly. He is the deputy spokesman of the House, not the spokesman.

“The tax laws alteration controversy is still pending before a Committee constituted by the leadership of the House, and the Muktar Betara-led Committee has not submitted its report,” he said.

Ndume insisted that only the Betara-led panel “has the locus standi to declare after investigation, that there is no difference between the version passed by the parliament and that which was subsequently gazetted.”

He said Agbese’s comments should not be taken seriously, noting that he lacked the requisite legislative experience to understand how parliament handles sensitive matters such as the tax laws controversy.

“Agbese is forgiven on the grounds of inexperience. He is a first-timer. I was in the House in 2003 when he was probably in secondary school. For him to come out disrespectfully and say that my statement is mischievous is very unfortunate.

“If he has the guts to say that I am mischievous, it means he can tell his father the same thing. At 66, if I’m not old enough to be his father, I am close to that. My first daughter is 40 years old,” he said.

Ndume also explained that what he said during his television appearance was not targeted at anyone.

“My position was simply that things should be done the right way. I did not insult anybody. I cross-checked the votes and proceedings, clause by clause, before I said that there were some flaws.

“If the harmonised version says ‘this shall be,’ and the gazetted copy says ‘this will be,’ these are two different things, subject to interpretation.

“For him to use such a strong word on me, I think he’s just trying to be a maga dog, which barks even when the master did not ask him to do so.

“I understand the dirty jobs he is doing. He is hoping to find himself in the good books of the House leadership, but he has only succeeded in embarrassing himself and the House of Representatives. He is not speaking for the House because the House has not yet taken a position on this matter.

“I insist that the parliament should do a comparison and examine the sections of both versions of the Tax Acts. They should simply say, ‘This is what we passed and signed. We should do this section-by-section. This way, Nigerians will be comfortable,” Ndume added.