The Minority Caucus of the House of Representatives has expressed deep concern over allegations that recently passed Tax Reform laws may have been unlawfully altered after being approved by the National Assembly and signed into law by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
In a statement issued on behalf of the caucus, the Minority Leader, Rep. O.K. Chinda, said the controversy surrounding the tax laws was troubling and could not be dismissed as routine political disagreement, given the seriousness of claims that the laws were fraudulently altered, gazetted and circulated to the public.
The statement was jointly signed by Rep. O.K. Chinda, Minority Leader; Rt. Hon. Ali Isa J.C., PhD, Minority Whip; Rt. Hon. Aliyu Madaki, Deputy Minority Leader; and Rt. Hon. George Ozodinobi, Deputy Minority Whip.
According to the caucus, the issue was formally raised by a member of the House during a recent plenary session, prompting the House of Representatives to set up a high-powered committee to investigate the allegations.
READ ALSO: NBA Demands Suspension of New Tax Reform Acts
The Minority Caucus pledged its full support for the investigation, vowing to work with the House leadership to ensure that the truth is uncovered and that anyone found culpable is held accountable.
The caucus emphasised that the National Assembly is the lawful custodian of all legislation passed by the legislature.
Read Also
It explained that the established procedure for gazetting laws begins with the Clerk to the National Assembly transmitting the authentic copies of duly passed and signed laws to the appropriate federal agency for publication.
“The National Assembly remains the repository of the genuine versions of all laws of the federation,” the statement said, adding that the caucus would insist on transparency and accuracy in resolving the matter.
The Minority Caucus urged Nigerians to disregard any version of the tax laws in circulation that does not bear the signatures of the Clerk to the National Assembly and the President, stressing that such documents did not originate from the legislature and do not reflect the laws as passed.
It warned that any attempt to impose falsified laws on the public constitutes an attack on the independence and constitutional role of the National Assembly and, by extension, Nigeria’s democratic system.
The caucus reaffirmed its commitment to protecting the integrity of the legislature.
Consequently, the Minority Caucus called on the Federal Government to suspend the implementation of the tax reform laws pending the conclusion of investigations and the establishment of clarity and certainty regarding the authentic versions of the laws to be enforced.
The caucus also noted that Nigerians and the business community are entitled to have access to the correct and duly authenticated copies of any laws they are expected to comply with.
