SenateMajority Whip, Olusola Adeyeye has demanded that allowances of lawmakers should be taxed just as he warned his colleagues that God will judge and deal with them if they fail to live up to the responsibilities placed on them by Nigerians.
The lawmaker, who spoke extensively during consideration of the N6.08 trillion 2016 national budget at yesterday’s plenary, said: “Under your leadership (addressing Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki), whatever is brought must be considered otherwise God will judge all of us beginning from you.
“If we are going to move this country forward, we must go back to what we did in the days of Obafemi Awolowo, Ahmadu Bello and Nnamdi Azikiwe. Nobody in my village will go to his farm until he can produce his tax receipt. We need ingenuity to bring this to pass.
“We must begin to tax our allowances as lawmakers. Nigeria is the only country that shelters the bulk of the earnings of its workers and call them allowances.
Across the aisle, in the House of Representatives, investigation into the crude oil-for-refined-products exchange (oil swap) arrangement took a dramatic turn when one of the trading companies involved in the deals, AITEO Nigeria Limited refused to appear before the Zakari Mohammed-led ad hoc committee.
Angered by the actions of the company, which said the investigation was a subject of litigation, Mohammed warned that his committee will not allow its assignment to be frustrated by the time-wasting gimmicks of some of the organisations involved in the deals being probed.
Counsel to AITEO and another company, Ontario Nigeria Limited, Chika Onyebuchi Uko said a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Centre for Rule of Law had instituted a legal proceeding against the investigative hearing which makes the continuation of the hearing prejudiced.
She said her clients, AITEO Nigeria Ltd and Ontario Nigeria Limited would not appear before the committee until the case was dispensed with.On the fate of the third trading firm, Taleveras Nigeria Ltd, Mohammed said the company complied with invitations.
He added: “Taleveras has been coming since the commencement of the hearing. They were here today as well but went to the former hearing room but, before we left the new hearing room, their representatives met us.They will be taken on Tuesday.
“We were supposed to have taken them today but unfortunately they didn’t turn up and a summon has gone out to Ontario and Aiteo to appear before the committee
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