₦airaland Forum

Lawmakers in both legislative chambers of the National Assembly are aggrieved with Senate President Godswill Akpabio over his directive barring the office of the assembly Clerk from releasing copies of the tax reform bill transmitted to President Bola Tinubu for assent and subsequently signed into law, Peoples Gazette has learnt.


Two senators and four members of the House of Representatives told The Gazette that the embargo has fuelled suspicion and internal wrangling, as lawmakers who demanded copies of the assented bill were denied access.

This is despite their insistence that the document was needed to confirm that the version signed by the president was identical with the certified true copy passed by both legislative chambers.

According to the lawmakers, the controversy began following allegations by a member of the House of Representatives, Abdulsammad Dasuki, (PDP-Sokoto State), that the tax laws available to Nigerians differed from the versions passed by the National Assembly.

Rising on a Point of Privilege under Order Six, Rule Two of the House Rules, Mr Dasuki told the House of Representatives that his legislative rights had been breached, insisting that the content of the gazetted tax laws did not reflect what lawmakers debated, voted on, and approved on the floor.

According to him, after the passage of the tax bill, he spent three days reviewing the gazetted copies alongside the Votes and Proceedings of the House and the harmonised versions adopted by both legislative chambers.

“I was here, I gave my vote and it was counted, and I am seeing something completely different,” Mr Dasuki said, noting that copies of the gazetted laws obtained from the Ministry of Information did not match the versions approved by the House and Senate.

The lawmaker further stressed that his concern was not about moving a motion but about alerting the House to a serious breach of legislative process and the constitution.

The allegation prompted several lawmakers to formally request copies of the signed law to compare it with the version debated and approved during plenary.

The Gazette has seen a certified true copy of the tax bill as passed by the National Assembly, further deepening questions over why the leadership would place an embargo on the assented version of the law.

As of press time, neither Mr Akpabio, Office of the Clerk of the National Assembly, nor Mr Abbas had responded to requests for comment on the matter.

Meanwhile, The Gazette learnt that officials in the Office of the Clerk of the National Assembly informed the lawmakers that they were acting on the instruction of Mr Akpabio, who ordered that no copy of the assented tax law should be released to any legislator.

“What is unfolding before us is an attempt to subvert our nascent democracy, and we want Nigerian compatriots of good conscience to help us in this fight,” a ruling party senator said under condition of anonymity to avoid being targeted by the president’s allies.

The lawmaker said, “I have personally approached the clerk’s office four times over the past week to ask for the certified documents but they keep saying the SP told them not to release them to anyone.”

A House of Representatives member from Oyo State who spoke to The Gazette described the development as troubling, saying he was disappointed in Speaker Tajudeen Abbas’ failure to allow the matter to be resolved before the Yuletide break.

“This is supposed to be handled with the urgency and sensitivity it deserves,” the lawmaker said. “But we have decided to punt this chaos into the new year even as it appears the administration may not scrap the January 1 implementation of the so-called law.”

The content of the gazetted document has become central to the unfolding dispute, with lawmakers saying access to the assented copy was critical to establishing whether any alterations to were made to the bill between passage by the legislature and assent by the president. The lawmakers warned that withholding the document undermined legislative oversight and eroded trust within the parliament.

Meanwhile, a member of the Finance Committee of the Senate, Sunday Karimi, alleged that the reported alterations to the tax bill were a rumour.

“It is a rumour, nothing confirmed,” Mr Karimi told The Gazette on Tuesday. “Nonetheless, it is the responsibility of the Finance Committee to investigate this matter. The copy passed by the National Assembly and the gazetted version should all be available for Nigerians to see.”

Still, Mr Karimi expressed confidence in Mr Tinubu, saying the president runs a responsible government and wouldn’t be part of any attempt to subvert the law.

“The president is a highly trustworthy statesman and his government would not be part of any attempt to sabotage our democracy,” Mr Karimi said. “So that’s why I still assume what we’re hearing can all be rumours.”

As the controversy rages, lawmakers from both legislative chambers have intensified demands for the release of the certified true copy of the bill transmitted to the president.

They argue that, as elected representatives who voted on the legislation, they were entitled to review the final version that had now become law.

https://gazettengr.com/senators-reps-fume-as-sp-akpabio-orders-nass-clerk-to-hide-certified-copy-of-nigerian-tax-bill-transmitted-to-tinubu-for-assent/

Akpabio is gradually showing his true colours. He should be careful not to provoke the lawmakers beyond this.

Ikegwuru.

All these happenings reminds me of king Louis XIV famous quote " l'etat c'est moir"

Tinubu and his officials are overreaching

I have confidence in Akpabio. He is doing the right thing.

trutharena:
I have confidence in Akpabio. He is doing the right thing.

Are you alright upstairs? Are you a robot?

Are you a Nigerian at all

This is Treason and those behind it must never be shielded

trutharena:
I have confidence in Akpabio. He is doing the right thing.

BoT is that you?

Akpabio no go hear word!

Country of particular concern with lawmakers of particular concern.

Akpabio should be careful and must not think he's the best thing after jollof rice.

The worse Senate president ever since the godless and unholy amalgamation of this country by the criminal Britain.

Corruption
Nonchalant
Insensitive
Oblivious


Well, i didn't expect Tinubu to support anything better.

The man is as corrupt as the himself.


Likes attract.

Country of Particular Concern indeed! One Nijeriya!

So they didn't have the copy of the said altered new tax law but have been disturbing our peace.

The confused opposition

helinues:
So they didn't have the copy of the said altered new tax law but have been disturbing our peace.

The confused opposition

Hope you read where tje the member that raised the issue said he spent three days comparing the versions.

He is a member of the committee that worked on it so he ought to have it, I think other members of the house that were not members of the committee took up interest to know whether it is true or false, but now are denied that accessibility.

It is well Nigeria

Wahala 😀😃😀

Akpabio's name is always in the bad light . Why hide laws that are meant for everyone? Something must be wrong somewhere

This is serious. I believe Akpabio has his reasons but the lawmakers have the right to know the content of the law.

saintmm:
Hope you read where tje the member that raised the issue said he spent three days comparing the versions.

He is a member of the committee that worked on it so he ought to have it, I think other members of the house that were not members of the committee took up interest to know whether it is true or false, but now are denied that accessibility.

It is well Nigeria

Where is the copy of the altered tax law? That's what we have been asking you guys as we don't know where you get your information from

The Nigerian government should be part of the drive for generating funds through tourism for the country. They'd make a very good circus (tragic circus, that is).

Like I said when I first read the, if there is any alteration to the final version passed by the NASS, it must have originated from the NASS and no where else.

All those CSO like SERAP issuing threats all over the place should have simply invoked the FoI to compel the Clerk of the National Assembly to release a copy of the harmonized version to them. That’s the only only way to see if there is an alteration or not.

Only three people could have made any adjustment to the harmonized copy and that’s the Senate president, speaker and the clerk. And whatever they forwarded to the president is the only version the president will work with and sign into law.

Instead of them to show us the version they originally sent for approval THEY ARE HIDING IT

just see how these lappy minions above me especially helinues is happy that the senate President is illegally withholding public information from both his colleagues and Nigerians at large

These people are not real humans at all

I thought every member has a copy

Toh

Nlfpmod, this is impeacheable offence.

Akpabio should just release the documents and let the lawmakers do their job. What is all this drama for?

This is not a PDP issue or anything. It is simple common sense.

Nothing can be hidden.

Chai! Imagine this abuse of constitutionality and democratic values. What a disgraced corrupt country of particular concern.

Akpabio need to take care of his health first.

Nigeria the more you look, the less you see.

The harder you think, the little you understand.

Akpabio the messiah of Tinubu's data boys doing the bid of his snatch grab Masters