Tax reform bills: ‘It’s suspicious’ – Ndume queries rushed passage

The Senator representing Borno South at the senate, Ali Ndume, has frowned at the rushed passage of the tax reform bills, saying that the hurry by the presidency and some lawmakers to pass the bills looks suspicious.

The tax reform bills which passed for second reading at the Senate on Thursday have triggered controversies since it was sent to the National Assembly by President Bola Tinubu, with Ndume maintaining strongest opposition against the bills.

The National Economic Council also advised President Tinubu to withdraw the bills, but the President said he preferred that they go through the processes.

The lawmaker, while speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, maintained his position and insisted that it is better for the Presidency to take the advice of the National Economic Council to withdraw the bill.

“It is not that I am totally saying that we should throw away the baby with the bath water, but since the governors who are our leaders, the National Economic Council and many individuals have said that it is not that we should throw away the bills, no.

“Withdraw the bill, do more consultations and then bring the bill again. Why are they in a hurry,” Ndume queried.

Backing up his claim that there is a rush to pass the tax reform bills, Ndume gave an instance of the Petrol Industry Bill which he said is more important than the tax bill, adding that it took years before it was passed.

He recalled that the PIB was introduced to the National Assembly when he was in the House of Representatives, but wasn’t passed until years later when he had moved to the Senate.

The Senator said one of his grouses with the tax reform bills is the timing, noting that such bills shouldn’t be introduced when Nigerians are struggling to survive.

According to him, the opposition to the bills by him and some others is not because people do not want to pay taxes, but the wrong timing.

“I disagree with the timing because Nigerians are struggling to survive. Our forefathers were paying tax, in the North we pay taxes.

“So, it is not like we are running away from tax, we pay taxes, every responsible Nigerian will want to pay tax, but the timing is wrong,” he said.

Ndume, who said the best time to present the bills is when there is no hunger, likened the bills to giving someone something with a right hand and taking it back with the left hand.

He added that his opposition of the bills is because he does not want Tinubu to fail contrary to some insinuations that it is to hurt the President.