The lawmaker representing Bayelsa West Senatorial District, Seriake Dickson, on Tuesday threw his weight behind President Bola Tinubu’s tax reforms bills.
Dickson, former Bayelsa State governor, appeared as a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
He said the tax reform bills were not bad, but stressed that a robust consultation was needed to allay the fears raised in some quarters.
“A reform as massive as that conveyed in the four bills that the President and his team sent to the National Assembly requires a lot of political consensus building, consultation and consensus building,” he said.
“There is nothing bad about reforms. If you want to bring about massive change as a governor or president, you must undertake fundamental reforms.
“The deeper the reforms, the more likely the results will last even before you. There is nothing wrong about that.”
The four tax reform bills have generated intense debate across Nigeria.
The bills are the Joint Revenue Board of Nigeria (Establishment) Bill, 2024 -SB.583; the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, 2024- SB.584; the Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, 2024-SB.585; and the Nigeria Tax Bill, 2024 – SB.586.
Some Nigerians have criticised the bills, claiming they favour some parts of the country over others. However, proponents have said that many of those criticising the bills have not read their provisions and are only amplifying falsehoods.
The bills have passed the second reading stage at the Senate and have been handed over to a committee that will conduct public hearings on them. They are yet to be debated in the House of Representatives.
Rowdy Session
The House of Representatives went into a rowdy session on Tuesday after the House spokesman, Akin Rotimi, touched on the controversial tax reform bills.
The lawmaker in moving a motion for consideration of two reports had introduced himself as being from Ekiti state, the first state to adopt the tax reform bills.
This generated loud resentment from some lawmakers.
The rowdiness was sustained even after the lawmaker apologised and withdrew his comment. Rotimi eventually had to step down the report.
Hon. Ghali Tijani moved a motion of breach of privilege and called for the resignation of Hon. Philip Agbese as deputy spokesman of the house following a publication, suggesting that the lawmakers are in support of the tax bill.
His motion was noted and the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, assured that an investigation would be carried out by the house on the matter.
The Tax Reform Bills have generated massive controversies from different sectors of the economy, including among state governments since their introduction by the Bola Tinubu’s administration.
