Former Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to suspend the implementation of the disputed Tax Reform Acts scheduled to take effect in January, amid growing controversy over their passage.
In a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja, Ndume made the call following claims and counter-claims over alleged alterations to the tax laws after their passage by the National Assembly.
Opposition politicians and civil society organisations, including the Nigerian Bar Association had demanded that the Federal Government halt the implementation of the laws after they were altered.
The Borno South Senatorial District representative in reaction, urged Tinubu to set up an ad hoc committee to verify the authenticity of the laws and investigate the alleged alterations.
He further warned that implementing the laws without resolving the allegations would create legitimacy challenges and undermine public trust.
According to him, “With the controversy surrounding it, the President should constitute a team to verify the veracity of the claim and act accordingly.”
He added; “As a responsive leader that he has always been, he should look into it to find out whether the claim of alterations was genuine so that he will do the needful to bring the controversy to rest.
“If not, the controversy will continue. That is to say, the tax law will not be implemented, because you can’t build on nothing. So, Mr President should suspend the implementation until the issues are resolved because so many civil society organisations, the Arewa Community, the Nigerian Bar Association, are saying that he should withdraw the Tax Law and investigate the allegation of forgery.
“Therefore, Mr President should get to the root of the allegation of forgery. The small committee that will be set up should look into it while the House of Representatives does its own.”
The NBA President, Afam Osigwe (SAN), had on Tuesday, warned that the controversies surrounding the tax laws pose as a threat to the integrity and credibility of Nigeria’s legislative process.
