Members of the House of Representatives from the 17 southern states expressed support for the tax reform bills presented to the National Assembly by President Bola Tinubu, describing them as beneficial for the nation.
The four tax reform bills—Nigeria Tax, Nigeria Tax Administration, Nigeria Revenue Service, and Joint Revenue Board of Nigeria (Establishment) Bills, 2024—were transmitted by President Tinubu to both chambers of the National Assembly for deliberation and approval.
The Southern Caucus in the House, led by Hon. Nicholas Mutu (PDP, Delta), shared their stance during a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, welcoming the bills while remaining open to dialogue.
According to Hon. Mutu, the southern lawmakers received the tax reform bills with enthusiasm but emphasized the importance of capturing the people’s perspectives absent in the current proposals.
“The Southern caucus of the House of Representatives, we have met and welcome the tax reform bills with so much excitement. And at the right time, we’ll capture the people’s element that is missing in the bills.
“Yes, the bills are good for Nigeria and are people-arranged bills. We are open to dialogue. We have not gone beyond that. We are not saying that we are supporting the bills. I didn’t say so. We are open to dialogue. This is just the first process. But just to inform you that we have received the bills, we welcome the bill, and then, we are open to dialogue,” Hon. Mutu said.
Hon. Fredrick Agbedi (PDP, Bayelsa) noted that it is the National Assembly’s duty to review legislative proposals, whether from the executive or individual legislators.
“Once they are received, they go through the House procedures, processes, and then the public is invited. Here, Mr. President has signed an executive bill.
“What the southern caucus is saying is that we are ready to take up our official responsibility of making laws for the nation. And so we welcome the bills and that as we process it, inputs are made from our various states and constituencies. Some states have already received those inputs.
“There’s nothing about being southern or northern divide. The National Assembly’s responsibility is to make laws for this country. And the essence of making laws is to receive proposals. When you receive proposals, you put them through the crucible processes of lawmaking.
“At the end of the day, amendments, innovations will be brought into that proposal. And it will be passed by both houses and then the president will assent to whatever amendments that are done to his proposal. The caucus is ready to run with the proposal that Mr President has sent,” he said.
Hon. Babajimi Benson (APC, Lagos) assured that the House would carefully examine the bills before their passage.
“There’s no bill that has a national outlook that there won’t be interest colliding one way or the other. But our job is to sit down with our brothers, find the middle course and I’ll go back to history.
“The derivative, the 13% that is being gotten by oil producing states started with 50%. Recently we did the PIB. We had issue with the host community bill as well. So there’s negotiation back and forth. At the end of the day Nigerians will be better for it,” he said.
The Southern Caucus reaffirmed their readiness to collaborate on refining the bills while balancing national and regional interests. They emphasized the need for inclusivity during the legislative process, ensuring all stakeholders’ concerns are addressed.
By welcoming the tax reforms, the lawmakers aim to engage with constituents and other representatives to provide comprehensive feedback and amendments where necessary. However, they clarified that their reception of the bills does not constitute outright support, as further scrutiny and public input will shape the final versions.
The tax reform bills, seen as crucial to strengthening Nigeria’s revenue base, are expected to undergo thorough evaluation within the National Assembly. This collaborative approach aims to ensure that the final legislation addresses both national economic objectives and the interests of all citizens.
