Tax Laws Alteration: Downplaying Minority Caucus’ Report Will Enable Impunity, Ogene Tells House Deputy Spokesperson

My attention has been drawn to the dismissive statement by the the Deputy Spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Hon. Philip Agbese, on Saturday, that the interim report by the Minority Caucus Ad-hoc Committee, which I chair, on alleged alterations in the Tax Reforms Acts has been overtaken by events, following the release of the Certified True Copies (CTCs) of the laws.

1. I would have dismissed the comments as  mere personal viewpoint of a colleague, but having previously served as Deputy Spokesperson of the 7th House of Representatives, 15 years ago, I am cognisant of the responsibilities and public expectations attendant to such a position, particularly in communicating on behalf of and upholding the integrity of the legislative institution and democratic processes. I am therefore perplexed as to why he has assumed the role of spokesperson for the Executive in this matter.

2. For context and clarity, the Minority Caucus Ad-hoc Committee’s interim report did not criticise the National Assembly’s work, impugn the integrity of its legislative processes, or implicate, in any way, the institution of culpability in the shocking alterations after the laws has been passed. Rather, the report’s factual content highlighted the concerning attempt by perpetrators of the illegal alterations to undermine the Legislature’s functional integrity and independence. This should be a concern for legislators who prioritise law-making in the public interest over transient political considerations.

3. It should be noted that while

the Minority Caucus of the House of Representatives established a Committee for an independent fact-finding exercise, consistent with parliamentary best practices,  the House leadership had earlier constituted another Committee, chaired by Rt.Hon. Muktar Aliyu Betara, with a similar mandate to review the Tax Acts as passed by the House and the purported gazetted version, with the aim to identify discrepancies and verify the accuracy of the gazetted version. This raises the question: if, as Hon. Agbase claims, that the alleged alterations in the Tax Reforms Acts has been overtaken by events following the release of the Certified True Copies (CTCs), why is the Betara Committee still sitting and has not been dissolved by the House?

4. It is striking that Hon. Agbese’s statement asserts that “The concerns raised regarding discrepancies in the tax laws have already been comprehensively addressed by the House leadership. With the release of the Certified True Copies of the Acts, there is now clarity…” However, the only clarity, I must say, is that the irrefutable findings of the Minority Caucus Ad-hoc Committee’s interim report reveal that external actors within government bureaucracy have flagrantly undermined the National Assembly’s constitutional authority to legislate, compromising the integrity of key legislative documents and causing embarrassment to the institution and the nation.

Speaking in the manner that Agbase has spoken will only continue to enable such unacceptable behavior that ought to attract the collective upbraid of all lawmakers irrespective of partisan divide.

5. Does Hon. Agbese’s assertion that the affront to the National Assembly’s independence has been “comprehensively addressed” suggest that the institution is acquiescing to this development and will not pursue accountability for this significant procedural anomaly, which undermines the Assembly’s authority? Democratic institutions are strengthened when accountability is upheld, not when official malfeasance is overlooked. I trust, however, that the National Assembly’s leadership, with a nationalist Speaker Abbas Tajudeen on the driving seat, will continue to uphold the Legislature’s independence and protect the public interest.

Afam Victor Ogene,

Chairman, Minority Caucus Ad-hoc Committee on Tax Laws