Senator Ali Ndume (Borno South) has stated that the Nigerian senate will waste no time to reject president Bola Tinubu’s new tax reform bill, which he recently forwarded to the red chambers for confirmation
The senator declared that the National Assembly does not need to study the tax reform bills before rejecting them.
Recall that the Northern States Governors Forum, NSGF, had earlier opposed the bills, even as the National Economic Council, NEC, urged the President to withdraw them for further consultations.
But president Tinubu has turned down the advise of both the Northern governors and NEC, saying the bills would not be withdrawn, but would’ve left with the senate to decide it’s fate.
He said the National Assembly could make amendments as they deem necessary.
Speaking on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme, Ndume said he had not studied the tax reform bills.
But he noted that the timing of the bills, considering the economic situation in the country, does not make sense to him.
“I can tell you that it will be dead on arrival. We don’t need to study the bill,” he said.
“The general thing is that Nigerians are not willing to talk, hear or pay any tax now considering the situation we have faced because this is the government of the people.
“Right now, people can’t even afford what to eat. People are struggling to survive.
“Let people live first before you start asking them for tax,” he said.