A member of the House of Representatives, Abdussamad Dasuki, has raised concerns over alleged discrepancies between the tax laws passed by the National Assembly and the version currently circulating in the Federal Government’s official gazette.
Speaking under a matter of privilege during plenary on Tuesday, December 17, Dasuki claimed that several clauses in the gazetted copy of the new tax laws differ from the harmonized version approved by both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
He told lawmakers that after reviewing the gazetted document alongside the votes and proceedings of both chambers, he discovered significant inconsistencies.
I am here today because my privilege as a member of this House has been breached. What we passed on this floor is not what has been gazetted.
I was present, I voted, my vote was counted, and what I am seeing now is completely different,” Dasuki said.
The lawmaker added that the version currently in circulation and being sold to Nigerians through the Ministry of Information does not reflect what was approved by the National Assembly.
Calling the development a breach of the Constitution, Dasuki urged the House to revisit the tax laws and compare the harmonised version with the gazetted copy.
I plead that all relevant documents be brought before the Committee of the Whole so that necessary corrections can be made. This is a serious constitutional breach and should not be taken lightly by this House, he added.
Responding, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, assured members that the matter would be investigated and addressed in the interest of the nation.
