The House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee investigating the alleged discrepancies between the tax laws passed by the National Assembly and the gazetted versions has said that it will conclude its assignment very soon.
The Committee’s chairman, Hon. Muktar Betara (APC, Borno) disclosed this after the inaugural meeting of the panel, which was held in Abuja on Tuesday.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the committee’s media team, Betara said the panel members were resolute on completing the assignment without delay.
The chairman of Appropriations Committee in the 9th National Assembly, said the committee will be open in the discharge of its mandate, adding that its findings and recommendations would be laid before the House immediately after the investigation was concluded.
“The Committee has resolved to conclude its assignment and submit its report to the House within the shortest possible time.
“The Committee has resolved to conclude its assignment and submit its report to the House within the shortest possible time.
“At the meeting, members resolved to conclude the investigation and report back to the House within the shortest time for legislative integrity, due process, and public confidence,” Betara said in statement.
The Housemof Representatives had last Thursday constituted the seven-member ad-hoc committee chaired by Betara in response to its resolution to address the discrepancies between the new tax laws passed by the National Assembly and the gazetted versions being circulated after a member of the House, Hon. Abdulsammad Dasuki (PDP, Sokoto) raised a matter of privilege.
Dasuki, who had risen under Order 6, Rule 2 of the House Rules on a Point of Privilege, argued that his legislative privilege was breached, as the content of the tax laws as gazetted was not the same as the one voted on and passed on the floor of the House.
The lawmaker said he took out time for three days to carefully review the gazetted copies alongside the Votes and Proceedings of the House of Representatives, as well as the harmonised versions adopted by both chambers of the National Assembly and noticed discrepancies.
“I was here, I gave my vote and it was counted, and I am seeing something completely different. I obtained copies of the gazetted laws from the Ministry of Information and found them to be inconsistent with what was approved by both the House and the Senate,” Dasuki had said.
He asked the Speaker of the House to ensure that all relevant documents, including the harmonised versions, the Votes and proceedings of both chambers, and the gazetted copies currently in circulation be brought before the Committee of the Whole for scrutiny by all members.
