A lawmaker in the House of Representatives, Abdussamad Dasuki, has alerted the chamber to alleged changes made to the tax bills passed by the National Assembly.
Dasuki raised the issue under a matter of privilege during Wednesday’s plenary, claiming that the version of the new tax laws currently gazetted contains clauses that differ from the harmonised copies approved by both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
He told lawmakers that after reviewing the official gazette alongside the votes and proceedings of both chambers, he discovered significant discrepancies.
“I am here today because my privilege as a member of this House has been breached. We passed the tax laws on this floor, and over the last three days, I carefully examined the gazetted copy,” he said.
According to him, a comparison of the documents revealed that what lawmakers approved was not what was eventually published.
“What was passed on this floor is not what has been gazetted. I voted, my vote was counted, and now I am seeing something entirely different,” Dasuki stated.
He urged the Speaker to compare the harmonised version with the gazetted copy, insisting that Nigerians are being presented with a version of the law that was never approved by the legislature.
“What is before Nigerians and being circulated by the Ministry of Information is not what was passed by the House and the Senate,” he said.
Dasuki appealed for all relevant documents to be submitted to the Committee of the Whole for proper review and correction, describing the situation as unconstitutional.
“This is a breach of the Constitution and our laws, and it should not be ignored by this House,” he added.
Responding, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas assured members that the House would investigate the matter and take appropriate steps in the national interest.
