Some lawmakers don’t know contents of tax reform bills –Barau

Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, says majority of people, including some lawmakers, do not understand the contents of the tax reform bills.

He said the controversial bills were quickly passed for second reading to allow the public make comments on them.

The bills, which were transmitted to the National Assembly by President Bola Tinubu earlier in September, have sparked reactions, especially among Northerners, who felt the legislation would further plunge the region into more economic hardship.

Northern governors, traditional leaders and other different groups have rejected the bills, saying they are inimical to the region and the nation at large.

In an interview with BBC Hausa service, Governor Babagana Umara Zulum of Borno State decried that governors would not be able to pay salaries if the bills were passed into law, expressing concerns over how the bills had received urgent attention at the National Assembly.

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But speaking with BBC Hausa, Senator Barau Jibrin, who has come under heavy criticisms especially on social media for supporting the bills, said the speedy passage was to enable Nigerians have room to comment on the legislation before considering the next line of action.

He said, “Because of the contents of the bills, we decided to invite experts or the people who developed them on behalf of the President to explain to us the provisions of the bills and also advise us so that Nigerians will know about it.

“The bills have to scale the second reading before they could be taken to the committee for a review. And while we could ask (the committee) questions, Nigerians who might have only watched it on the television could not have room to ask questions. That was why it was resolved that the bills would be passed for the second reading so that Nigerians would have the chance to comment, give their contributions and also ask questions.”

Asked why the bills were not first presented to the committee before passing them for the second reading, Barau said, “No, it is not done that way. It has to pass the second reading before it can be taken to the committee. The second reading is done so that the public can have room to pass their comments on it. That is why the bills were presented to the committee now so that they will review, x-ray it and tell us the contents therein.

“The second reading is not the end of the process. No, that is even where the process begins. And it was done in order to enable the public (youth, children, women, clerics and everyone) to comment and register their complaints about it,” he stated.

Responding to whether lawmakers were aware of the hardship the bills could subject Nigerians to, Barau remarked, “Nobody will do something that will have negative impact on his people. The issue now is to first know the provisions of the bills. Majority of people don’t even know the contents therein, even some of our lawmakers.

“We have to first have a grasp of the bills before they would be understood, that was why it was sent to the committee for them to review so that we know the situation. We will also invite experts to go through it, but we have not gotten to that level now.”