Wednesday’s plenary at the Senate snowballed into anger and shouting match as the controversial Tax Reform Bill surfaced for debate despite not being captured on the Order Paper.
Trouble started when the Senate Leader, Michael Bamidele
Opeyemi invoked Order 12(1) suspending the Senate Rules to allow the Chairman
of Federal Inland Revenue Service to give clarification on Tax Reform Bill.
The Senate Leader’s submission was corroborated by Deputy
Senate President, Jibrin Barau, who presided over the session. It was approved
that the FIRS chairman and other tax experts be allowed into the Senate chamber
by the Sergeant-At-Arms.
This immediately aroused Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume’s anger,
as he drew the attention of the senators to relevant provisions in the Senate
Rules.
Ndume argued that visitors, such as the FIRS delegation, are
forbidden to speak in the chamber if their subject matter was not captured on
the Order Paper for legislative debate.
Ndume insisted that the matter was too important to be
manipulated and the Senate should not in any way play around the Tax Reform
Bill as Nigerians have spoken.
He said: “This is a very important matter. We should not in
any way try to use the position of the Senate because the Order Paper is clear.
I have no problem having them to come to explain whatsoever but we must follow
known procedures.
“That is if today that has to be taken, then there must be a
supplementary Order Paper that will reflect this. It is not a matter that you
will just come and tell us after we are doing business of the day.
“Mr President, you can have your way, but I will have my
say. You can use your gavel and I will use my voice. The Tax Reform Bill is
very sensitive, our people have been dominated by this matter.
“When you say, it is a matter of urgent national importance,
yes, but even those matters normally refer to another legislative day if they
are so inconvenient.
“Please I beg you in the name of God. This matter is very
important to not only us, but Nigerians that we represent and we swear by the
Bible and Holy Quran that we will represent the interest of the people.
Nigerians have spoken, the Governors, the National Economic Council.”
Reacting, Barau insisted that whatever action the Senate
decides to take is within its rules, adding that the “Chamber has no time for
rhetoric”.
He said, “You have made your point. Now we are not here for
rhetoric. We are here for facts ”
At this point the chamber became rowdy, while the Deputy
Senate President tried to restore order.
Ndume was eventually ruled out of order and the FIRS
chairman and other tax experts were allowed into the chamber to speak on the
proposed Tax Reform Bill.
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