Rita Odafe
The Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), is scheduled to meet with the Senate on Thursday, December 19, to deliberate on the contentious Tax Reform Bills proposed by President Bola Tinubu.
This meeting seeks to alleviate the concerns and disputes that have arisen regarding the bills, particularly from stakeholders in the Northern region.
In light of the growing opposition, President Tinubu called for a calm approach and instructed the AGF to work closely with the National Assembly to clarify the ambiguous aspects of the legislation.
Following the President’s orders, the Senate formed a committee to work alongside the AGF. However, this process has faced delays due to discussions regarding the committee’s members and consultations within Senate groups.
A source who spoke to PUNCH on Wednesday evening confirmed that the AGF is set to meet with the Senate today to engage in discussions about the proposed legislation.
“The AGF will be at the National Assembly tomorrow, December 19, for the tax reform bill meeting,” the source said on condition of anonymity as they were not permitted to address the media.
Senator Abba Moro, Chairman of the Senate Special Committee, stated that both the AGF and Zacch Adedeji, the Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), have been invited to the meeting.
“The committee has invited the Chairman, FIRS and the Honorable Attorney General and Minister of Justice,” Moro noted briefly.
Recently, the Senate established the committee led by Moro to collaborate with the AGF in addressing the unresolved issues within the Tax Reform Bills.
The committee includes Senators Adamu Aliero (PDP, Kebbi Central), Orji Uzor Kalu (APC, Abia North), Seriake Dickson (PDP, Bayelsa West), Titus Zam (APC, Benue South), Abdullahi Yahaya (PDP, Kebbi North), Adeola Olamilekan (APC, Ogun West), Sani Musa (APC, Niger East), Adetokunbo Abiru (APC, Lagos East), and Kaka Shehu, SAN, (APC, Borno Central), who has since chosen to withdraw from the committee.
