Reps panel vows thorough probe of tax laws ‘alteration’

By Christiana Ekpa

The House of representatives ad hoc committee probing the alleged discrepancies in the gazetted tax laws has pledged a thorough investigation.
Speaking after the panel’s inaugural meeting, Muktar Betara, the committee’s chairman, said the probe would be concluded soon.
He said the committee will ensure transparency and thoroughness, adding that the findings and recommendations will be presented to the parliament after the conclusion of the exercise.
It would be recalled that last Wednesday, Abdussamad Dasuki, a lawmaker from Sokoto, had claimed that the gazetted tax laws available to Nigerians do not reflect the harmonised legislation passed by the national assembly.
Dasuki said he obtained copies of the gazetted laws from the ministry of information and found notable differences when compared with the versions approved by the parliament.
He warned that the discrepancies amounted to a breach of the constitution and could undermine the integrity of the legislature if not addressed.
The House of representatives, yesterday constituted a seven-member ad hoc committee to investigate the alleged alteration in the gazetted tax laws.
Several opposition figures, including former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar; Peter Obi, former presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP); the African Democratic Congress (ADC); and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have called for the suspension of the implementation of the tax laws until the probe is concluded.