President Tinubu’s Tax Reform Bills: We didn’t suspend deliberations – Senate makes clarification
President Tinubu’s Tax Reform Bills: We didn’t suspend deliberations – Senate makes clarification
The Senate on Thursday said that it did not suspend deliberations on the Tax Reform Bills as reported in some quarters.
Leader of the Senate, Opeyemi Bamidele, made the clarification when he raised Senate Point of Order 42, during plenary.
Raising the order, Bamidele said that it was reported by a news medium that “the hallowed chamber suspended further consideration of the Tax Reform Bills before the Senate”.
“No where in our votes and proceedings was it stated that we suspended further deliberations on the tax reform bills, because we did not.
“I felt it will be important to place on record that this Senate did not suspend or withdraw. This Senate did not suspend and does not intend to suspend deliberation, consideration of the tax reform bills.
“It was a misunderstanding of legislative process for anybody to have even reported that we have withdrawn the bills.
“The bills were executive bills; transmitted to us by the Executive Arm of Government, through the office of Mr President.
“It is only the executive arm that can withdraw these bills. They are not private member bills sponsored by any senator.
“So no senator is going to withdraw the bill and there is no reason for these bills to be withdrawn. In a legislative process, it is normal that some people will have concerns,” he said.
According to him, it is normal that people will sit around those concerns and discourse, hence, in its wisdom, the Senate referred the matter to the Committee on Finance and gave them six weeks for report.
“Six weeks is long enough in a country that wants progress for a consensus to be reached for anybody who has concern to sit down and allow such concern to be addressed in overriding public interest.
“So the essence of what I am saying is that it is important that members of public are patient with us.
“They understand the legislative process that we have to follow. They understand our role in the Constitution.
“Any attempt from any quarter to intimidate the parliament will be undemocratic and we will not allow ourselves to be distracted.
“We will encourage consensus. We will encourage discussions, engagement at all levels,” he said.
In his remarks, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio said that the members of the National Assembly were all elected to work, which was the work of lawmaking, in the overall interest of Nigeria.
Akpabio said that the work was not done through social media, committee or any forum of any nature, but was done according to their conscience, in the best interest of Nigeria.
He said that the moment the bills went through second reading in the Senate, it simply meant that the bills were alive.
According to him, the next procedure is for the committee on finance to commence the process of consultations and public hearings, with a view to bringing recommendations back to the chamber
“But in the wisdom of the Senate yesterday (Wednesday), we had, in a closed session, set up a committee to be headed by the minority leader before the passage of the second reading.
“That committee was an internal mechanism of the Senate, different from the committee on finance.
“I think that was what was announced that the committee should immediately move into work,” he said. (NAN)
News
Two men docked for allegedly defiling underaged girl
Two men docked for allegedly defiling underaged girl
The police in Lagos on Friday, charged two men before an Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court for allegedly defiling an 11- year-old girl.
The defendants are: Prince Tomnyie, 40, a businessman, who resides at Agege, and Micheal Adenuga, 24, a furniture maker, who resides at Atere Street in Lekki.
They are standing trial on charges of defilement, and had each pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The prosecutor, ASP Adegoke Ademigbuji told the court that they committed the offence sometimes in December 2024, and September 2025, at Langbasa Ajah and Igbara Lekki, Lagos .
The prosecutor alleged that the victim’s father, had taken his daughter for medical check and it was discovered that the minor had been defiled.
The prosecution alleged that the victim had told her father that his friend, Tomnyie, defiled her sometimes ago.
Ademigbuji alleged that the victim also mentioned the second defendant’s name who lives in their neigbourhood.
The offence contravenes the provisons of section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos, 2015.
The Chief Magistrate, Mr L. A Owolabi, granted the defendants bail in the sum of of N600,000 each, with two sureties each in like sum.
He adjourned the case until March 5, for mention. (NAN)
News
Report any officer asking for money for release of suspect as Police insist bail is free
Report any officer asking for money for release of suspect as Police insist bail is free
The Police Command in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has insisted that bail is free, and called on the public to report any officer asking for money to release a suspect on bail.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the FCT, SP Josephine Adeh, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abuja.
Adeh spoke in reaction to public outcry that some police officers were demanding money to release suspects on bail in the territory.
She said the report of the erring officers would serve as a deterrent to others, adding that it was fraudulent to demand for money to release a suspect on bail.
Adeh blamed the yielding to such fraudulent demand on ignorance on the part of the victims who refused to stand on their rights.
“A similar case was reported where an officer demanded money to release a suspect on bail and when the matter was reported, we requested for evidence from the victim.
“The evidence was provided because the money was transferred to the officer’s account and actions are being taken on the issue.
“So, I encourage the public to take advantage of the FCT Police Complaint Response Unit (CRU) lines on 08107314192 to report such misconduct with evidence,” she said.
Adeh urged the public to always insist on their rights and refuse any form of payment to release a suspect on bail.(NAN)
News
Former President sentenced to five years in prison by Court
Former President sentenced to five years in prison by Court
South Korea’s former president Yoon Suk Yeol was on Friday sentenced to five years in prison for obstruction of justice.
The Seoul Central District Court found that the 65-year-old conservative, with the help of the presidential security service, had tried to prevent his own arrest and deleted multiple documents related to the investigation against him.
Yoon shocked the nation by imposing martial law on December 3, 2024, amid a budget dispute with the opposition, plunging the country into a political crisis.
He justified the drastic measure as necessary to protect South Korea’s democratic order and accused the left-leaning opposition of being infiltrated by communists with ties to China and North Korea, though he provided no evidence for these claims.
In a separate trial, prosecutors have sought the death penalty for Yoon on charges of incitement, with a verdict expected on February 19.
While the death penalty remains legally in force in South Korea, it has not been carried out for nearly 30 years.
Yoon’s actions previously alarmed international investors and led to withheld investments, damaging the reputation of South Korea as a political and economic model for the region.
Since last summer, South Korea has been led by President Lee Jae Myung, a left-leaning centrist and long-time political rival of Yoon. (dpa/NAN)
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