***As governors, NASS pledges their commitment to strengthening the 1999 constitution

***We have received about 161 areas for amendment in the constitution, Deputy Speaker, Reps

By Henry Umoru, Abuja

The National Assembly has assured that both the Senate and the House of Representatives will thoroughly scrutinise the tax reform bills that are presently the parliament and align themselves with the wishes of the people and the desires of the people they represent. 

Speaking with journalists early after a meeting that started Wednesday night and into the early hours of Thursday with the thirty-six state governors under the aegis of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF, Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, who noted that the issue of tax reform was not discussed during the session, said, “To be fair to the governors, the governors did not dwell on tax reforms; it was generally about the constitution; they spoke on the local government reforms, what we are looking at. They were open-minded towards all the areas we are trying to look at in the Constitution. To be honest, the governors were not so interested in tax reforms and what we are doing. 

“We only informed them that it is before the parliament, and the parliament will look at it critically and align ourselves with the wishes of the people, the desires of the people we represent. I don’t think the governors are averse to this.”

Recall that on September 3, 2024, President Tinubu transmitted four tax reform bills to the National Assembly for consideration, following the recommendations of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal and Tax Reforms headed by Taiwo Oyedele for the review of existing tax laws.

The bills include the Nigeria Tax Bill 2024, which is expected to provide the fiscal framework for taxation in the country, and the Tax Administration Bill, which will provide a clear and concise legal framework for all taxes in the country and reduce disputes.

Others are the Nigeria Revenue Service Establishment Bill, which will repeal the Federal Inland Revenue Service Act and establish the Nigeria Revenue Service, and the Joint Revenue Board Establishment Bill, which will create a tax tribunal and a tax ombudsman.

Meanwhile, the 36 state governors, along with the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, who doubles as the Chairman of the Committee on the Review of the Constitution, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, has pledged their commitment to strengthening the 1999 Constitution.

Kalu, who disclosed that he told the governors that they have so far received about 161 areas for amendment in the constitution, however, said that he promised that a breakdown of all of them would be provided in the coming engagement.

Kalu, who was at the meeting with the Majority Leader Hon. Julius Ihonvbere, Deputy Majority Leader Hon. Abdullahi Ibrahim Halims, Deputy Majority Leader Hon. Sada Soli, and others, stressed that ignoring the Governors would slow down the progress towards achieving the goals of the constitutional review.

The Deputy Speaker said, “We have had a robust discussion, and I must say the governors made valuable contributions and are in support of the constitutional review.

“We also informed them that we are going to visit their states and geopolitical zones to advance public opinion in their various regions regarding the thematic areas of the constitution we are reviewing.

“We told them that we have received about 161 areas for amendment in the constitution and that we will provide a breakdown of all of them in the coming engagement.”

He expressed hope that with an established liaison desk between the National Assembly and the NGF, it would be easier for the Houses of Assembly to fulfil their responsibilities with regard to the constitutional provisions and their role in voting on them.

Recall that as part of its efforts to gather additional input for amending the 1999 Constitution, the House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review announced on Tuesday that it will engage with various groups, including the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, the Nigeria Guild of Editors, the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures, chairmen of the 18 political parties, and civil society organisations, among others.

On state police, the Deputy Speaker said, “The governors did not dwell on state police as well, unlike what people thought that they would be emphasising on the state police. They did not. The governors were open-minded; the governors were professional in their discussion, and they listened like nationalists, like leaders of this nation. They are interested in what will make this nation move forward. They were not fixated on any particular thematic area because we played before them various thematic areas that we were considering.”

Also speaking with journalists on the outcome of the meeting, Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, disclosed that aside from discussing constitutional matters, the meeting also dwelled on other salient issues affecting Nigeria.

According to him, the Kwara State Governor Abdulrahman Abdul Razaq-led NGF brainstormed on the importance of utilising data and technology to improve education management systems during its meeting with the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa.

Governor Sani said, “The Forum hosted the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and Chairman of the Committee on the Review of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, CON, who briefed Governors on the ongoing constitutional amendment process. 

“The Deputy Speaker emphasised the importance of collaboration between the Forum and the Committee, proposing the establishment of a “one-stop shop” framework to align state-level priorities with the constitutional review process. Governors pledged their support for the initiative and reaffirmed their commitment to actively engage in shaping amendments that strengthen Nigeria’s constitution.

“The Forum engaged with the Honourable Minister of Education on strategies to reposition Nigeria’s education system for improved outcomes. The Minister provided an overview of the challenges, including out-of-school children and high rates of learning poverty, particularly in the North-East and North-West regions. 

“Key proposals discussed include strengthening collaboration between federal and state governments, improving the quality of girl-child education, integrating vocational training, and leveraging data and technology to enhance education management systems. Governors reaffirmed their commitment to collaborate with the Federal Government and development partners to address these challenges and align efforts towards achieving SDG4.”

Earlier, a communiqué after the meeting and signed by the NGF Chairman and Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman Abdul Razaq, read, “We, members of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), at our meeting held today, deliberated on issues affecting the country.

“The Forum hosted the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and Chairman of the Committee on the Review of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu briefed governors on the ongoing constitutional amendment process. The Deputy Speaker emphasised the importance of collaboration between the Forum and the Committee, proposing the establishment of a “one-stop shop” framework to align state-level priorities with the constitutional review process. Governors pledged their support for the initiative and reaffirmed their commitment to actively engage in shaping amendments that strengthen Nigeria’s constitution.

“The Forum engaged with the Honourable Minister of Education on strategies to reposition Nigeria’s education system for improved outcomes. The Minister provided an overview of the challenges, including out-of-school children and high rates of learning poverty, particularly in the North-East and North-West regions. 

“Key proposals discussed include strengthening collaboration between federal and state governments, improving the quality of girl-child education, integrating vocational training, and leveraging data and technology to enhance education management systems. Governors reaffirmed their commitment to collaborate with the Federal Government and development partners to address these challenges and align efforts towards achieving SDG4.”