Chairman of the House Minority Caucus Adhoc Committee on the alleged alterations of the tax laws, Afam Ogene has cautioned the House Deputy Spokesperson, Philip Agbese against downplaying the interim report of the committee
Ogene in a statement drew attention to Agbese’s assertion that the alleged alterations in the Tax Reforms Acts have been overtaken by events and “comprehensively addressed”, following the release of the Certified True Copies (CTCs) of the laws by the House leadership.
The committee chairman, who wondered why Agbese has decided to assume the role of spokesperson for the Executive, maintained that the interim report did not criticise the National Assembly’s work, impugn the integrity of its legislative processes, or implicate, in any way, the institution of culpability in the shocking alterations after the laws has been passed but only highlighted the concerning attempt by perpetrators of the illegal alterations to undermine the legislature’s integrity and independence.
He explained that the Minority Caucus of the House of Representatives established a Committee for an independent fact-finding exercise, consistent with parliamentary best practices, while the House leadership had earlier constituted another committee, chaired by Muktar Betara, with a similar mandate, questioning why Betara’s Committee has not been dissolved by the House since, according to Agbese, the matter has been “comprehensively addressed”
Ogene inisits that the findings in the Minority Caucus Ad-hoc Committee’s interim report, which revealed that external actors within government bureaucracy have flagrantly undermined the National Assembly’s constitutional authority to legislate, compromising the integrity of key legislative documents and causing embarrassment to the institution and the nation is the only move that has comprehensively addressed the matter
He warned that Agbese’s statement will only continue to enable such unacceptable behavior that ought to attract the collective upbraid of all lawmakers irrespective of partisan divide as it suggests that the institution is acquiescing to this development and will not pursue accountability for this significant procedural anomaly, which undermines the Assembly’s authority.
Editor: Ebuwa Omo-Osagie
