The session of the House of Representatives was thrown into a heated debate on Tuesday following the introduction of the tax reform bills forwarded by President Bola Tinubu.
The plenary turned rowdy after Akin Rotimi, spokesperson for the House, mentioned the bills. The controversy surrounding the bills has been ongoing, with some governors opposing the proposed legislation.
Rotimi had risen to move a motion for the consideration of two reports on behalf of Boma Goodhead, a lawmaker from Rivers state, who was absent at plenary.
“My name is Akin Rotimi Jr. I represent the people of Ekiti North, comprising Ikole and Oye local governments. Mr Speaker, I am from Ekiti state, the first state, whose national assembly caucus, has unanimously endorsed the tax bills,” he said.
However, his comments sparked a rowdy session, with lawmakers shouting in protest.
Speaker Tajudeen Abbas attempted to restore calm, stating that Rotimi was expressing his personal opinion. Despite this, the lawmakers remained unappeased, forcing Rotimi to apologize and withdraw his comment on the tax reform bills.
“Mr Speaker, I withdraw the introduction. I will introduce myself properly. Mr Speaker, can I have the opportunity to speak? Colleagues, I would like to withdraw that introduction and restrict myself to the Order Paper,” Rotimi said.
The speaker responded as well saying, “Mr Rotimi, you know this is a controversial issue. I don’t want you to be mentioning things that are not relevant to the subject matter. On your behalf, I withdraw that statement that you have made,” Abbas said.
The tax reform bills, which were transmitted to the National Assembly by President Tinubu, aim to diversify the country’s revenue base and promote economic growth. However, some governors have opposed the bills, citing concerns over their potential impact on the economy of some states.
