Senate President Godswill Akpabio faced criticism from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), and Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA) over his statement that only 30% of Nigerians pay taxes.
Akpabio made the statement while declaring open a two-day public hearing on the controversial tax reforms bills organized by the Senate in Abuja. He described tax reforms as the future of Nigeria, which must be gotten right.
However, the NLC, TUC, and NECA swiftly reacted, stating that Nigerians evade taxes where the government remains unaccountable to the people.
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu asked the Senate to provide workable laws from the bills he sent to the Upper chamber on October 3, 2024.
The tax reform bills, which include the Nigeria Tax Bill (NTB) 2024, Nigeria Tax Administration Bill (NTAB) 2024, Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill (NRSEB) 2024, and Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Bill (JRBEB) 2024, were passed for second reading in the Senate on November 28, 2024.
Akpabio emphasized that the tax reform bills formed the future of Nigeria, stressing that “it must be got right.” He noted that the Senate would not rush the bills, as there would be clause-by-clause consideration before they are passed.
Akpabio condemned the poor culture of tax payment in the country, saying that not more than 30% of Nigerians pay tax to the coffers of the Federal Government, but want the best to be provided by government in areas such as infrastructure, education, and security.
“I don’t think up to 30% of Nigerians pay taxes, but 100% of Nigerians want good roads. As lawmakers, we will ensure that every revenue that comes into government’s purse is well utilized,” he said.
Akpabio urged participants and Nigerians to get copies of the bills, analyze them, and present well-informed recommendations instead of relying on social media.
“We are here not just to debate, but to make informed decisions that will shape Nigeria’s economy… Social media can be misleading, and policy decisions should be based on facts and thorough analysis,” he said.
President Bola Tinubu, according to Senator Sani Musa, asked the Senate to provide workable laws from the bills he sent to the Upper chamber.
“The President has a good intention… Give me a law that is working. We will want to present a legislation that tomorrow, there will not be a lot of lawsuits,” Musa said.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) reacted to Akpabio’s statement, saying that a government that is unaccountable to the people should not expect citizens to contribute their hard-earned resources.
“Akpabio, like many politicians, talks before he thinks… Citizens can only pursue the civic duty of paying their taxes when they see a connection between their survival and businesses on the positive actions of government,” an NLC official said.
The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) challenged Akpabio to name Nigerians evading tax payment, stating that the wealthy few evade payment of tax, not the workers whose taxes are deducted from source.
The Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) blamed the government for tax evasion, stating that government had been culpable in giving citizens reasons not to pay tax.
“It is not far from the truth that the majority of Nigerians don’t pay tax… While we align with the new tax reforms and the need to improve tax collection efficiency, there must also be a mechanism to make government accountable for the taxes collected,” NECA’s Director-General, Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, said.