The leadership of the 10th Senate has postponed the passage of President Bola Tinubu’s tax reform bills to Wednesday for proper scrutiny and debate.
The four bills, Nigerian Tax Bill, Tax Administration Bill, Revenue Tax Board Bill, and Nigerian Revenue Service Establishment Bill were forwarded by the President six months ago as part of efforts to reform the country’s fiscal policies and boost revenue generation.
The delay in the passage of the bills had raised concerns, especially after the House of Representatives approved them two weeks ago, putting pressure on the Red Chamber.
In a related development, the Senate leadership resolved to hold a two-day national security summit to brainstorm a solution to the rising wave of killings and other forms of insecurity in the country.
The decision followed a motion sponsored by Jimoh Ibrahim, senator representing Ondo south, at the resumption of plenary on Tuesday.
While on a working visit to France, bandits in a senseless campaign of violence killed innocent Nigerians in Plateau, Benue and Zamfara States, culminating in calls for President Bola Tinubu to cut short his vacation to return home to lead the fight against insecurity from the front.
Leading the debate, Ibrahim said the “high level” of global insecurity is driven by events in Russia and Ukraine and compounded by tensions between the global north and global south.
According to him, the issues have continuously worsened food insecurity and affected the attainment of the sustainable development goals.
The former Ondo governorship aspirant emphasised that the ongoing trade tariff war in America and the growing emphasis on balance of power in global affairs are gradually giving way to a new world order.
“This new order reflects in immigration policies, visa cancellations by new regimes, and countries raising funds by selling citizenship — all of which fuel economic conflict and undermine globalisation pursued over the last sixty years,” he said.
Continuing, Ibrahim said Nigeria must clarify its strategic engagement in international affairs, noting that the Senate has a role in advising the executive to maximise national interest
“The next world war may not even require the fanfare of militarism. The incredible growing economic war is gaining ground with destructive innovation in security globally
“There is a need for alternative language in military engagement as well as enhanced funding to advance the professional practices and respected tradition of the future military,” he stated.
He therefore called for an “empirical fact-finding national security summit” to help develop far-reaching solutions.