Senate Postpones Passage of Tinubu’s Tax Reform Bills, Plans National Security Summit Amid Rising Insecurity

The 10th Senate leadership has deferred the final passage of President Bola Tinubu’s tax reform bills to Wednesday to allow for thorough scrutiny and debate.

The four key bills-the Nigerian Tax Bill, Tax Administration Bill, Revenue Tax Board Bill, and Nigerian Revenue Service Establishment Bill-were submitted by the President six months ago to overhaul Nigeria’s fiscal framework and enhance revenue collection.

The delay has sparked concerns, especially after the House of Representatives approved the bills two weeks prior, intensifying pressure on the Senate to act swiftly.

In a related move, the Senate resolved to convene a two-day national security summit aimed at addressing the escalating violence and insecurity across the country. This decision followed a motion by Senator Jimoh Ibrahim of Ondo South during Tuesday’s plenary.

Ibrahim noted that while President Tinubu was on a working visit to France, bandits perpetrated violent attacks in Plateau, Benue, and Zamfara States, prompting calls for the President’s early return to lead security efforts. He linked the insecurity surge to global tensions stemming from the Russia-Ukraine conflict and shifts in international trade and immigration policies, which have worsened food insecurity and economic conflicts worldwide.

He emphasized, “The next world war may not even require the fanfare of militarism… 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.”

Senator Mohammed Dandutse of Katsina South supported the motion, highlighting poor intelligence sharing among security agencies as a critical weakness. He stressed, “Nigeria is blessed, we have no other country except Nigeria. We have to face these criminals squarely.”

However, Senators Enyinnaya Abaribe and Adamu Aliero opposed the summit, arguing it may not resolve the security challenges. Nonetheless, the motion passed by voice vote, with Senate President Godswill Akpabio proposing a two-day duration instead of three.

The Senate will establish an ad-hoc committee to organize the summit in Abuja, involving all government levels and traditional institutions, and urged the federal government to revise security policies based on the summit’s outcomes.