‘Let lawmakers investigate’ — Taiwo Oyedele speaks on ‘discrepancies’ in gazetted tax laws
Taiwo Oyedele, chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, has urged Nigerians to await the outcome of the investigation by lawmakers into alleged discrepancies in the nation’s gazetted tax laws.
The call follows claims by Abdussamad Dasuki, a member of the House of Representatives from Sokoto, that the tax laws currently available to the public differ from those passed by the National Assembly. In response, the House constituted a seven-member committee to investigate the matter.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Morning Brief on Monday, Oyedele said the lawmakers are best positioned to clarify the issue since they passed the bill to President Bola Tinubu for assent.
“Let’s wait for the findings of the lawmakers. If, indeed, there were alterations, and if those alterations were substantial not just editorial then the next step would be to determine how best to address them,” Oyedele said.
He emphasized that anyone claiming discrepancies must have access to both the gazetted laws and the version sent by the National Assembly.
“We have the gazetted version, but we do not have the official harmonized bills certified by the clerk, which the National Assembly sent to the president. That’s a fundamental issue the public needs to understand,” he noted.
Oyedele also dismissed reports circulating in the media, calling them “fake.” He said some of the alleged provisions, such as a supposed 20% deposit referenced in Section 41, Subsection 8, appeared only in draft documents and were not part of the final gazette.
“Some individuals have even circulated a report of the committee before it has convened, which is misleading,” he added, stressing his reluctance to speculate on unverified claims.
