Bugaje Exposes Mishandling Of Tax Reform Bills Before National Assembly

Usman Bugaje, a former National Secretary of the defunct Action Congress (AC), has criticized President Bola Tinubu for what he described as the improper presentation of the tax reform bills to the National Assembly.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

In an interview with Vanguard, Bugaje raised concerns over how the tax bills were introduced and questioned the President’s emphasis on their sacrosanct nature. He emphasized that the legislative process requires thorough consultation and debate, suggesting that the President’s approach undermines the principles of democratic governance.

Bugaje remarked, “In his recent media chat, if I’m not mistaken, the President referred to the tax bills as sacrosanct. How can tax bills be sacrosanct? These are bills presented before the National Assembly, yet they were not properly introduced. When the Senate presented them, they were not included in the Order Paper, and according to parliamentary rules, no matter can be discussed unless it is in the Order Paper. The idea was to smuggle the bills in, and this backdoor approach raises a lot of suspicion. I could go on, but let me just make a few points. This issue isn’t limited to President Tinubu, it affects nearly all our political leaders.”

Regarding the state of democracy in the country, Bugaje stated, “The leadership that democracy has produced over the past 25 years can be characterized by three issues. Unless these issues are addressed, it will be very difficult for anyone, no matter how well-intentioned, to succeed. One of these issues is the lack of forward-thinking; when government spokesmen or ministers speak about their ministries, they often seem to lack basic data and figures.”