Isiyaku Ahmed
The Resource Centre for Human Rights & Civic Education (CHRICED) has strongly condemned allegations that Nigeria’s recently passed tax reform bills were secretly altered after approval by the National Assembly, describing the development as a grave threat to the country’s democracy and constitutional order.
In a statement signed by its Executive Director, Comrade Dr. Ibrahim M. Zikirullahi, CHRICED said the allegations, raised by Hon. Abdulsammad Dasuki (PDP, Sokoto), suggest a deliberate and coordinated attempt to rewrite duly passed legislation outside the knowledge and approval of lawmakers.
According to the CHRICED, reports indicate that the gazetted versions of the tax laws contain provisions that were neither debated nor passed by the National Assembly.
CHRICED described the alleged alterations as acts of impunity and, if proven, a case of “legislative forgery” amounting to a criminal hijacking of the lawmaking process.
Among the contentious provisions allegedly inserted into the laws are powers allowing tax authorities to seize funds without court orders, a requirement compelling taxpayers to pay 20 per cent of disputed tax assessments before filing appeals, and a mandate for the use of the United States dollar as the sole currency for tax computation.
CHRICED also alleged unauthorized changes to provisions relating to petroleum income tax and value-added tax.
It also stressed that Section 58 of the 1999 Constitution clearly prohibits any alteration of a bill after its passage by the National Assembly, noting that any such action is unconstitutional and a betrayal of public trust.
“This scandal strikes at the very foundation of our democracy,” CHRICED said, warning that secret alterations of laws undermine the rule of law, erode public confidence, and damage Nigeria’s credibility among investors and citizens alike.
While acknowledging the decision of the Speaker of the House of Representatives to constitute a seven-member ad hoc committee to investigate the matter, CHRICED insisted that the move must not amount to a cover-up.
It also criticized the Presidency and the Senate for what it described as “unacceptable silence” more than 48 hours after the allegations became public.
CHRICED therefore demanded a full, independent and time-bound investigation into the matter, the immediate suspension of the implementation of the affected tax laws, and the suspension, arrest and prosecution of all officials found to have participated in or enabled the alleged constitutional violations.
It also called for full public disclosure of investigative findings and the establishment of institutional safeguards to prevent future secret alterations of laws.
CHRICED urged civil society groups, labour unions, professional bodies, the media, students, and concerned Nigerians to remain vigilant and vocal, warning against allowing the issue to be buried.
“This is a defining moment for Nigeria.
“Either we defend the sanctity of our laws, or we surrender our democracy to impunity,” CHRICED said.
