Senate Majority Whip, Olusola Adeyeye has demanded that allowances of lawmakers should be taxed just as he warned his colleagues that God will judge and deal with them if they fail to live up to the responsibilities placed on them by Nigerians.
The lawmaker, who spoke extensively during consideration of the N6.08 trillion 2016 national budget at yesterday’s plenary, said: “Under your leadership (addressing Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki), whatever is brought must be considered otherwise God will judge all of us beginning from you.
“If we are going to move this country forward, we must go back to what we did in the days of Obafemi Awolowo, Ahmadu Bello and Nnamdi Azikiwe. Nobody in my village will go to his farm until he can produce his tax receipt. We need ingenuity to bring this to pass.
“We must begin to tax our allowances as lawmakers. Nigeria is the only country that shelters the bulk of the earnings of its workers and call them allowances.
Across the aisle, in the House of Representatives, investigation into the crude oil-for-refined-products exchange (oil swap) arrangement took a dramatic turn when one of the trading companies involved in the deals, AITEO Nigeria Limited refused to appear before the Zakari Mohammed-led ad hoc committee.
Angered by the actions of the company, which said the investigation was a subject of litigation, Mohammed warned that his committee will not allow its assignment to be frustrated by the time-wasting gimmicks of some of the organisations involved in the deals being probed.
Counsel to AITEO and another company, Ontario Nigeria Limited, Chika Onyebuchi Uko said a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Centre for Rule of Law had instituted a legal proceeding against the investigative hearing which makes the continuation of the hearing prejudiced.
She said her clients, AITEO Nigeria Ltd and Ontario Nigeria Limited would not appear before the committee until the case was dispensed with. On the fate of the third trading firm, Taleveras Nigeria Ltd, Mohammed said the company complied with invitations.
He added: “Taleveras has been coming since the commencement of the hearing. They were here today as well but went to the former hearing room but, before we left the new hearing room, their representatives met us.They will be taken on Tuesday.
“We were supposed to have taken them today but unfortunately they didn’t turn up and a summon has gone out to Ontario and Aiteo to appear before the committee.
“Failure of which by next Wednesday, the Inspector General of Police would be directed to effect their arrest and produce them before us.”
Senate Whip/sd
Senate Whip demands tax on lawmakers’ allowances
*Reps kick as oil boys shun panel
From Kemi Yesufu and Fred Itua, Abuja
Senate Majority Whip, Olusola Adeyeye has demanded that allowances of lawmakers should be taxed just5 as he warned his colleagues that God will judge and deal with them if they fail to live up to the responsibilities placed on them by Nigerians.
The lawmaker, who spoke extensively yesterday during consideration of the N6.08 trillion 2016 national budget at yesterday’s plenary.
“Under your leadership (addressing Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki), whatever is brought must be considered otherwise God will judge all of us beginning from you.
“If we are going to move this country forward, we must go back to what we did in the days of Obafemi Awolowo, Ahmadu Bello and Nnamdi Azikiwe. Nobody in my village will go to his farm until he can produce his tax receipt. We need ingenuity to bring this to pass.
“We must begin to tax things like cigarette and alcohol. When you beat your wife, you pay heavily. Text messages cost N3.81 a page. If we add just N1 to a page of text message and we say that money belongs to government, we will make billions.
“We must begin to tax our allowances as lawmakers. Nigeria is the only country that shelters the bulk of the earnings of its workers and call them allowances.
“I know that everybody in the Nigerian Senate is either a chairman or a vice chairman of a committee. Each of us, therefore, must try to defend whatever sector that has been committed to our care,” the Senate Chief Whip said.
While absolving the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of any blame, Adeyeye warned members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to stop apportioning blames for crimes committed in the past.
“I want to remind us that this is not the first time since 1999 that National Assembly has given itself a short time to do justice in the consideration of our budget.
“We have collected this budget, so let us not blame either the president, PDP or APC. It is not enough to get up and spill blames on the other party and repeat platitudes that will not move this nation forward.
“If we like it or not, today, oil is selling at $27.9 per barrel. That is the reality that confronts all of us regardless of your party. The consequences of which all of us regardless of your religion or state, all of us are going to confront this mess,” he said.
Across the aisle, in the House of Representatives, investigation into the crude oil-for-refined-products exchange (oil swap) arrangement took a dramatic turn when one of the trading companies involved in the deals, AITEO Nigeria Limited refused to appear before the Zakari Mohammed-led Adhoc committee.
Angered by the actions of the company, which said the investigation was a subject of litigation, Mohammed warned that his committee will not
allow its assignment to be frustrated by the time-wasting gimmicks of some of the organisations involved in the deals being probed.
Counsel to AITEO and another company
Ontario Nigeria Limited, Chika Onyebuchi Uko said a non-governmental organisation (NGO),
Centre for Rule of Law had instituted a legal proceeding against the
investigative hearing which makes the continuation of the hearing
prejudiced.
She said her clients, AITEO Nigeria Ltd and Ontario Nigeria Limited would not appear before the committee until the case was dispensed with.
Mohammed, however, told the counsel that being an arm of government, the investigation by the House was constitutional.
Citing Section 89 (I) (d) of the constitution to back his assertion, he asked
Uko to provide a court order restraining the committee from
proceeding with its assignment. But Uko could not.
Mohammed, therefore, gave the two trading companies, Aiteo Nigeria Ltd and Ontario Nigeria Ltd 48 hours to appear before it or the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to effect a bench warrant against the chief executives.
She was then directed to inform her clients, that bench warrant of arrest would
be issued against them should they fail to to appear before the committee
within 48 working hours.
Meanwhile, the ongoing consideration of the 2016 national budget by the Senate, yesterday, reached an advanced stage, with lawmakers making inputs for and against some contentious contents of the document.
The Upper Legislative Chamber is expected to conclude the consideration next week, Tuesday, 26th January, 2016, after which the budget will be referred to the various committees for further deliberations.
Unlike Wednesday’s session at the Senate, lawmakers observed more decorum yesterday and the free flow of exchange of unfriendly fires was not observed.
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