The Chairman of the House of Representatives minority caucus Ad-hoc Committee investigating alleged alterations of the nation’s tax laws, Afam Ogene, has warned that dismissing the committee’s interim report would only encourage impunity and undermine the authority of the National Assembly.

Ogene stated this on Sunday while reacting to a claim by the deputy spokesperson of the House, Philip Agbese, who reportedly described the minority caucus committee’s interim report as having been “overtaken by events” following the release of Certified True Copies of the affected tax laws.

In a statement issued in Abuja, Ogene said he was compelled to respond, noting that while he might ordinarily have ignored the remarks as a personal opinion, Agbese’s position as a principal officer of the House imposed higher responsibilities.

He recalled his own experience as a former deputy spokesperson of the 7th House of Representatives, stressing that such offices carry the burden of safeguarding the integrity of the legislature and democratic processes.

“I am therefore perplexed as to why he has assumed the role of spokesperson for the executive in this matter,” Ogene noted.

The lawmaker clarified that the minority caucus Ad-hoc Committee’s interim report did not indict the National Assembly or question its legislative processes.

According to him, the report merely exposed “the concerning attempt by perpetrators of the illegal alterations to undermine the legislature’s functional integrity and independence.”

He argued that such findings should worry lawmakers who place a premium on law-making in the public interest rather than political expediency.

Ogene, who represents Ogbaru Federal Constituency of Anambra State, further pointed out that the minority caucus committee was not acting in isolation, noting that the House leadership had earlier constituted a separate committee, chaired by Mr Muktar Betara, to review the tax acts as passed by the House against the versions purportedly gazetted.

He questioned the logic behind claims that the issue had been resolved.

“If, as Agbese claims, the alleged alterations in the Tax Reforms Acts have been overtaken by events following the release of the Certified True Copies, why is the Betara Committee still sitting and has not been dissolved by the House?” he asked.

Reacting to Agbese’s assertion that concerns over discrepancies had been “comprehensively addressed,” Ogene insisted that the only clarity so far was the confirmation that “external actors within government bureaucracy have flagrantly undermined the National Assembly’s constitutional authority to legislate.”

He said the actions compromised the integrity of legislative documents and embarrassed both the legislature and the country.

“Speaking in the manner that Agbese has spoken will only continue to enable such unacceptable behaviour that ought to attract the collective upbraid of all lawmakers irrespective of partisan divide,” he warned.

The lawmaker also queried whether the claim that the matter had been resolved implied that the National Assembly was prepared to overlook what he described as a serious procedural anomaly.

“Democratic institutions are strengthened when accountability is upheld, not when official malfeasance is overlooked,” he said.

While expressing confidence in the leadership of the House, Ogene said he trusted that Speaker Abbas Tajudeen would continue to defend the independence of the legislature and protect the public interest.

The minority caucus committee was set up to conduct an independent fact-finding exercise into allegations that certain provisions of the tax reform laws, as passed by the National Assembly, were altered before being gazetted — a development that has sparked controversy within the legislature and beyond. (The PUNCH)

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