Wednesday’s plenary at the Senate snowballed into anger and shouting match as the controversial Tax Reform Bill surfaced for debate despite not being captured on the Order Paper.

 

Trouble started when the Senate Leader, Michael Bamidele Opeyemi invoked Order 12(1) suspending the Senate Rules to allow the Chairman of Federal Inland Revenue Service to give clarification on Tax Reform Bill.

 

The Senate Leader’s submission was corroborated by Deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau, who presided over the session. It was approved that the FIRS chairman and other tax experts be allowed into the Senate chamber by the Sergeant-At-Arms.

 

This immediately aroused Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume’s anger, as he drew the attention of the senators to relevant provisions in the Senate Rules.

 

Ndume argued that visitors, such as the FIRS delegation, are forbidden to speak in the chamber if their subject matter was not captured on the Order Paper for legislative debate.

 

Ndume insisted that the matter was too important to be manipulated and the Senate should not in any way play around the Tax Reform Bill as Nigerians have spoken.

 

He said: “This is a very important matter. We should not in any way try to use the position of the Senate because the Order Paper is clear. I have no problem having them to come to explain whatsoever but we must follow known procedures.

 

“That is if today that has to be taken, then there must be a supplementary Order Paper that will reflect this. It is not a matter that you will just come and tell us after we are doing business of the day.

 

“Mr President, you can have your way, but I will have my say. You can use your gavel and I will use my voice. The Tax Reform Bill is very sensitive, our people have been dominated by this matter.

 

“When you say, it is a matter of urgent national importance, yes, but even those matters normally refer to another legislative day if they are so inconvenient.

 

“Please I beg you in the name of God. This matter is very important to not only us, but Nigerians that we represent and we swear by the Bible and Holy Quran that we will represent the interest of the people. Nigerians have spoken, the Governors, the National Economic Council.”

 

Reacting, Barau insisted that whatever action the Senate decides to take is within its rules, adding that the “Chamber has no time for rhetoric”.

 

He said, “You have made your point. Now we are not here for rhetoric. We are here for facts ”

 

At this point the chamber became rowdy, while the Deputy Senate President tried to restore order.

 

Ndume was eventually ruled out of order and the FIRS chairman and other tax experts were allowed into the chamber to speak on the proposed Tax Reform Bill.