REPS RELEASE FOUR TAX ACTS FOR PUBLIC RECORDS AND SCRUTINY, REAFFIRM COMMITMENT TO TRANSPARENCY
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By: Sefiu Ajape
The House of Representatives, led by Speaker Rep. Abbas Tajudeen, has released four tax reform Acts recently signed into law by President Bola Tinubu for public record, verification, and reference.
The release followed a joint directive by Speaker Abbas and Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, mandating the immediate publication of the Certified True Copies (CTCs) of the Acts, including the endorsement and assent pages signed by the President.
The move comes amid public concerns and allegations of purported alterations, as well as the circulation of unauthorized and misleading versions of the laws.
In a statement signed by House Spokesperson Mr. Akin Rotimi, the intervention was described as a demonstration of Speaker Abbas’ commitment to transparency, legislative integrity, and public confidence in the law-making process.
The statement explained that the House became aware of inconsistencies in versions of the tax laws in circulation after a vigilant member raised the issue on a point of privilege. Acting swiftly, the Speaker ordered internal verification and directed the immediate public release of the certified Acts to eliminate doubts, restore clarity, and safeguard the integrity of the legislative record.
The statement noted that from the initiation of the tax reform process through stakeholder consultations, committee reviews, clause-by-clause consideration, plenary debates, and eventual passage, Speaker Abbas provided steady leadership to ensure the reforms were evidence-based, inclusive, and aligned with Nigeria’s fiscal realities and development priorities.
The four Acts released are
- The Nigeria Tax Act, 2025
- The Nigeria Tax Administration Act, 2025
- The National Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, 2025
- The Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Act, 2025
The House described the legislation as the backbone of Nigeria’s modern tax reform framework, aimed at modernizing revenue administration, improving compliance, reducing inefficiencies, eliminating duplication, and strengthening fiscal coordination across the federation.
In directing the release of the certified Acts, Speaker Abbas reassured Nigerians that the National Assembly remains an institution of records governed by established rules, procedures, and verification systems that protect the authenticity of every law enacted.
According to him, “The National Assembly is an institution built on records, procedure and institutional memory. Every Bill, every amendment and every Act follows a traceable constitutional and parliamentary pathway. Once a law is passed and assented to, its integrity is preserved through certification and custody by the legislature. There is no ambiguity about what constitutes the law.”
The Speaker further stressed that the only authentic and authoritative versions of the four tax Acts are those certified and released by the National Assembly, advising the public and stakeholders to disregard any other versions in circulation.
The statement added that the Clerk to the National Assembly has concluded the process of aligning the certified Acts with the Federal Government Printing Press to ensure accuracy, conformity, and uniformity. Hard copies have also been produced, circulated to lawmakers, and made available to the public.
Meanwhile, the House disclosed that the Ad-Hoc Committee chaired by Hon. Muktar Aliyu Betara is continuing its work to determine how unauthorized versions of the Acts came into circulation and to recommend measures to prevent a recurrence.
The House of Representatives reaffirmed its commitment to constitutionalism, the rule of law, transparency, and accountable governance, pledging to strengthen internal controls and protect the integrity of Nigeria’s legislative process in the interest of the Nigerian people.
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