By Nathaniel Zacchaeus, Abuja
The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, said yesterday that the Red Chamber will today (Wednesday) begin considering the Tax Reform Bills, a month after President Bola Tinubu first introduced them.
Akpabio stated this after Senator Sani Musa, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, submitted his panel’s report on the fiscal documents.
Akpabio urged the committee to distribute copies of the bill to all senators so that they could study it and make informed contributions during its consideration.
Also during the plenary, the Senate President charged the federal lawmakers to renew their commitment to tackling the nation’s worsening insecurity and growing economic hardship.
He urged them to approach their duties with integrity, unity, and a sense of urgency as Nigerians grapple with deepening hunger and insecurity.
He highlighted key national challenges—rising living costs, instability in the energy sector, and escalating insecurity—as areas needing immediate legislative attention.
He described the violent conflicts in the South-East and North-West, herder-farmer clashes in the North-Central, and environmental degradation in the South-South as “the bleeding wounds of the republic.”
*Pledges legislative efforts to tackle insecurity, hunger
Akpabio noted that the recent legislative recess coincided with Easter and Eid-el-Fitr, a period he said should inspire the values of sacrifice and discipline in public service.
“The burdens on our shoulders are enormous, and no season better prepares the soul to carry such burdens than the one we’ve just passed through,” Akpabio stated.
He reaffirmed the chamber’s support for President Bola Tinubu’s administration, pledging to enact laws and strengthen oversight to back Executive efforts in stabilising the country.
On the national conversation around electoral and judicial reforms, Akpabio acknowledged citizens’ growing demand for institutional accountability and called on his colleagues to respond with courage and diligence.
“The people are watching. The world is watching. Our constituents are watching. And history—silent but unsleeping- is watching,” he said.
*Nigeria first policy offers big incentive to local firms, Ndume hails Tinubu
Meanwhile, the Senator representing Borno South, Ali Ndume, has commended the present administration’s ban on importing foreign goods.
The Federal Executive Council announced the decision yesterday and placed a caveat on expatriates coming into Nigeria to execute jobs that local contractors and artisans can undertake.
On Tuesday, Ndume, a former Senate Leader, said that Tinubu’s bold initiative would go a long way in promoting Indigenous entrepreneurs.
He also said it would boost the local economy and generate employment for Nigerians.
He said, “It is heart-warming to hear that President Tinubu has boldly decided to ban imported goods that can be produced locally. This will majorly boost indigenous businesses amid the slipping Nigerian economy.
“If implemented faithfully, it will shield our local producers striving to find their feet from being choked out by established foreign investors who flood our market unhindered, with cheaper and even substandard goods.
“Protecting local industries will create employment for our employable youths. The measure will also boost our gross domestic product (GDP), and the value of Naira will be appreciated.
“This is because there will be less strain on our foreign reserves, since the demand for foreign exchange by importers of such foreign goods would drastically reduce.”
The lawmaker also suggested that the Federal Government “also impose heavy taxes on some of the foreign goods to discourage Nigerians from buying them and pick locally produced items.”
