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OYO, Nigeria — President Bola Tinubu, has defended his four tax reform bills before the National Assembly, adding that it will boost equity in the country.
He insisted that the bills would boost the nation's revenue.
He emphasised the need for collaboration and not confrontation between the executive and the legislative arms of government to move the nation forward.
Represented by the Director General of the Nigeria Institute of Peace and Conflict Resolution, Dr Joseph Ochoku, the President spoke on Monday in Ibadan at the 7th annual Senator Abiola Ajimobi roundtable and 75th posthumous birthday of the late former governor of Oyo State, held at the University of Ibadan.
The roundtable, organised by the Senator Abiola Ajimobi Foundation in collaboration with the Institute for Peace and Strategies Studies, University of Ibadan, had the topic: “Legislative Oversight in Nigeria: Challenges and Prospects.”
Speaking through Ochoku, the President said, “My administration is determined to forge a harmonious relationship between the executive and the legislative arms of government.
“Despite occasional tensions, we recognise that effective governance is a shared responsibility. Collaboration, not confrontation, must define our interactions as we work towards the collective goal of improving the lives of our people.
“An example of this collaboration is the ongoing deliberation on the four proposed tax bills before the National Assembly.
“These reforms, when enacted, promise to streamline tax administration, enhance revenue generation, and promote equitable resource allocation.
“They are pivotal to our mission of building an inclusive, prosperous, and sustainable Nigeria and making our country competitive to attract foreign direct investment.”
Tinubu lauded the late Ajimobi for leaving a legacy of infrastructural rejuvenation, healthcare delivery, quality education, mechanised agriculture, peace and security as a two-term governor of the state.
“He was a committed party man, with whom we formed the All Progressives Congress in 2013 to pursue people-centric economic growth and development, good governance, transparency, openness, accountability, and inclusivity.
“After serving in the legislative and executive arms of government, Ajimobi served briefly as the acting chairman of the APC before he succumbed to death on June 25, 2020,” he said.
In his remarks, the Deputy President of the Senate, Jibrin Barau, justified the decision of the National Assembly to name its library after President Tinubu.
He also reiterated the commitment of the National Assembly to oversight, describing it as the bedrock of democratic governance.
He said, “On the issue of the naming of the National Assembly Library, we decided to do that because we felt that it is the only time in history, the first time in history, that a former senator was elected to lead this country.
“Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu was a senator, and his wife was a senator. So, we felt these two things that happened in the National Assembly should be appreciated. And so, we decided to name the library after our dear president because of his history as a former senator.”
