"Tax reform bills will be passed by the National Assembly, and heavens won’t fall – Senator Seriake Dickson."

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ecology and Climate Change, Senator Seriake Dickson (PDP, Bayelsa West), has stated that the National Assembly will pass the proposed tax reform bills despite resistance from various groups. Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Monday, December 2, Dickson, a former governor of Bayelsa State, likened the bills' passage to that of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), emphasizing that opposition would not deter lawmakers.

"The PIA was passed. We wanted 10%, as proposed by Yar’Adua, but it was reduced to 3%. Heaven did not fall. These tax reform bills will pass, and heavens will not fall," he asserted. President Bola Tinubu had submitted four tax reform bills to the National Assembly on October 3, 2024. The bills were presented during plenary sessions by Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajuddeen Abbas. However, the proposals have faced backlash from governors, traditional rulers, civil society organizations, federal lawmakers, and others.

While the Senate has progressed to a second reading of the bills, the House of Representatives has yet to act. Dickson urged stakeholders to present their arguments during public hearings, assuring that the legislative process would follow due course. He also highlighted inequities in the current tax system, using Bayelsa State as an example:

"Taxes from Bayelsa State are currently paid to Lagos State, and I don’t want that to continue. When goods or services are consumed in a state, the taxes should be calculated and paid to that state.

"This is an opportunity to review tax laws and correct anomalies. Some states fear they may earn less under the new sharing formula, but they need to raise those concerns with data, not sentiments. My stance is based on what is right and in the national interest," he added. Dickson reaffirmed his commitment to supporting reforms aimed at creating a fairer and more equitable tax system for all states in Nigeria.