As Musa Facilitates Passage of Executive Tax Bills By N’Assembly

Laleye Dipo writes on the leading role played by the Niger East Senator, Alhaji Mohammed Sani Musa, to get the buy in of his colleagues and stakeholders nationwide for the passage of the four executive tax bills recently signed into law by President Bola Tinubu.

When the idea of the four Presidential Tax Bills was first muted and made public, it naturally received negative reactions from several stakeholders especially those in the northern part of the country, the OrganisedLabour, state governors as well as the chambers of commerce in the region and across the nation

Though the four bills, the Nigeria Tax Bill, the Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Bill were designed to improve revenue generation, plug wastages and other ways through which the old legislation were exploited to circumvent the collected revenues the oppositions were very stiff to the extent that at a stage the promoters almost abandoned the struggle but for the determination and support of some Nigerians including Mohammed Sani Musa, Senator representing Niger East Senatorial District of Niger state who incidentally is also the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance on whose laps the bills fell.

Suffice it to say that one of the most contentious aspects of the reform is the proposed Value Added Tax revenue-sharing formula.This is understandable because it is a big pipe through which funds are pumped to the sub national governments.

Therefore without giving the then VAT proposal a fight will be sacrificing a guaranteed source of income. Added to this is the proposed derivation formula which

Instead of chickening out and following the band wagon Senator  Musa who is a professional took the bull by the horns to ensure the buy in of not only his colleagues but also majority of Nigerians.

He convinced his colleagues and others opposed to the passage of the bill in the national assembly that he is a northerner like them with his mother being an indigine of Kano State by birth and upbringing while his father is from Niger state, so cannot embark on a project that will financially bring down or stiffle the region. This to a large extent soften the hardline positions of Senators and some other members of the northern part of the country to the bills

Musa did not stop there he personally chaired most of the stakeholders forum held to sell the bills, exposing it’s benefits to those that attended the fora.

At the celebration  of this year’s May Day, Musa was at the 123 Army barracks field in Minna, the Niger state capital where workers gathered for the celebration. It was at this event that Senator Musa unveiled some of the benefits in the bills for Nigerian workers among which is the exemption of workers in both the public and private sectors of the country earning N1m and below from paying tax.

The disclosure seriously overwhelmed workers at the event leading to loud ovation.

Musa actively participated in all the conferences and workshops held to explain the provisions of the bill and often help to change the mind sets of participants

 “I feel we should not miss the golden opportunities provided by President Bola Tinubu with these tax bills”, Musa said when asked why he put so much vigour to the campaign for the passage of the bills.

“I resolved to put all I have to convince my colleagues and Nigerians to support the bills I am happy we all bought into it. We will all see the benefits when the implementation of bills begin next year” he said.

Special Adviser to Niger state Governor Mohammed Bago on political Affairs, NmaKolo, was elated by the roles played by Senator Musa not only as it affects the passage of the tax bills but his general representation of the constituency and Niger state since he was elected into the national assembly.

“He is a nationalist and will do everything to promote the development of the country once convinced it is for its betterment”, Kolo said

Now that the bills have been passed into law, Nigerians earnestly await its benefits from January, 2026.