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The Nigerian Bar Association has called for the immediate suspension of the recently passed Tax Reform Acts, saying that questions remain about how the laws were made.
NBA’s president, Afam Osigwe, in a statement on Tuesday, said the controversies surrounding the laws “raise grave concerns about the integrity, transparency, and credibility of Nigeria’s legislative process.”
Osigwe said the association believes implementation of the laws should be halted until a comprehensive, open and transparent investigation is conducted to clarify the process that led to their passage.
“The Nigerian Bar Association considers it imperative that a comprehensive, open, and transparent investigation be conducted to clarify the circumstances surrounding the enactment of the laws and to restore public confidence in the legislative process,” he said.
“Until these issues are fully examined and resolved, all plans for the implementation of the Tax Reform Acts should be suspended immediately.
He warned that the uncertainty created by the controversy could be “inimical to economic stability” and noted that it should have no place in a system governed by the rule of law.
“Legal and policy uncertainty of this magnitude has far-reaching consequences. It unsettles the business environment, erodes investor confidence, and creates unpredictability for individuals, businesses, and institutions required to comply with the law.”
He said Nigeria’s constitutional democracy demands that laws, especially those with profound economic and social implications, emerge from processes that are transparent, accountable, and beyond reproach.
“Anything short of this undermines public trust and weakens the foundation upon which lawful governance rests,” Osigwe added
The association president, however, called on relevant authorities to act quickly to address the situation “ in the overriding interest of constitutional order, economic stability, and the preservation of the rule of law.”
