Senate sacks Chief Whip Monguno; retains Moro, others on panel
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central), a staunch ally of President Bola Tinubu, has sacked Senate Chief Whip Mohammed Monguno (APC, Borno North) from the 10-man committee constituted on Wednesday to liaise with Aso Rock on the tetchy portions of the Tax Reform Bills that have put the All Progressives Congress (APC) in hot water and opened cracks in its ranks.
Monguno earlier this year replaced Senator Ali Ndume (APC, Borno South) as Chief Whip after the latter criticised Tinubu’s handling of the economy which has impoverished the masses.
Ndume is also among Northern federal lawmakers opposed to the Bills along with Northern Governors and traditional rulers. Ndume argues that governance reform to reduce the cost of governance should come first before tax reform.
The Northern elite generally see the Tax Reform Bills as heavily tilted against their region in favour of the South.
Monguno’s removal from the liaison committee was done on Thursday at the start of plenary and he was replaced with Senator Shehu Kaka (APC, Borno Central).
However, the following Senators were retained on the panel:
- Minority Leader Abba Moro (PDP, Benue South) as committee leader.
- Adamu Ailero (PDP, Kebbi Central)
- Orji Kalu (APC, Abia North)
- Seriake Dickson (PDP, Bayelsa West)
- Titus Zam (APC, Benue South)
- Abdullahi Yahaya (PDP, Kebbi North)
- Adeola Olamilekan (APC, Ogun West)
- Sani Musa (APC, Niger East)
- Adetokunbo Abiru (APC, Lagos East)
Moro chairs the committee that will liaise with the office of federal Attorney General and Justice Minister Lateef Fagbemi to eliminate contentious clauses in the bills.
Following severe criticism across the country, the Senate on Wednesday suspended further legislative action on the Tax Reform Bills, which had passed second reading in the Chamber and was being prepared for public hearing.
For the same reason, the bills have also been put on ice in the House of Representatives – a rare show by the two Chambers of heeding public outcry and standing up to Tinubu in his roller coaster of economy hardship and wasteful ‘tax and spend’ policy.
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