The Senate will today begin the consideration and possible passage of the Tax Reform Bills.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio disclosed this during plenary following the resumption of the red chamber from its Sallah and Easter break.
The report on the four bills were on Tuesday laid before the Senate by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, Mohammed Sani Musa (APC-Niger East).
Akpabio urged the committee to distribute copies of the report to all senators to enable them to study it and be able to make informed contributions during the consideration.
Meanwhile, the Senate President has charged lawmakers to renew their commitment to tackling worsening insecurity and growing economic hardship in the country.
In his welcome address on resumption of plenary, he urged fellow lawmakers to approach their duties with integrity, unity, and a sense of urgency as Nigerians grapple with deepening hunger and insecurity.
He highlighted key national challenges—rising living costs, instability in the energy sector, and escalating insecurity—as areas needing immediate legislative attention, while describing the violent conflicts in the South-East and North-West, herder-farmer clashes in the North-Central, and environmental degradation in the South-South as “the bleeding wounds of the republic.”
Akpabio noted that the recent legislative recess coincided with Easter and Eid-el-Fitr, a period he said should inspire the values of sacrifice and discipline in public service.
“The burdens on our shoulders are enormous, and no season better prepares the soul to carry such burdens than the one we’ve just passed through,” he said.
He reiterated the National Assembly’s support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, pledging to enact laws and strengthen oversight to back Executive efforts in stabilising the country.
On the national conversation around electoral and judicial reforms, Akpabio acknowledged citizens’ growing demand for institutional accountability and called on his colleagues to respond with courage and diligence.
“The people are watching. The world is watching. Our constituents are watching. And history—silent but unsleeping-is—is watching,” he said.
The Senate’s legislative agenda, he said, included bills focused on security sector reform, economic recovery, education, technology, and youth empowerment.
Akpabio also emphasised the need for rigorous oversight of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to ensure efficiency and transparency.
While reassuring Nigerians of the Senate’s commitment, he said, “Your Senate is back at work. And we have not forgotten your hopes, your hardships, or your hunger for change.”
