SERAP to Akpabio, Abbas: Align Tax Reforms with Human Rights or face legal action - Newstrends
Connect with us

metro

SERAP to Akpabio, Abbas: Align Tax Reforms with Human Rights or face legal action

Published

on

Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives Abbas Tajudeen

SERAP to Akpabio, Abbas: Align Tax Reforms with Human Rights or face legal action

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has appealed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas to ensure Nigeria’s tax reform bills align with human rights principles and constitutional provisions.

The group stressed that the reforms should prioritise the needs of impoverished citizens while promoting transparency and accountability, while threatening legal action.

In a detailed letter dated 7 December 2024, signed by SERAP Deputy Director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation emphasised the importance of conducting comprehensive human rights impact assessments before the bills are passed.

It also called for these assessments to involve public participation and for their findings to be made widely available to ensure an inclusive legislative process.

SERAP raised alarm over several provisions in the Tax Administration Bill, citing risks of privacy violations and potential misuse of personal data.

READ ALSO:

The group criticised section 28(2)(c), which mandates financial institutions to disclose customer information to tax authorities. It also flagged section 57, which grants tax officers broad powers to access private property and personal documents, as a significant overreach.

“These provisions, especially the vague phrasing of terms like ‘any other information’ and ‘additional disclosure,’ risk enabling arbitrary and unjustifiable intrusions into Nigerians’ privacy,” the letter stated.

“The lack of adequate safeguards and oversight mechanisms increases the likelihood of abuse.”

SERAP further highlighted the absence of explicit data protection measures, warning that sensitive information such as home addresses could be mishandled or exploited.

The organisation urged the National Assembly to direct Attorney General Lateef Fagbemi to investigate and hold state governors accountable for the use of tax revenues collected since 2015.

SERAP expressed concern over credible reports of corruption and mismanagement of these funds, which have hindered access to essential public services such as water, sanitation, and education.

“Several state governors continue to divert or mismanage tax revenue, denying millions of Nigerians access to basic services,” the group alleged.

SERAP also demanded the inclusion of mechanisms in the bills to ensure transparency in the utilisation of tax revenues.

READ ALSO:

It argued that without such measures, the reforms would fail to address systemic corruption and improve public trust in governance.

The group noted that some provisions of the bills undermine Nigerians’ fundamental rights and the rule of law. For instance, section 81 of the Tax Administration Bill effectively ousts the jurisdiction of courts in tax disputes, potentially denying citizens the right to seek redress.

“These provisions risk eroding trust in Nigeria’s legal system and disproportionately impacting marginalised groups,” SERAP warned.

The organisation emphasised that Nigeria’s tax system must balance the government’s need for revenue with the protection of individual rights. It urged the National Assembly to adopt a rights-based approach to tax reforms that promotes equity, accountability, and sustainable development.

SERAP vowed to pursue legal action if the contentious provisions are not revised to comply with human rights standards. “We will take appropriate steps to compel compliance in the public interest,” it stated.

The group concluded that well-structured tax reforms could unlock critical resources for human development, but only if implemented transparently and in alignment with Nigeria’s constitutional and international obligations.

The tax reform bills under consideration aim to streamline procedures for tax collection and improve revenue generation.

However, the lack of adequate safeguards and accountability mechanisms has raised concerns among civil society groups, with SERAP leading the charge to ensure that the reforms benefit Nigerians rather than exacerbating existing inequalities.

 

SERAP to Akpabio, Abbas: Align Tax Reforms with Human Rights or face legal action

Loading

metro

Kaduna APC Calls for Probe Into Alleged Attacks, Vandalism

Published

on

Osun 2026: APC Inaugurates 292-Member Campaign Council, Declares Victory a Must
Kaduna APC Calls for Probe Into Alleged Attacks, Vandalism

The Kaduna State chapter of the APC has appealed for calm after reporting alleged attacks, vandalism and intimidation involving its members and party-related facilities.

The party wants the police and other security agencies to determine what happened and identify those responsible for any offences established by the evidence.

APC Publicity Secretary Sani Dan Azare said vehicles were allegedly damaged during an incident at party premises, while some members and supporters were reportedly assaulted or intimidated elsewhere in the state.

Rather than draw conclusions from the competing claims, the party asked security agencies to examine all credible leads and evidence before taking action.

The appeal comes as political activities intensify in Kaduna ahead of the 2027 elections. The state has already recorded a separate dispute involving ADC supporters and security operatives during a campaign-related walk, with the parties giving different accounts of the confrontation.

The APC said such incidents should not undermine what it described as progress made in reducing political, ethnic and religious tensions in the state.

It therefore urged political parties, candidates and supporters to conduct their activities peacefully and within the law.

Dan Azare also asked APC members and support groups to avoid retaliation, warning against any form of self-help.

Let the facts be established. Let due process prevail. Let the law take its course” the party said.

The APC added that anyone with relevant information should make it available to security agencies to help establish what happened and determine whether anyone should face legal action.

 

Kaduna APC Calls for Probe Into Alleged Attacks, Vandalism

Loading

Continue Reading

metro

Fatal NURTW Leadership Clash in Osun Leaves Two Dead; State Orders Park Shut Down

Published

on

Fatal NURTW Leadership Clash in Osun Leaves Two Dead; State Orders Park Shut Down

As Olalekan Oyeyemi is buried in Osogbo, authorities transfer murder probe to the State Criminal Investigation Department.

(more…)

Loading

Continue Reading

metro

Lagos Power Outage: Ikeja Electric Blames TCN as Businesses, Homes Groan

Published

on

Lagos Power Outage: Ikeja Electric Blames TCN as Businesses, Homes Groan

Lagos Power Outage: Ikeja Electric Blames TCN as Businesses, Homes Groan

Residents and businesses in several parts of Lagos are enduring prolonged power outages, with Ikeja Electric attributing the disruption to significant constraints on the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) network.

The development has triggered frustration among electricity consumers who say the prolonged blackout is disrupting household activities and commercial operations, while increasing their dependence on generators and other alternative sources of power.

Ikeja Electric, one of Nigeria’s largest electricity distribution companies, said the situation was caused by a reduction in the amount of electricity available to it from the transmission network.

According to the company, the transmission constraints have affected the volume of power it can distribute to customers across parts of its franchise area, resulting in extended periods of load-shedding.

The company said it was engaging with TCN over the situation and was working to improve supply to affected communities as soon as additional transmission capacity becomes available.

The latest disruption has affected customers in several parts of Lagos, with residents in areas including Akoka, Egbeda, Ojodu Berger, Ogudu and Shomolu reporting prolonged interruptions.

Some residents said electricity supply had been unavailable for several consecutive days, while others reported intermittent restoration followed by further outages.

The disruption has also affected small businesses and households that rely heavily on electricity for daily activities.

Business operators such as barbers, hairdressers, food vendors, cold-room operators, charging-centre owners, internet-dependent businesses and other small enterprises have been particularly affected by the unreliable supply.

For many households, prolonged outages have also affected refrigeration, water pumping, phone charging, internet access and other basic activities that depend on electricity.

READ ALSO:

The situation has forced some residents and businesses to increase their use of generators, adding to operating costs at a time when fuel and other energy expenses remain high.

Some consumers have also resorted to commercial charging centres and other paid alternatives to keep phones, rechargeable devices and business equipment operational.

The latest disruption comes amid continuing challenges across Nigeria’s electricity value chain, where problems involving generation, gas supply, transmission infrastructure and distribution networks can affect electricity availability to consumers.

TCN operates the country’s transmission network, while electricity distribution companies such as Ikeja Electric are responsible for delivering available power to customers through their distribution networks.

This distinction is significant in the latest Lagos outage because Ikeja Electric has attributed the immediate supply shortfall to constraints on the transmission network, rather than announcing a fault affecting its entire distribution system.

Power interruptions in Lagos, however, have previously resulted from different causes.

Parts of the state have experienced outages linked to distribution equipment faults, infrastructure damage, planned maintenance and other incidents affecting electricity infrastructure.

Earlier disruptions in Lagos have also been associated with incidents such as tanker fires damaging electricity infrastructure, while transmission maintenance and constraints have caused supply reductions in other instances.

The varying causes mean that the duration and geographical spread of an outage can differ significantly from one community or electricity feeder to another.

Ikeja Electric has apologised to affected customers over the latest disruption and said it understands the difficulties caused by the reduced supply.

READ ALSO:

The company said it was monitoring developments and engaging relevant stakeholders in an effort to restore improved electricity supply.

The latest development has again highlighted concerns over the vulnerability of Lagos residents and businesses to fluctuations in electricity supply.

For many small businesses, prolonged blackouts mean additional spending on diesel or petrol-powered generators, while households face similar costs when alternative electricity sources are required.

The disruption also comes at a time when businesses are already dealing with high operating costs, making extended reliance on generators an additional financial burden.

Consumers have increasingly called for more reliable electricity supply and better coordination among the different operators in Nigeria’s power sector.

The TCN, generation companies and distribution companies form interconnected parts of the electricity supply chain, meaning a constraint at one stage can quickly affect consumers downstream.

For Ikeja Electric customers, the immediate expectation is that transmission constraints will ease and supply will gradually improve across the affected feeders.

Until then, residents and businesses in the affected areas may continue to experience irregular electricity supply depending on available transmission capacity and the operational condition of individual distribution feeders.

The latest outage has therefore renewed the debate over Nigeria’s long-standing electricity challenges and the need for sustained investment in power generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure to provide more stable electricity for homes and businesses.

For Lagos, where thousands of businesses depend on electricity for daily operations, prolonged outages carry consequences beyond inconvenience, affecting productivity, household welfare and the cost of doing business.

Ikeja Electric said it would continue to provide updates as the situation develops and work with TCN to improve supply to affected customers.

Lagos Power Outage: Ikeja Electric Blames TCN as Businesses, Homes Groan

Loading

Continue Reading

Trending