Floor Speech: Rep Akin Rotimi’s Comments On Tax Reform Bills Sparks Uproar

 Spokesman for the House of Representatives, Rep Akin Rotimi was criticized and made to face intense odium  on Tuesday sequel to his floor speech .

 Team@orientactualmags.com  learned that  Rep Akin  had taken the floor to present two reports on behalf of the Chairman of the Committee on Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring, Rep Boma Goodhead, who  did not attend the plenary session.

Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, who presided over the plenary session,  had asked Rep Akin to submit the reports in question  and in his opening remarks ,he noted that members of the House of Representatives from Ekiti State have declared support for the controversial tax reform  bills  which were sent to  the House of Representatives on September 3, 2024.

‘Mr Speaker, I am from Ekiti State, the first state whose National Assembly caucus has unanimously endorsed the tax bills’  this  had made fellow members of the House of Representatives to interrupt him and they chorused ‘No, no’.

‘He is expressing his personal opinion. He  was just talking on a lighter note. Let’s not take it seriously’ Speaker Tajudeen had noted but this did not restore calm.

‘My introduction does not affect the substantive matter’ Rep Rotimi said while the Speaker also  urged him to restrict his speech ‘to the person you are representing here. We are not talking about tax bills’.

Rep Akin Rotimi later bowed to pressure and announced the withdrawal of his comments ‘Hon colleagues, I withdraw the introduction. Mr Speaker, I withdraw the introduction. I will introduce myself properly. Mr Speaker, can I have the opportunity to speak?’ he said while the Speaker also  said ‘Mr Rotimi, you know this (tax bill) is a controversial issue. I don’t want you to be mentioning things that are not relevant to the subject matter. On your behalf, I withdraw that statement that you have made’.

Rep Akin Rotimi  took the floor again and said  ‘Hon, colleagues, I would like to withdraw that introduction and restrict myself to the Order Paper’.

He later introduced himself without making reference to the tax bills and talked about the reports he had been  mandated to present on behalf of the Chairman of the Committee on Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring.

The Speaker had consequently asked  that the motion centering on the presentation  of the reports should be seconded  but the lawmakers  only returned to staging of a noisy scene.

 ‘I beg you. This has nothing to do with the tax bills’ Speaker Tajudeen Abbas said but having seen that this did not help to restore calm , Rep Rotimi took to the floor ,once again, and announced his decision to step down the reports.

‘I seek the leave of the Speaker and Hon members to step down the reports’  he said-Team@orientactualmags.com  Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08059100286, 09094171980 or get in touch via orientactualmag@gmail.com.  Thank you