Legislators urged to ensure religious balance in tax bill before passage

The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has called on the National Assembly to ensure religious balance in the provisions of the new tax bill before passage into law.

NSCIA, under the leadership of its President-General, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, is the apex Islamic body in Nigeria. It superintends over the affairs of Islam and Muslims in the country.
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Sultan, in a memorandum submitted to the Senate committee on finance, said: “All the major technical and political-socio issues raised by different sections and segments of the country should be diligently considered andequitably addressed to the satisfaction of almost, if not, all segments of the country.

“The 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) provides for the establishment of Shariah Court of Appeal for Muslim personal laws which include marriage and inheritance. Therefore, all sections of the bills that may directly or indirectly impugn on the law on Shariah would be unconstitutional and should therefore be removed.

“The term “ecclesiastical” used in a section of the bill should be changed to “religious” in other not to give the impression that it excluded some religious group.”

Sultan said the NSCIA got to know about the public hearing through a media item just a day before the convergence, hence the lack of prior notice created a constraint in making any submission before the day.

Meanwhile, considering the importance of the bill in question to Nigerians, particularly the Muslim Ummah, the group decided to make the recommendations in a memorandum forwarded to the committee.
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