From Jude Owuamanam, Jos
The Senator representing Plateau Central and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Labour, Employment and Productivity, Diket Plang, has asked Nigerians to familiarise themselves with the provisions of the new Tax Bill before passing judgment.
He also emphasized to the need for public hearings on the bill so that Nigerians can acquaint themselves well with the new bill.
Speaking to newsmen in his Jos country home, Plang said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu meant well in the new bill, adding however that lack of understanding had elicited strong opposition to it.
He said that the president must have thought it through before presenting the bill to the National Assembly, adding however that Nigerians need to know the advantages and disadvantages of the Bill so that everybody can be carried along.
The senator shared his views on a proposed tax bill, acknowledging the need for careful consideration of its clauses to ensure it benefits all Nigerians. He emphasizes the importance of public hearings to gather input from stakeholders.
He said, “I am not an expert in economics, but since I represent a people I need to hear from them what they think about the Bill. I know the president means well but the people need to know the pros and cons of the Bill and that’s why we need to subject it to public hearing.”
Diket Plang also stressed the need of having specialised institutions and emphasized the importance of establishing the university of mining in Jos.
“There is a strong emphasis on the need for specialized education to harness Nigeria’s natural resources effectively, particularly in mining and geosciences, for example the University of Mining and Geosciences in Jos, will help to deepen knowledge in mineral exploration and processing.
He also stressed the importance of having the North east and North Central part of Nigeria to benefit from the coastal road project and the dualization of some critical federal roads in the two regions.
For instance, the senator said that the Akwanga-Jos-Gombe road project, could serve as a legacy project in the national budget.
He expressed his commitment to enhancing the legislative framework in Nigeria to address the needs of his constituents and the broader population, particularly in agriculture, education, and infrastructure.
Meanwhile Diket Plang has been commended by the Plateau State government for his assistance to the education sector in the state.
A special commendation letter was delivered to him by the Commissioner of Education, Secondary, Mohammed Nyalum, through his Director of Research, Planning and Documentation Peter Maktu.