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Senator Albert: Redefining Legislative Representation & Public Service

Published

4 years ago

March 2, 2021

Anny Michaels

In measuring performance of a political office holder, one of the yardsticks, according to pundits is the ability of the occupant of such an office to match words with actions in delivering tangible dividends of democracy to the people.

One political office holder of note, who has been quite exemplary in this regard is Distinguished Senator Bassey Albert Akpan (OBA), representing Akwa Ibom North East (Uyo) Senatorial District and Chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream).

This is objectively so because an x-ray of his scorecard as a ranking Senator is simply superlative. He has 11 bills passed, five motions and 13 petitions.

Among his bills are: An Act to prohibit flaring of natural gas in Nigeria and for matters connected therewith 2020 (SB 174), an Act to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to provide for the inclusion of sovereign wealth funds established under the Nigeria Sovereign investment Authority (Establishment, etc.) Act cap N166 LFN 2004.

The third of the people’s Senator bill is an Act to amend Nigerian Oil and Gas industry, content development Act cap and for other matters thereto 2020 and for other matters connected thereto 2020 (SB 417) among several other bills.

He has received widespread accolades for moving powerful motions at plenary. One of which brought about the reinstatement of a police officer from Akwa Ibom State after 21 years of being wrongly sacked. He had all his salaries and benefits after being reinstatement as well as being promoted to the commensurate rank.

It is on record that Senator Albert is one public office holder who has a tastefully furnished constituency office strategically located at E7 Ewet Housing Estate, Uyo with standby 3 nos18 seater buses for constituency engagements. He also has in his employ at least four Aides drawn from the nine LGAs that make up Akwa Ibom North East (Uyo) Senatorial District.

Worthy of note is the fact that Senator Albert in his unique way of giving back to his constituents has overtime been donating cars, mini buses, tricycles, motorcycles, sewing machines, fish drying equipment, blocks moulding equipment etc were thousands of constituents have so far benefited from.

During the last yuletide, Senator Albert empowered no fewer than 520 physically challenged persons with wheel chairs , guide Cains, , cash and a bag of rice each. 5000 women and youths have so far benefited from the Senator’s signature trainings in entrepreneurial skills with the accompanying cash benefits to the beneficiaries drawn from the nine LGAs that make up the Senatorial District.

So far, there are 350 constituency projects spread evenly across the Senatorial District to the credit of the vibrant Senator.

At festive seasons over the years, he has been very consistent in giving back to his people with trailer loads of rice and cash to enjoy the merry making seasons.

OBA as he is fondly called, has awarded all school expenses scholarships to 381 indigenes of Akwa Ibom State currently studying in Federal and State universities across Nigeria.

For his meritorious services to Nigeria, especially in resolving the over a decade rift in the Escravous /Chevron Gas to liquid project as Chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream), which has translated to several millions of US Dollars now accruing to Nigeria, NNPC on the approval of President Muhammadu Buhari approved the conferrment of Special honour on Senator Bassey Albert (OBA) at an elaborate event in Abuja on January 9, 2020.

Thereafter came Democracy Heroes Award Award 2020, where he was honoured as the Most Outstanding Senator in Nigeria.

It may interest many to know that the Distinguished Senator regularly intervenes in the medical bills and other welfare concerns of constituents and beyond, done away from media attention, not to talk of school fees payments for as many that come his way. This act of magnanimity is in addition from his ongoing all school expenses scholarship programme, as he strongly believes in value addition public service.

Some Akwa Ibom sons are currently doing their post graduate studies abroad courtesy the people’s centric Senator and the beneficiaries are very loud in their appreciation for his incomparable kindness and statesmanship.

Senator Bassey Albert (OBA) had his forays into politics from an excellent banking background, having worked at several banks before becoming Vice President at First City Monument Bank (FCMB) in charge of South South operations.

His diligence saw him being appointed Commissioner for Finance in Akwa Ibom State and he served for over seven years, marked by torrents of accolades as he contributed immensely to human capacity development, community services which spanned infrastructural projects and others.

Today, he has given a big voice to Akwa Ibom people in the Senate. As a ranking Senator of reckon and Leader of Akwa Ibom Caucus in the National Assembly, Senator Bassey Albert is undoubtedly one public servant and politician that is tenaciously disposed to public good.

At all times, l admire his poised disposition, emotions ever under control as well as his humility and simplicity.

Senator Albert deliberately accepts the utilitarian theory of pursuing the greatest happiness of the greater number of the people as a governing political philosophy.

Of great admiration too, is his going about public engagements moderately, without egoistic display as is common in our political space.

Senator Albert has really shaped the narratives in public representation as witnessed in his legislative duties and engagements. Today, Senator Albert is seen by many beyond political boundaries, as a model for up and coming politicians.

Anny Michaels is SA on Media/Publicity to Distinguished Senator Bassey Albert (OBA)

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Business

Tax Reform Bills: The Verdict of Nigerians

Published

2 weeks ago

March 6, 2025

The Gleamer

Ismaila Ahmad Abdullahi Ph.D

The public hearings conducted recently by the two Chambers of the National Assembly have elicited positive responses from a broad spectrum of Nigerians, cutting across regional interest groups, government agencies, civil society groups, concerned individuals, the academia, and Labour Unions, among diverse others. Contrary to a few dissensions hitherto expressed in the media, almost all the stakeholders who spoke during the week-long sessions were unanimous in their declaration that the hallowed Chambers should pass the tax reform bills after a clean-up of the grey areas.

The public hearings were auspicious for all Nigerians desirous of economic growth and fiscal responsibility. They were also a watershed moment for the Federal Inland Revenue Service, which had been upbeat about the tax reforms. Indeed, the public hearings had rekindled hope in the tenets of democracy that guarantee freedom of expression and equitable space for cross-fertilisation of ideas. Without gainsaying the fact, the tax reform bills have been unarguably about the most thought-provoking issues in Nigeria today, drawing variegated perspectives and commentaries from even unlikely quarters such as the faith-based leaders, student bodies, and trade unions, which speaks much about the importance of the bills.

In the build-up to the public hearings, not many people believed that the bills would make it to the second reading, much less the public hearings. Even the Northern stakeholders who seemed unlikely to support the passage of the bills have softened their stance and have given valuable suggestions that would enrich the substance of the bills. The Arewa Consultative Forum came to the public hearings well-prepared with a printed booklet that addressed their concerns. It concluded with an advisory that the bills should be “Well planned, properly communicated, strategically implemented and ample dialogue and political consensus allowed for the reforms to be accepted.”

The concerns of ACF ranged from the composition of the proposed Nigeria Revenue Service Board as contained in Part 111, Section 7 of the bill, the unlimited Presidential power to exempt/wave tax payment as proposed in Section 75(1) of the bill, the family income or inheritance tax as contained in Part 1, Section 4(3) of the bill, to the issues around development levy and VAT. On the development levy, the ACF stated that unless the Federal Government is considering budgetary funding for TETFUND, NASENI and NITDA, it does not see the “wisdom behind the plan to replace (them) with NELFUND”.

The position of the North was equally reinforced by the Supreme Council for Shariah in Nigeria, Northern Elders Forum, Kano State Government, Professor Auwalu Yadudu, and the FCT Imams. Like the ACF, these stakeholders lent their respective voices to the Section on the Inheritance Tax in Part 1 of the bill and the use of the term ‘ecclesiastical’, which, in their views, undermines certain religious rights and beliefs. The Kano State Government, represented by Mahmud Sagagi, affirmed that “we support tax modernisation” but cautioned that “we must ensure that this process does not come at the expense of states’ constitutional rights and economic stability”. Professor Auwalu Yadudu, a constitutional law professor, drew attention to the use of the ‘supremacy clause’ and cautioned that the repeated use of “notwithstanding” in the bills would undermine the supremacy of the Nigerian constitution if passed as such.

Other stakeholders that made contributions at the sessions included the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas, Fiscal Responsibility Commission, Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria, Nigeria Customs Service, and a host of others. While most of their concerns bordered on technical issues requiring fine-tuning, they were unanimous in their support for the bills. They aligned with the position of the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, Zacch Adedeji, Ph.D. and the Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Mr Taiwo Oyedele, which is that the extant tax laws and fiscal regulations are obsolete necessitating reforms aimed at creating a fair and equitable tax and fiscal space to grow Nigeria’s economy.

In one of the sessions, Dr Zaach Adedeji expounded on the criss-cross of trade activities in the Free Trade Zone whereby companies misuse tax waivers as exporters to sell their goods or services in the Customs Area at an amount usually less than the price the operators in the Customs Area who pay VAT and other taxes sell theirs thereby disrupting business transactions. This way, the operators in the Free Trade Zone shortchange the government in paying their due taxes by circumventing extant regulations, which are inimical to the economy’s growth.

Overall, the presentations were forthright, foresighted, and helpful in elucidating the issues contained in the bills. According to the statistics read out at the end of the hearings at the Senate, 75 stakeholders were invited, 65 made submissions, and 61 made presentations. At the House of Representatives 53 stakeholders made presentations. By all means, this is a fair representation. Given the presentations, it is evident that the National Assembly has gathered enough materials to guide its deliberations on the bills. As we look forward to the passage of the bills, we commend the leadership of the National Assembly for their unwavering commitment to making the bills see the light of the day.

Abdullahi is the Director of the Communications and Liaison Department, FIRS.

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