Why Akpabio Cautioned Nigerians Against Arise TV

The President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio has trended on social media along with Arise News Television after the presiding officer’s admonition to Nigerians not to listen to the television station and social media for informed commentary on the controversial tax reform bills.

GWG.ng reports that Akpabio spoke on Thursday following his clarification on the state of the Tax Reform bills which his deputy, Senator Jibrin Barau had earlier on Wednesday said had been put in suspense to allow for review.

Akpabio was absent when Seator Barau made the announcement.

However, on Thursday, the Senate under the stewardship of Akpabio rejected the news of the suspension of the bills as he insisted that the Senate would not succumb to pressures from any quarters on its constitutional duties.

Speaking on the issue and the determination of the Senate to forge the best interest of Nigerians, he said:

“If there is anybody that has problem with the bill you know where to go to- public hearing. The Senate will not be bullied, we are doing our work in the interest of Nigeria and by the time we come out with our final position it will reflect the yearning and aspirations of Nigerians. Not only that any reform that we can make, painful as the reform may be, so long as this Senate is convinced that it is in the interest of Nigeria we will go ahead with it with a view to putting our economy in a forward match in support of the administration.

“But we will not shy away from deleting or abrogating whatever we feel is not in the public interest. But for the tax reform bills, we believe that there are too many provisions there that will definitely help Nigerians. You cannot imagine for businesses that earn less than N50m not to pay tax. You cannot imagine what it means for multiplicity of taxes to be abrogated, you cannot imagine what it means for people who earn less than the minimum wage or even minimum wage not to pay tax. The exemptions are such that up to 100 million Nigerians will benefit from this tax reform bill,” Senator Akpabio said before his injunction not to listen to commentaries from social media and Arise News Television.

Concluding, Akpabio said:

“So, let’s not listen to social media, lets not listen Arise Television and I hope they are well guided with the explanation of the Senate Leader.”

GWG.ng reports that the injunction not to listen to Arise Television has stoked controversy with many coming after the Senate president and some coming to his defence.

GWG.ng gathered some of the reactions on Akpabio’s caution against Arise News Television:

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