By Oyinkansayo Wole-Bodunde.
The House of Representatives has set up a special committee to probe the alleged unlawful deduction of taxes and other charges from the salaries of civil and public servants, as well as multiple bank charges imposed on customers’ accounts across the country.
The committee was inaugurated in Abuja, and is tasked with investigating the nature and application of taxes, levies, and deductions affecting workers, examining possible cases of non-remittance of deducted funds, and reviewing bank charges, including Value Added Tax (VAT) applied to existing fees.
Hon. Kelechi Nwogu, Chairman of the committee, said, “It is with great honour and a profound sense of duty that I stand before you as the Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee to investigate the deduction of taxes and sundry charges from the earnings of civil and public servants, as well as multiple bank charges on customers’ accounts in Nigeria.”
The committee aims to identify irregularities, recommend reforms, and advocate for the rights of Nigerians, ensuring transparency and fairness in the financial system.
Hon. Kelechi Nwogu urged stakeholders, including government agencies, banks, and civil society groups, to cooperate with the committee, assuring that its findings would lead to meaningful reforms promoting financial justice.
The Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, reaffirmed the House’s commitment to protecting citizens from financial exploitation. He said, “The issue of multiple bank charges erodes public trust and places undue strain on citizens’ finances. The demands for transparency and fairness in banking cannot be ignored; they require our immediate attention.”
