…We can only suspend action if we get alert — SSANU

Striking members of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, NASU, and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, yesterday turned down persuasions from the Federal Government to call off the strike.

The workers insisted that until they got an alert on the withheld salaries, the industrial action would continue.

Recall that the Joint Action Committee, JAC, of the two non-teaching staff unions had embarked on an indefinite strike on Monday on the expiration of the ultimatum they gave to the government on the withheld salaries.

President Bola Tinubu had recently approved that 50 per cent of the four months’ withheld salaries be paid, but several months after the approval was made, nothing has happened.

Worried by the effect of the ongoing strike, the Federal Government convened a meeting with the aggrieved university workers yesterday, with a view to persuading them to suspend the strike.

Speaking to Vanguard on the outcome of the meeting, the President of SSANU, Comrade Mohammed Ibrahim, said: “The conversation was very cordial, very fruitful, very frank. So like I said, it was chaired by the outgoing Minister of State for Education at the instance of the Minister of Education, who joined the meeting virtually.

“So, they related the position of government that they have extracted commitment from the Minister of Finance that the payment will be made.”

Asked when the government promised to make the payment, he said: “They said before the end of the month. Today (yesterday) is 31st, so, we are still on 31st and we told them that until then, the mandate we have from our people is that we can only suspend when the money is paid.

“Remember, so many other promises were made before and so that’s our position. So we left on a very cordial note. There was this clear understanding that we’re waiting for payments, we can only suspend until we get the payment.”

On whether the government made any attempt to persuade them to suspend the strike, Ibrahim said: “What will they say? They will not say anything new.

“There were a lot of persuasions but like I told you, we went there with the mandate of our people, and the mandate given to us was that we must make sure we get the payment because there is already an approval.

‘’It’s not something that has not been approved. There’s an approval of the President. So, it’s the release that is the problem.

‘’If the President has approved, those in charge should be able to release the money and they promised to release it. Since they did not say they will not release the money, we said okay, until then.”

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has re-arrested the controversial social media personality and crossdresser, Idris Okuneye, known as Bobrisky, at Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos.

This arrest occurred just days after Bobrisky was released on bail by Nigeria police authorities.

The dramatic arrest took place Thursday evening as Bobrisky was about to board a flight to London.

Eyewitnesses reported that Nigerian authorities halted the plane just before takeoff and escorted the socialite off in front of other passengers.

The embattled Bobrisky took to Instagram shortly after the incident, he wrote, “Nigerians help me, EFCC just arrested me. I’m badly injured.”

Last week, he was detained by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) at the Seme border while allegedly attempting to escape the country.

The cross dresser has been under investigation after an audio recording surfaced in which Bobrisky allegedly claimed he was permitted to serve his six-month jail term outside of Kirikiri prison due to “influential connections”.

Isaac Fayose, the younger brother to former governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, shared photos of himself and Bobrisky at the airport.

However, drama ensued as the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) stormed the Lagos airport to arrest Bobrisky.

The controversial crossdresser, in a post via his Instagram page, cried out to Nigeriansfor help, stating he was severely injured.

A video of the incident that emerged online shows how Bobrisky was forcefully dragged off the flight by airport security officers.

Isaac Fayose, younger brother of former Ekiti state governor, says he and crossdresser Bobrisky “boarded the same flight to London”.

Isaac, who had previously faulted Bobrisky’s detention by the police, took to his Instagram pageon Thursday evening to share photos of himself with the self-proclaimed transgender.

“See who is on the same flight ✈️ with me to London @bobrisky222,” he wrote.

Watch the video below:

The Dangote Petroleum Refinery on Thursday night clarified that it has not received any payments from the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) to purchase refined pe­troleum products.

A statement by Anthony Chie­jina, Group Chief Branding and Communications Officer, Dangote Group, said “although discussions are ongoing with IPMAN, it is misleading to suggest that they (IPMAN members) are experi­encing difficulties loading refined products from our Petroleum Refinery, as we currently have no direct business dealings with them. Consequently, we cannot be held responsible for any payments made to other entities.”

The statement noted that “the payment in mention has been made through the Nigerian Na­tional Petroleum Company Lim­ited (NNPCL), and not us. In the same vein, NNPCL has neither approved, nor authorised us to release our Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) to IPMAN.

“We would like to emphasise that we can meet the nation’s demand for all petroleum prod­ucts, including petrol, diesel, and aviation fuel. At present, we can load 2,900 trucks per day and we have also been evacuating petro­leum products by sea. We advise IPMAN to register with us and make direct payment as we have more than enough petroleum products to satisfy the needs of their members.

“Furthermore, we believe it is instructive for all stakeholders to refrain from making unfounded statements in the media, as that could undermine the economic re-engineering efforts of His Excel­lency, President Bola Ahmed Tinu­bu. Conducting business through public speculation is counterpro­ductive and unpatriotic.

“In the interest of our country, we encourage all stakeholders to collaborate and heed the advice of President Tinubu, while pro­moting a unified approach, rather than engaging in media conflicts and needless propaganda.”

It would be recalled that the In­dependent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) stated that its members are unable to load petrol from the Dangote Refinery in Lagos, despite having paid N40 billion to the NNPCL.

IPMAN President, Abubakar Garima, revealed this on Chan­nels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on Wednesday.

This was in response to Aliko Dangote’s claim that marketers were avoiding his refinery in fa­vour of imported petrol, noting that IPMAN members are eager to purchase from Dangote if al­lowed to do so directly.

“We have over N40 billion in outstanding debt with the NNP­CL. I was surprised when Dan­gote said he has over 500 million litres of PMS. We are ready to buy the product from Dangote if he is ready to sell it to us directly,” Garima stated.

He added that his members are not importing petrol, contrary to Dangote’s suggestion.

Instead, Garima argued, the Dangote Refinery should register independent marketers directly, bypassing the NNPCL, to allow for easier loading.

“If he (Dangote) can sell the product directly to us, we can buy because we pay upfront be­fore loading. Currently, we have N40 billion with the NNPCL, yet we can’t access the product.

“Recently, some marketers were sent to load at the Dangote Refinery but were unable to load even after waiting four days with their trucks,” he explained.

On Tuesday, Aliko Dangote met with President Bola Tinubu in Abuja, announcing he had over 500 million litres of petrol in stor­age at his refinery, but that mar­keters were not using his facility.

However, Garima noted that IPMAN, representing over 20,000 marketers, has already paid N40 billion to NNPCL but is still un­able to load from the refinery.

The Special Adviser to the President on Public Communications and Orientation, Sunday Dare, on Thursday, commended President Bola Tinubu for his instrumental role in the emergence of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

Before the All Progressives Congress (APC) defeated the then-ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2015, Buhari had run unsuccessfully for the presidency in the 2003, 2007, and 2011 elections.

The turning point came when Buhari’s Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) merged with Tinubu’s Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and other parties, forming the APC—a platform that ultimately won the 2015 presidential election.

Appearing on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Dare asserted that Buhari’s victory would not have been possible without Tinubu’s pivotal contributions.

“If you look at the role Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu played in the emergence of Muhammadu Buhari, it’s clear that without his efforts in forming the party and creating the platform, President Buhari would not have emerged,” Dare remarked.

Championing Buhari’s Candidacy

When asked if he promoted Buhari as the APC’s presidential candidate, Dare affirmed it was a collective effort.

“It wasn’t just me; it was a team. The electoral victories in 2015 and 2019 had President Tinubu’s influence. Many others played significant roles,” he said.

Reflecting on Buhari’s legacy, Dare, who served as the Minister of Sports and Youth Development in Buhari’s administration, declined to label his tenure as a failure, emphasizing instead that governance is continuous.

“Buhari did his part and moved on, just like Obasanjo, Yar’Adua, and Jonathan before him. Now, President Bola Tinubu is making bold, courageous decisions that other leaders did not,” he added.

Dare praised Tinubu for his reforms, notably the removal of the petrol subsidy, aimed at realigning the nation’s economy for sustainable growth.

The Media Adviser to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Paul Ibe, has berated the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike over the empowerment given to some youths in Abuja as commercial vehicle drivers.

Ibe, in a post via his account on the X platform (formerly Twitter), cautioned the federal government against reducing Nigerian youths to mere taxi drivers.

He pointed out that most youths engaged in the business of commercial driving are not doing it out of their free will but due to the unconducive economic environment and the need to survive.

The position of Ibe follows an earlier statement by Wike on Thursday while giving out cars to some youths in the FCT to use for commercial driving.

In his speech, the Minister encouraged the beneficiaries not to be ashamed that they are being empowered to be taxi drivers, saying that many Nigerians who reject taxi driving jobs at home gladly embrace such when they travel abroad.

The aide of Atiku, however, disagreed with the submission by Wike and urged the government to stop denying Nigerians and the youths, in particular, the opportunity to enjoy a better life due to wrong government policies.

He wrote: “This is a big fat lie. First off, Nigerian youths did not create this economic situation that continues to serve them the wrong end of the stick. Megalomaniacs did and have continued to deny them opportunities through their trial-and-error policies.

“We know lots of youths who have taken to making a living of driving taxis be they green taxis (or any other colour depending on what part of the country they operate in, @Uber or @boltapp.

“By the way, is this what you want to reduce our youths to: driving taxis? Nigerian youths are better than that. They’ve proven time and time again that their limitations are the megalomaniacs that continue to mortgage their destiny!”

The Minister of Finance and Coordi­nating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, has revealed a new government policy that would permit Nigerians who currently hold dollars outside the formal banking system to bring those funds into the financial system.

Edun said such individuals have a nine-month grace period to comply with the directive without attracting legal liability or financial penalties.

The finance minister spoke after the National Economic Coun­cil (NEC) meeting, chaired by Vice President Kashim Shetti­ma on Thursday, where update was given on the Excess Crude Account currently standing at $473,754.57, the Natural Resourc­es Fund at N26,105,837,627.67, and the Stabilisation Account at N36,299,452,763.62.

Edun equally gave update on government economic re­lief measures, saying 25 million Nigerians have benefited from federal social protection initia­tives, including digital outreach, microenterprise loans, and sec­tor-specific support for power, agriculture, manufacturing, health, and compressed natural gas (CNG) initiatives.

He said, “One element of the cost increase is the foreign ex­change rate, and that is demand and supply. There is going to be a release today, details by the Federal Government through the Ministry of Finance, in con­junction with the central bank, a programme, starting today, 31st of October, and lasting nine months, that will allow people to bring in cash that is outside the banking system.

“Therefore it is unsafe, it is unsecure and it is outside of le­gal limits. They will be allowed forbearance to bring dollar cash. Let me emphasise once again, it is to bring dollars that they are holding outside the system to be able to bring them in and credit it to their bank accounts, as long as it is not proceeds of crime, illicit money. There will be no penalty, there will be no taxes, there will be no questions.

“They just meet the normal Know Your Customer crite­ria of banks and they have an opportunity to bring in those funds, make them safe, make them secure, and make them available through normal, eco­nomic activity. The details of that, the guidelines of that, will be released, first of all, the an­nouncement by the Ministry of Finance and the guidelines later will follow very quickly by the central bank.

“That is an opportunity, not just for people who would nor­mally like to comply, to be com­pliant with the laws and normal business practice, but of course, it gives us an opportunity to bring those dollars from where they are doing nothing to where they are within the financial sys­tem, they add to our reserves, and of course can help with the exchange rate”.

Former Nigerian Senator, Ishaku Abbo has condemned the alleged corruption going on in the judiciary.

He argued that the Nigerian democracy will fail to grow if the judiciary is not overhauled to deliver justice and not injustice.

Abbo shared his reservation in Yola during an interaction with journalists.

The erstwhile senator, who was sacked this year by the Appeal Court sitting in Abuja after earlier winning his case at the Tribunal to return to the Senate for a second term of legislative duties, claimed that the case of vote-buying was more pronounced in the courts than in practice in the real sense of it.

“My mandate was kidnapped in the courtroom by some judiciary bandits sitting on the throne of judgment.

“Judgment is from God, so if you are appointed as a judge, it means you are representing God on earth. So, if you collect money to deliver injustice, you will answer before your creator on the last day,” he said.

He alleged further, “A top judicial officer came to my hotel room in Abuja with his wife demanding money on behalf of the judges handling my case. I have the camera records. I want to talk to his people in Taraba State to caution him so that his career may not be terminated prematurely because of bribe money.”

The senator, who dwelled heavily on the height of corruption in the judiciary, also pointed out that the political leadership in the north has collapsed due to the selfish interest of some of the leaders in the region.

“You cannot blame president Bola Tinubu, because majority of the northern leaders went to him and bargained for their personal gains and not on behalf of the north, so they have already harvested what belongs to the entire north,” he added.

On his political ambition to contest for the governorship of the state come 2027, he disclosed that he is still making consultations with stakeholders and that he will soon make a public declaration on his ambition after he concludes his consultations.

Socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has chided President Bola Tinubu’s administration over the absence of official empathy concerning the “agony and distressing state of the nation,” which Nigerians are presently grappling with.

Rising from a meeting held at the residence of its leader, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, at Isanya-Ogbo, Ogun State, the group lamented that the Federal Government sounded distant from the “pervasive hardship, unflagging insecurity and incapacitating hunger,” that Nigerians grappled with.

According to the group, this lack of empathy was evidenced by policies ostensibly aimed at compounding the woes of the people, citing the recent fuel price hike as the latest in such a posture.

Contained in a communique by the Afenifere Deputy Leader, Oba Oladipo Olaitan and Deputy Secretary-General, Alade Rotimi-John, made available to The PUNCH on Thursday, the group said it observed that there was the absence of a coherent programme of action by the Tinubu government to alleviate the hardship faced by Nigerians.

“Afenifere reviewed the unremitting distressing state of the nation’s social and economic situation under the President Bola Tinubu administration.

“Meeting observed that the distressful condition of the country is exemplified in pervasive hardship, unflagging insecurity and incapacitating hunger.

“The meeting noted the absence of official empathy respecting the people’s agonising situation.

“Meeting has instead observed an unwearying policy enunciation ostensibly aimed at compounding the woes of the people, e.g. the unabating fuel price hike.

“Meeting further observed the cavalier conduct of state affairs in, for instance, the absence of any coherent or unequivocal programme on the part of the government and its party.”

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has disclosed that Betta Edu, a former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, is still under investigation.

During a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede, represented by the agency’s Director of Public Affairs, Wilson Uwujaren, said controversial cross-dresser Okuneye Idris, better known as Bobrisky, is also under investigation.

He explained that the investigation continues into Betta Edu for alleged misconduct, with N30 billion recovered and 40 linked bank accounts under scrutiny.

On Bobrisky, EFCC stated that it will not tolerate corruption within its ranks after allegations of bribery to drop money laundering charges against the cross-dresser.

Uwujaren said: “Regarding the investigation into the allegations by Bobrisky and VeryDarkman, I am certain that the investigative process will conclude effectively. If any misconduct is confirmed, appropriate action will be taken. Throughout my years here, I have witnessed law enforcement personnel being held accountable for professional misconduct.”

“On former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Betta Edu, when the investigation began, we provided updates on our progress. The Chairman mentioned monitoring over 40 accounts, which takes time to review thoroughly. These matters are ongoing.

“A senior government spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, stated that a report was submitted to the President, who acted on it by appointing a new Minister of Humanitarian Affairs. I respect this information and its source,” the EFCC said.

…Orders Integrity Review Of Nigeria’s Waterways, Dams

…Says 321 Dead In 34 States On Account Of Flooding

…Tinubu Not Against Northerners With Tax Reform Bills — Presidency

The National Economic Council (NEC), on Thursday, prevailed on President Bola Tinubu to with­draw the Tax Reforms Bills from the National Assembly.

NEC hinged it on the need to allow for wider consultations and consensus building among stake­holders, particularly Nigerians.

Oyo State governor, Seyi Ma­kinde, who briefed State House correspondents on the develop­ment, said this formed part of resolutions reached at the 144th meeting of the NECouncil at the State House, Abuja.

According to Makinde, the council members agreed that it was necessary to allow for consen­sus building and understanding of the bills among Nigerians.

President Bola Tinubu and the Federal Executive Council (FEC) recently endorsed new policy ini­tiatives to streamline Nigeria’s tax administration processes.

The Federal Government hinged it on the need to enhance efficiency and eliminate redun­dancies across the nation’s tax operations.

The reforms emerged after a review of existing tax laws since August 2023. The National Assem­bly is considering four executive bills containing these tax reform efforts.

NEC’s decision came days after the Northern governors kicked against the reform bills.

At a meeting on October 28, 2024, governors of the 19 North­ern states, on the platform of the Northern Governors’ Forum, re­jected the new derivation-based model for Value-Added Tax dis­tribution in the new tax reform bills before the National Assembly.

A communiqué read by the Chairman of the forum, Gov­ernor Muhammed Yahaya of Gombe State, said the proposition negates the interest of the North and other sub-nationals.

Makinde said, “NEC today took a presentation from the Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms. Their main focus is fair taxation, responsible borrow­ing and sustainable spending.

“The council acknowledged that the country is underperform­ing on all indices as regards huge losses from major revenue sourc­es, also tax to GDP ratio and so on.

“So after extensive delibera­tion, NEC noted the need for suf­ficient alignment between and among the stakeholders for the proposed reforms.

“Council, therefore, recom­mend the need to withdraw the bill currently before the National Assembly on tax reforms so that we can have wider consultations and also build consensus around these reforms for the benefit of the entire country, and also to give people, for them to know the vision and where we are moving the country in terms of a tax re­form, because there’s really a lot of miscommunication, misinfor­mation.

“The bills will be drawn from the National Assembly, then there will be consultations afterwards”.

NEC OrdersIntegrity ReviewOf Nigeria’s Waterways, Dams

Meanwhile, the National Eco­nomic Council (NEC) on Thurs­day also directed the Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation to commence a comprehensive integrity review of Nigeria’s wa­terways and dams.

The move is intended to miti­gate the ravaging impact of flood­ing in the country.

Anambra State governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, disclosed this while briefing State House corre­spondents at the Presidential Vil­la, Abuja, after the NEC meeting presided over by Vice President Kashim Shettima.

He said that the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, had briefed members of NEC on the Federal Government’s intervention activ­ities across the country regarding the impact of this year’s flooding which has become a major nation­al disaster.

The Water Resources Minis­try had earlier identified 148 local government areas in the country spanning 31 states as high flood risk areas for 2024 beginning from April to November.

According to Prof. Soludo, after receiving the presentation from the minister, NEC resolved that “the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation should conduct an integrity review of all the waterways and dams across the country.

“There was a serious empha­sis on the need for a massive pro­gramme of dredging of the wa­terways. The council also urged governors who have not submit­ted their reports on the situation of flooding and management in their states to do so immediately.

“Council also noted that the Green Climate Fund should have an infrastructure resilient fund component and it was also noted that there are some critical parts of the country that are very mas­sively ravaged by this flooding particularly the South East and the South South that are com­pletely omitted in the ongoing programmes of the construction of dams at least to act as speed bumps along the highways par­ticularly in the River Niger.”

Prof. Soludo also said that the council considered the national emergency and the responses on the damages and the coordination taking place between the states and the Federal Government and outlined further steps that should be taken.

It was gathered that Prof. Utsev during his presentation informed the NEC that a techni­cal sub-committee appointed by President Tinubu October 8, 2024, is ongoing with its assignment and will be putting together an interim report to be presented to the Inter-Ministerial Committee for onward transmission to the president.

NEC also confirmed that 321 persons lost their lives in the flood disaster which has so far ravaged 34 states of the federation.

It also confirmed that 217 local government areas, 1,374,557 per­sons were adversely affected by the flood across Nigeria as at today.

Soludo, who also reeled out the statistics after the NEC meeting, said the various State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMA) have been directed to up their game to bring succour to the af­fected states.

“You know the country is facing the national emergency with regards to flooding and the reports so far identify a major na­tional disaster. We’ve been called upon to note that to date, that about 34 states have been affect­ed, 217 local government areas, 1,374,557 persons already affect­ed. And 740,743 were displaced nationwide. 321 persons dead and 2,854 persons injured and 281,000 houses, 258,000 cultivated farm­lands also destroyed, or affected by the ravaging flood.

“Council deliberated on the actions, particularly at the sub national level, and got up on the the SEMA, the various state emer­gency management agencies, to up their game and increase the collaboration with the National Emergency Management Agen­cy (NEMA).

“There was serious emphasis and the need for massive pro­gramme of dredging, or desilt­ing of the waterways and have a firm programme of continuous desilting

almost on annual basis of the waterways.”

Tinubu Not Against Northerners With Tax Reform Bills — Presidency

The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has de­fended the proposed bills from the presidency seeking reforms in tax collection processes.

Recall that the Federal Ex­ecutive Council (FEC), which President Tinubu presided over recently, had endorsed new policy initiatives aimed at streamlining Nigeria’s tax administration pro­cesses, enhancing efficiency and eliminating redundancies across the nation’s tax operations.

But the governors of the 19 Northern states, on the platform of the Northern Governors’ Fo­rum, at their meeting recently, picked holes in the new deriva­tion-based model for Value-Added Tax (VAT) distribution in the new tax reform bills before the Nation­al Assembly.

Chairman of the forum, Gov­ernor Muhammed Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State, presided over the meeting where the northern elite opposed the policy.

Onanuga, while reacting on be­half of the president, explained that these reforms emerged after an extensive review of existing tax laws.

He noted that the National Assembly is considering four executive bills designed to trans­form and modernise Nigeria’s tax landscape.

“First is the Nigeria Tax Bill, which aims to eliminate unin­tended multiple taxation and make Nigeria’s economy more competitive by simplifying tax obligations for businesses and individuals nationwide.

“The Nigeria Tax Adminis­tration Bill (NTAB) proposes new rules governing the administra­tion of all taxes in the country. Its objective is to harmonise tax ad­ministrative processes across fed­eral, state and local jurisdictions for ease of compliance for taxpay­ers in all parts of the country.

“The Nigeria Revenue Ser­vice (Establishment) Bill seeks to rename the Federal Inland Reve­nue Service (FIRS) as the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) to better reflect the mandate of the service as the revenue agency for the en­tire federation, not just the Federal Government,” Onanuga stated.

He explained that the Joint Revenue Board Establishment Bill proposes the creation of a Joint Revenue Board to replace the Joint Tax Board, covering fed­eral and all states’ tax authorities.

According to him, the bill also suggests establishing the Office of Tax Ombudsman under the Joint Revenue Board, which would serve as a complaint resolution body for taxpayers.

He reiterated that it was in­structive to note that these pro­posed laws will not increase the number of taxes currently in op­eration. Instead, they are designed to optimise and simplify existing tax frameworks.

He also insisted that the tax rates or percentages will remain the same under these reforms, as they focus on ensuring a more equitable distribution of tax ob­ligations without adding to the burden on Nigerians.

The presidential media aide stated, “The reforms will not lead to job losses. On the contrary, they are structured to stimulate new avenues for job creation by sup­porting a dynamic, growth-ori­ented economy.

“Importantly, these laws will not absorb or eliminate the duties of any existing department, agen­cy, or ministry. Instead, they aim to harmonise revenue collection and administration across the fed­eration to ensure efficiency and cooperation.

“At the moment, tax adminis­tration lacks coordination among federal, state, and local tax author­ities, often resulting in overlap­ping responsibilities, confusion, and inefficiency. Without reform, this inefficiency will persist.

“The proposed laws aim to co­ordinate efforts between different tiers of government, resulting in better tax resource management and greater clarity for taxpayers.

“Under existing laws, taxes like Company Income Tax (CIT), Personal Income Tax (PIT), Cap­ital Gains Tax (CGT), Petroleum Profits Tax (PPT), Tertiary Edu­cation Tax (TET), Value-Added Tax (VAT), and other taxing pro­visions in numerous laws are administered separately, with individual legislative frameworks.

“The proposed reforms seek to consolidate these multiple taxes, integrating CIT, PIT, CGT, VAT, PPT, and excise duties into a uni­fied structure to reduce adminis­trative fragmentation.

“On the proposed deriva­tion-based VAT distribution model, which the Northern governors op­pose, it must be stressed that the new proposal, as enunciated in the bill, is designed to create a fairer system.

“The current model for distrib­uting VAT is based on where the tax is remitted rather than where goods and services are supplied or consumed. The ongoing tax re­form seeks to correct the inherent inequity in the current derivation model as a basis for distributing VAT revenue.

“The new proposal before the National Assembly outlines a dif­ferent form of derivation which considers the place of supply or consumption for relevant goods and services. This means that states in the Northern region that produce the food we eat should not lose out just because their prod­ucts are VAT-exempt or consumed in other states.

“These reforms are critical to improving the lives of Nigeri­ans and were not put forward by President Tinubu to undermine any part of the country. There is no better time than now for the National Assembly to give due consideration to these bills that will overhaul our tax systems and create the revenue all the tiers of government require to fund the development our country and people urgently need”.