The Rivers State Police Command has officially unsealed all 23 Local Government Area Secretariats in the state, following the successful election and swearing-in of new chairmen.

This development was confirmed in a statement released by the Command’s spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko, earlier on Monday morning.

According to Iringe-Koko, the newly appointed Commissioner of Police, CP Mustapha Bala, acted on the orders of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, to withdraw all police personnel previously deployed to seal and safeguard the council secretariats.

The statement emphasized that the police presence in these locations will only be reinstated in the event of a crisis or a breakdown of law and order.

The statement reads, “In view of the recent political developments in Rivers State, the newly deployed Commissioner of Police, CP Bala Mustapha hereby convey the directives of the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, Ph.D., NPM, for the immediate withdrawal of all police personnel previously deployed to seal and safeguard the Local Government Secretariats in the state.

“This decision is in line with the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to ensure neutrality and the smooth functioning of democratic institutions.

“Consequently, the IGP has ordered the unsealing of the Local Government Secretariats, which were earlier secured by police personnel. The police will only be redeployed to these locations in the event of any crisis or breakdown of law and order, in which case emergency measures will be swiftly implemented to restore normalcy.

“The Rivers State Police Command assures the public of its readiness to maintain peace and order across the state and will continue to act professionally in discharging its duties. We urge all residents and stakeholders to remain calm and law-abiding as the situation evolves.”

The Labour Party, on Sunday, welcomed the offer by the New Nigeria People’s Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, to be running mate to LP’s Peter Obi in the 2027 presidential election.

Kwankwaso, in a recent viral post, indicated his willingness to serve as running mate the former Labour Party presidential flag bearer barely two years after talks between both parties went south.

The PUNCH reported that the LP and the NNPP had considered a merger ahead of the 2023 general elections, but the inability of either Obi or Kwankwaso to concede the leadership collapsed the heightened move.

The former governor of Kano State, who spoke in Hausa, expressed his readiness via a circulated video on his official account provided ‘certain conditions are met.’ 

Kwankwaso, who acknowledged his rising political profile stated: “I’m bigger than Peter Obi politically; I’m his elder brother, I’m a PhD holder, I performed better than him when I was the governor of my state. I’ve no problem with deputising  for Peter Obi, but only if certain conditions are met.”

He further expressed the possibility of engaging in meaningful discussions with Obi, noting: “We are willing to engage in discussions, provided that trust is established.”

In the last elections, Peter Obi of the Labour Party emerged third position, securing approximately 6,101,533 votes, while Kwankwaso garnered  1,496,687 votes to emerge a distant fourth position.

It should be recalled that Kwankwaso has been vocal in his criticism of the Bola Tinubu-led Nigerian government, faulting the government’s economic policies which has plunged Nigerians into hardship.

Reacting in an exclusive interview, the National Secretary of LP, Umar Farouk, told The PUNCHthat the renewed move by Kwankwaso was a welcome development.

He also appealed to the former Kano governor not to kill the merger talk again with his insinuation of being a better politician and holding a higher education degree.

He said, “As a political party, we stand for good governance and we have equally given all our candidates, both former and serving ones, the opportunity to choose how to associate with people of like-minds who share the philosophy and ideology of the Labour Party.

“We are happy Kwankwaso has alighted from the high horse he was riding and willing to offer himself to Obi as deputy having seen he garnered more than six million votes at the 2023 election. With his so-called popularity in the North, Kwankwaso could only amass less than two million votes.

“Again, he should stop this talk of being a bigger politician and PhD holder. What did he even do as a minister of defence? This is why we advise politicians to always consider tne dynamics of politics to gauge the temperament of the electorate at a particular time.

“Of course, we know what played out in 2023 will be different from 2027. It will be in the interest of Nigerians if Obi and Kwankwaso are willing to come together and wrest power from the APC government. But again, we know the sitting government will not go to sleep and allow the renewed move to work.” 

‘Tinubu will emerge victorious’

Meanwhile, despite criticisms of President Bola Tinubu’s reform policies by the opposition, a legislative Aide to the Deputy President of the Senate,Alhaji Ado Garba (Tati), however expressed optimism that he re-clinch the Presidential seat with a landslide victory in 2027.

According to Tati, while exchanging vrews with newsmen in Kano on Sunday, he is confident that the people of Kano would massively vote for President Tinubu and the APC in 2027.

“It is because of the goodwill of the Deputy President of the Senate,Barau Jibrin, which the people of the state have been enjoying.”

Such goodwil, he explained,include Senator Barau’s women and youths empowerment programmes, scholarship schemes, desilting of dams, provision of Federal and feeder Roads and irrigation schemes in the Kano North Senatorial Distric, which he represents in the National Assembly.

Other initiatives, he said, include the distribution of 60 trucks to farmers free, establishment of a Transport Service, with over 1000 buses and facilitating siting of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) campus in Kano North Senatorial Zone.

“All these programmes have impacted positively on the lives of the people of Kano North in particular,and the people of Kano State in general.” 

Similarly,Tati stated that,Senator Barau’s populist programmes have been attracting more membership for the APC in the state, with the Deputy President of the Senate receiving thousands of NNPP supporters into the APC fold.

So far, he said Barau had received thousands of NNPP supporters, who defected to the APC “notwithstanding the fact that Kano State Government is an NNPP controlled state, and we are still counting.”

“Following Senator Barau’s initiatives and development programmes coupled with President Tinubu’s realistic and patriotic reform policies will induce the people of the state to vote for President Tinubu en masse in 2024,”Tati added.

The Socio Economic Rights and Accountability Project, (SERAP) has advised President Bola Tinubu against releasing allocations to states that have failed to conduct credible local government elections.

Naija News reports that on October 5, states such as Rivers, Benue, Akwa Ibom and Jigawa conducted their local government elections.

However, most states are yet to conduct their grassroot elections.

Speaking on the development, SERAP described the action as wrong.

In a statement by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, on Sunday, SERAP asked Tinubu to direct the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Olawale Edun, to withhold federal allocations of states that have failed to conduct credible local government elections.

The organization also asked the President to ensure that any allocations from the Federation Account are paid only to democratically elected local government councils and no other body or institution

The statement read in part, “Your government has the obligation to enforce the Nigerian Constitution and to prevent public wrong, including by state governors.

“A democratically elected local government council does not and should not exist at the pleasure, whims and caprice of governors or their political godfathers.

“Your government also has the constitutional obligation to ensure accountability for the spending of federal allocations and immediate compliance with the judgment by the Supreme Court and the rule of law.”

Former media aide to ex-President Muhammad Buhari, Bashir Ahmed, has asserted that Peter Obi is politically bigger than Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso.

Recall that both Peter Obi and Kwankwaso were presidential candidates in the 2023 general election on the platform of the Labour Party (LP) and the
New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), respectively.

However, in a post via his X handle on Saturday, Ahmad, an indigene of Kano, asserted that Obi, a former Governor of Anambra State, is politically bigger than Kwankwaso, a former governor from his home state.

Ahmad backed his claims making reference to the outcome of the 2023 presidential election, where Obi garnered more votes than Kwankwaso.

He wrote: “Even though I have never been a Kwankwasiyya loyalist, but I have always admired and respected Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso and see him as one of the progressive political figures we have in this country. However, I do not agree with his recent statement during his interview in Kano, where he claimed to be politically bigger than Peter Obi.

“Looking at the results from the 2023 presidential election, Peter Obi garnered 6,101,533 votes and led in 11 states, demonstrating significant national support. In contrast, Senator Kwankwaso secured 1,496,687 votes and led in just one state, Kano.

“These numbers clearly suggest that, at least in the context of the 2023 election, Peter Obi has significantly more political influence across the country.

“So, Peter Obi is bigger than Rabiu Kwankwaso, politically.”

The House of Representatives has approved a request by President Bola Tinubu to refund approximately ₦24 billion to the Kebbi and Nasarawa state governments for the construction of two airports that have been taken over by the Federal Government.

Naija News reports that in a letter dated May 16, 2024, and addressed to House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, Tinubu urged the House to approve refunds of ₦15 billion to Kebbi State and ₦9 billion to Nasarawa State for the construction of Sir Ahmadu Bello International Airport in Birnin Kebbi and Lafia Cargo Airport, respectively.

The letter pointed out that the Federal Executive Council, during its meeting on May 23, 2023, approved the reimbursement through promissory notes.

The approved refund for Nasarawa State amounts to ₦9.54 billion, while Kebbi State will receive ₦15.14 billion.

On Thursday, the House Committee of Supply considered and approved the report submitted by the Chairman of the Committee on Aids, Loans, and Debts Management, Abubakar Nalaraba.

The approval formalized the reimbursement of funds based on the claims made by both state governments.

World Bank Approves $500 Million Loan To Tinubu Govt

Meanwhile, Tinubu’s government has just secured a $500 million loan from the World Bank to facilitate the Sustainable Power and Irrigation for Nigeria (SPIN).

The initiative, Naija News understands, aims to mitigate challenges arising from climate change.

The Regional Director of Sustainable Infrastructure Development for West and Central Africa at the World Bank, Chakib Jenane, disclosed the loan details during a Thursday meeting with Prof. Joseph Utsev, the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation in Abuja.

Jenane indicated that the SPIN project received approval during the World Bank’s Board meeting held on September 26 and is set to commence in January 2025.

He explained that the project is intended to tackle climate-related challenges such as floods and droughts by enhancing dam safety, improving water resource management, and expanding irrigation services.

The World Bank director noted that the initiative will benefit around 950,000 individuals, including farmers and livestock producers.

Jenane underscored the importance of Nigeria continuing its preparations to fulfill the remaining conditions necessary for the project’s successful implementation by the January 2025 deadline.

Additionally, the World Bank team provided an update on the Transforming Irrigation Management in Nigeria (TRIMING) project, which is approaching completion.

The team also reported on the Sustainable Urban and Rural Water Supply, Sanitation, and Hygiene (SURWASH) programme, highlighting the necessity of involving additional states in this initiative.

Jenane urged the ministry to consider establishing a National WASH Fund, a critical goal under the Disbursement Linked Indicator (DLI) 1 of the SURWASH programme.

In his remark, Utsev expressed his appreciation to the bank for continuing to support Nigeria’s development, particularly in sustainable infrastructure and water resource management.

The Minister assured the delegation that the Nigerian government would allocate the required counterpart funding to guarantee the effective execution of all projects supported by the World Bank.

Utsev further highlighted the significance of adhering to the timeline for the TRIMING Project and reiterated the ministry’s dedication to achieving the project’s deadline of January 2025.

Additionally, the Minister of State for Water Resources and Sanitation, Dr. Bello Goronyo, expressed gratitude to the World Bank for its endorsement of the SPIN project.

Goronyo also reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to ensuring the project’s success through cooperative initiatives.

A former Acting Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Folashodun Shonubi, has said he learnt that there were intrigues and politics in the naira redesign exercise carried out in 2022.

Shonubi, then Deputy Governor (Operations) before his appointment as Acting CBN Governor, said the former Governor of the CBN, Godwin Emefiele, told him and others that there were intrigues and politics in the whole exercise.

Shonubi, now retired, who is the Prosecution’s third witness, made this claim in reaction to a question from Emefiele’s lawyer, Olalekan Ojo, at the resumed hearing in the trial of the ex-governor of the CBN.

Emefiele is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory FCT (FCT) on four counts bordering on disobedience to the direction of law and illegal act causing injury to the public about the naira redesign exercise.

President Bola Tinubu may bar revenue-generating agencies from collecting revenues on behalf of the Federal Government as he plans to introduce a single agency – Nigeria Revenue Service – to handle the task.

This came as the Federal Government instituted a comprehensive set of fresh tax reforms aimed at significantly boosting revenue collection.

The reforms, designed to enhance the efficiency of collecting direct taxes, along with various levies that are imposed on behalf of the government, will bar the Nigerian Customs Service, Nigerian Ports Authority, and 60 other revenue collection agencies from participating in revenue collection activities, but will lead to the creation of the Nigeria Revenue Service.

By implementing these changes, the government seeks to streamline the tax collection process, ensuring that all taxable entities contribute their fair share and that the revenue generated is maximised to support public services and infrastructure development.

The policy directive was instituted on Thursday when the President forwarded four executive bills to the National Assembly for consideration, aiming to implement significant tax reforms.

Nigeria is contending with a revenue challenge that cuts across all government tiers but wants to attain a minimum tax-to-GDP ratio of 18 per cent. The country’s tax-to-GDP ratio is below Africa’s average and ranks as one of the lowest in the world.

This has led to fiscal deficit and over-reliance on borrowing to finance public spending resulting in a cycle of inadequate funding for socio-economic development.

One of the key proposals is the renaming of the Federal Inland Revenue Service to the Nigeria Revenue Service.

A source at the Presidency, however, hinted that the new bill would not lead to a merger but seek to remove the revenue collection arm from the agencies and allocate its function to the Nigerian Revenue Services.

“There is no merger of agencies. The bill will only take the revenue collection arm of each agency involved and take it to the Nigerian Revenue Service.

“The plan is that the new revenue agency will be like the US or UK revenue agency that collects all government revenues while other revenue agencies like NIMASA, NPA, Customs, etc, will now focus on their core mandate, which is trade facilitation. There is no merger at all,” the official said.

The bill seeking the name change for FIRS was outlined in a letter read by Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and the Speaker, House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, during the plenary sessions.

The proposed law, titled the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, seeks to repeal the Federal Inland Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, No. 13, 2007, and establish the Nigeria Revenue Service.

According to Tinubu, the new agency will be responsible for assessing, collecting, and accounting for revenue accruing to the government.

In addition to the name change, Tinubu submitted three other tax reform bills under the title, ‘Transmission of Fiscal Policy and Tax Reform Bills’ to the National Assembly.

The President also transmitted to the parliament the Joint Revenue Board Establishment Bill, which seeks to create a Tax Tribunal and a Tax Ombudsman.

He wrote, “The Nigeria Tax Bill: This bill seeks to provide a consolidated fiscal framework for taxation in the country.

“The Nigeria Tax Administration Bill: Aimed at offering a clear and concise legal framework, this bill will ensure the fair, consistent, and efficient administration of tax laws, facilitating ease of tax compliance, reducing disputes, and optimizing revenue collection.

“The Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Bill: This proposal seeks to establish the Joint Revenue Board, the Tax Appeal Tribunal, and the Office of the Tax Ombudsman, which will work to harmonise, coordinate, and resolve disputes arising from revenue administration in Nigeria.”

Tinubu emphasised that the proposed tax bills would have far-reaching benefits for the country, promoting taxpayer compliance, strengthening fiscal institutions, and fostering a more effective and transparent fiscal regime.

“I am confident that the bills, when passed, will encourage investment, boost consumer spending, and stimulate Nigeria’s economic growth,” Tinubu stated.

On the floor of the House of Representatives, Speaker, Abbas, confirmed receipt of the bills, stressing that they were designed in line with the objectives of the present administration.

He noted that when passed into law, the bills would encourage the growth and sustainability of the economy.

The House also consolidated six bills seeking the repeal of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007 to enact the Fiscal Responsibility Bill, 2024.

The bill aims at ensuring prudent management of the nation’s resources, ensuring long-term macro-economic stability of the national economy; and securing greater accountability and transparency in fiscal operations within the medium-term fiscal policy framework.

Abbas, who presided over plenary, urged the Committee on Rules and Business to fix a date for debate on the general principles of the newly consolidated bills.

The PUNCH recalls that the tax reforms are policy recommendations from Taiwo Oyedele’s Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, which seeks to reduce taxes in the country from the current 62 to a maximum of nine.

It also aligns with the recommendations of the President Tinubu Policy Advisory Council, which proposed declaring a state of emergency on revenue generation in the country.

Speaking in an earlier interview, Oyedele noted that fiscal reforms were needed to protect small businesses, the vulnerable and the poor while effectively taxing the rich.

He said, “Revenue transformation for us means we can no longer continue to celebrate incremental progress because the base was just so small and for us, it wasn’t about raising the taxes from existing taxpayers.

“In fact, one of the things we found out is that poor persons are those paying taxes, so it is time for them to take a break which means we have to look at the system to take that burden away from the vulnerable people, small businesses and let the middle class and the rich who can afford to pay do so.

“We have a brand new national fiscal policy that sets the framework for where we want to be, where we want to go, what we want to do, and what we want to stop doing as a country. We have identified company income tax, personal income tax, value-added tax, stamp duty, capital gains, and excise tax and we have redrafted new ones.”

This new law will expunge the revenue collection function from 62 revenue-generating agencies and transfer the responsibility of revenue collection to a single agency to promote collection efficiency.

Some of the agencies include Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Nigerian Ports Authority, Federal Inland Revenue Service, Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation, Nigerian Meteorological Agency, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, Federal Road Safety Corps, Nigeria Customs Service, Standards Organisation of Nigeria and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency.

Others are the Bank of Agriculture, Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading, Tertiary Education Trust Fund, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, Nigerian Railway Corporation, Federal Reporting Council of Nigeria, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Corporate Affairs Commission, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, National Broadcasting Commission and Joint Admission Matriculation Board.

Commenting on the implications of the new law, a former National President of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders, Dr Eugene Nweke, faulted the bill.

He added that customs all over the world were known for revenue collection.

“Customs all over the world are known for revenue collection. What it means is that they would outsource that function to a third party. Customs all over the world are known for revenue collection and anti-smuggling operations,” Nweke said.

According to him, revenue collection had lots of technicalities.

“What they should do with Customs is to train our importers and compel the NCS to go beyond the issues of scanning with a lot of compromises. The government should stop always thinking of how to protect a bill,” he advised.

also reacting, National Public Relations Officer, Association of Registered Freight Forwarders of Nigeria, Taiwo Fatobilola, said, “It is not possible, don’t mind the government. They think revenue collection is what anybody can wake up and start with? Do they know how much it takes to train people on something the NCS have been trained to do? Please don’t mind them, it’s not possible.”

however, National Public Relations Officer, Nigeria Customs Service, Abdullahi Maiwada, said he was not aware of the bill.

“I am not aware of that, I am just hearing it from you,” Maiwada told The PUNCH.

The House of Representatives, on Thursday, approved a bill seeking to establish the Nigeria Surrogacy Regulatory Commission for the monitoring and supervision of surrogacy arrangements in Nigeria.

The bill aims to “provide for the registration, regulation, and monitoring of surrogacy agencies in Nigeria and related matters.”

Leading the debate on the general principles of the proposed legislation, the sponsor of the bill, Ayodeji Alao-Akala, stated that the bill seeks to regulate and evaluate surrogacy in Nigeria to ensure that medical and health laws are not violated.

He added that it will also protect those seeking to overcome infertility.

Alao-Akala highlighted that a black market has emerged within the system, which takes advantage of the needs of expectant parents and exploits them.

He further stated that surrogate mothers and the children to be born also require legal protection.

Following its adoption, the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, referred the motion to the House Committee on Healthcare Services for further legislative action.

Folashodun Shonubi, a former acting Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, has disclosed that the redesigned naira notes released by the apex bank under the leadership of Godwin Emefiele was different from what former President Muhammadu Buhari approved.

Shonubi disclosed this while appearing before Justice Maryann Anenih of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, Abuja.

The Deputy Governor of Operations informed the court that Emefiele had claimed that there were intrigues and politics involved in the naira redesign exercise.

While responding to questions from Emefiele’s lawyer, Olalekan Ojo, SAN, Shonubi said the late 2022 naira redesign exercise, ahead of the 2023 general elections, was fraught with politics.

“The currency redesign of 2022 was the only one I was part of. When we had meetings with the defendant (Emefiele), he said there were politics and intrigues around the whole exercise,”Shonubi stated.

He informed the court that the former CBN governor presented a document during one of the CBN’s Committee of Governors’ meetings, which contained the signature of the President.

Shonubi also revealed that the redesigned naira notes produced by the CBN under Emefiele were not the same as what was approved by the President.

“The CBN, under Emefiele, produced something different from what former President Muhammadu Buhari approved,” he said.

French tactician, Hervé Renard, has revealed that he came close to becoming the head coach of Nigeria’s Super Eagles.

Renard, who has enjoyed stints at Ivory Coast and Zambia, disclosed that he was approached by the Nigeria Football Federation following the unexpected exit of Finidi George in May.

His name was heavily touted as a replacement before talks with German Bruno Labbadia fell through, leaving the Super Eagles in limbo.

Renard shared that the NFF’s offer was the most lucrative he had received, but after much deliberation, he decided to decline.

“I almost went to Nigeria. I weighed the pros and cons for a few days, even weeks, before eventually turning it down. It was the best offer I’ve had so far, but it didn’t suit me in the end,” Renard told French outlet L’Équipe, as reported by Brila FM.

Meanwhile, interim coach Augustine Eguavoen, who has been tasked with leading the team through the upcoming 2025 AFCON qualifiers against Libya, has hinted at the conditions that could see him take on the job full-time.

Eguavoen outlined that any consideration for a permanent role would require a long-term contract, along with patience and consistent backing from the football body.

“The Super Eagles job isn’t one you take lightly. If I were to take it permanently, I’d need to sit down, reflect, and think deeply because it’s not a small task.

“It’s going to be tough. I’d need a long-term contract, patience, and clauses in the deal because you don’t win every day. It takes time to build a team,” Eguavoen told Brila FM.

Eguavoen, who has had three previous stints as head coach, lamented that he was never given enough time to truly implement his vision for the team.

“In 2006, I was in charge for six months. Every other time, it was just two months or two to three games. Clemens Westerhof had five years. Gernot Rohr had six years. They got time, but I never had two straight years,” he noted.

He reiterated that to succeed as the substantive coach, he would need long-term assurances, contractual clauses, and a show of confidence from the NFF.