FEATURES
Amid allegations of intense lobbying by the Presidency, some lawmakers in the National Assembly have reaffirmed their decision to oppose the Tax Reform Bills presented by President Bola Tinubu, prioritizing the interests of their constituents over external pressures.
The bills, which aim to introduce sweeping changes to Nigeria’s tax system, have sparked widespread debate, with critics arguing that the reforms could disproportionately impact certain regions.
Speaking to Daily Trust on Sunday, Senator Abdulrahman Kawu Sumaila (Kano South) emphasized that his allegiance remains with his constituents.
“I am not aware of any pressure, but as I told you last week, we are studying the bill as usual and liaising with our constituents and relevant stakeholders to understand their feelings and views. It is the people’s views and will that will prevail in the end. This is what will happen,” he said.
Rep. Kwamoti Bitrus Laori (Demsa/Lamurde/Numan Federal Constituency, Adamawa) echoed a similar sentiment, emphasising that the welfare of his constituents remained his top priority.
“First and foremost, I was elected to represent a constituency, and that constituency is part of a larger state. So, as a caucus, we have to sit down and dissect the bill, know what is good for the state, and know what is good for our people, and then we will now take a position. That is my stand on this; whether there is pressure any where, is not my business. Those who are putting the pressure did not elect me; those who elect me are those who matter.
“We have sent the feelers to our constituencies. Look, this is what is happening; what position are we going to take? The feedback that we get from our constituencies, we will sit down and aggregate them, and that will be our position,” the PDP lawmaker said.
Also, Rep. Bappah Aliyu Misau (Misau/Dambam Federal Constituency, Bauchi) said, like his governor, he strongly opposed the tax reforms, declaring that lawmakers from Bauchi State, alongside their governor, would not support the bills.
Misau stressed that northern lawmakers were united in their stance against the reforms, as the proposed changes did not benefit their constituents.
“The presidency cannot pressure us; they didn’t elect us. This is about protecting the average person in Bauchi. No member from Bauchi will support this bill,” Misau stated.
He added: “You know how the Parliament works. You can say your opinion and make your stand known. The minority voices would be heard, but the majority voice prevails. Since that is always the case, then there will be a problem. They may do something else. But I am telling you, every patriotic Northern lawmaker is against it.
“Even the few lawmakers that are advocating for this bill are those who don’t even go to their constituencies. They are anti-north.”
Another lawmaker, who asked not to be named, said if the presidency was eager to get the buy-in of northern leaders, it needed to disabuse their minds on the derivation clause in the new bill by presenting a template to show how the VAT would be shared from January.
The lawmaker said, “They need to give the details with a template of how the Derivation Clause would impact the sharing formula. They should go beyond telling us that only three states are benefiting from the current sharing formula to show all the states how the new formula will be.”
Matthew Kukah, Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, says almost all Nigerian presidents came into power through unpredictable circumstances.
Kukah spoke in Abuja on Sunday while delivering the keynote speech at the fourth Amaka Ndoma-Egba memorial lecture, ‘Leaders of tomorrow: Creating lasting change in a complex world’.
The Catholic Bishop noted that despite President Bola Tinubu’s claim of being prepared, he still struggles to lead the country.
Kukah added that Nigerian leaders, both past and present, lack adequate knowledge and preparation to lead a country.
“If we look at Nigeria’s leadership journey, you will find that almost every leader who came to power did so by accident,” Kukah said.
“President Tinubu, despite claiming to be prepared for the role, is clearly struggling. We are still trying to find our footing.
“He took over from Buhari, who had already disengaged from governance. Buhari succeeded Jonathan, a man who never envisioned himself as president but was thrust into leadership due to circumstances.
“Jonathan took over from Yar’Adua, who planned to return to teaching after his governorship.
“Yar’Adua succeeded Obasanjo, who was unexpectedly released from prison to become president.
“Before that, Obasanjo replaced Abacha, who was poised to rule indefinitely until nature intervened.
“Abacha followed Shonekan, a business executive abruptly drafted to lead the country. The cycle is evident, and the missing link in all of this is knowledge and preparation.”
[TheCable]
A former police officer in Edo State, Inspector Edith Uduma, has threatened to kill herself and her children following her dismissal from the police force after she exposed an alleged rape incident involving a colleague.
She accused the state police command of unjustly dismissing her, saying the public had not also heard her side of the story.
Uduma’s dismissal came after a viral video that she captured in October showed one Sergeant Abraham, another officer, in a compromising position with a 17-year-old girl at the police station in the South Ibie area of Edo State.
The officer was seen hurriedly wearing his trousers and querying why Edith was making a video recording. The girl was seen lying on a chair in the room in the course of this.
It was learnt from the police that both officers were later dismissed following an orderly room trial.
The Edo State Police Command, in a statement released in November by its Public Relations Officer, Moses Yamu, alleged that Uduma conspired with her husband, Inspector Ibrahim Mohammed, to extort N1m from Abraham to cover up the incident. When Abraham reportedly offered N45,000 instead, the video was leaked online, the police claimed.
The command said, “That, contrary to reports from certain quarters, the said female police officer, AP/no 228719 Insp. Edith Uduma, was the Charge Room Officer on October 7, 2024, the night F/No. 504694 Sgt Abraham allegedly raped a female suspect in the station.
“The female officer, instead of reporting the incident to the Divisional Police Officer or the Incident Duty Officer as the case may be, for disciplinary actions to be initiated against the erring officer, took advantage of the situation to enrich herself by calling her husband, AP No. 228652 Insp. Ibrahim Mohammed, whom she conspired with to unlawfully demand the sum of N1m from the sergeant to assist him in concealing the matter.
“Following these events, an orderly room trial was initiated against all the officers, which led to the dismissal of Sgt. Abraham and Insp Edith Uduma.”
Uduma’s husband was also demoted to the rank of Sergeant.
However, Uduma denied the allegations in an interview with PUNCH Metro on Saturday, insisting she never extorted money and that she was not given a fair hearing. She alleged that her dismissal was orchestrated because she lacked influential connections.
Uduma who threatened to kill herself if she didn’t get justice said, “What the Edo Command is saying is not what happened. They know I have no rank or support to fight back,” Uduma said.
She further revealed that the Force Headquarters in Abuja was still investigating the matter only for the Edo command to hurriedly dismiss her.
“I want justice. My dismissal is unjust,” she said tearfully.
She said her husband who was also sanctioned had no connection to the matter.
“He (my husband) used to bring something for me to eat. He brought food that time to the station.
“If Nigerians refuse to listen to me – because my husband has been in detention, and they have been looking for me to arrest me, to charge me to court – if Nigeria refuses to listen to me, I will just poison all my children and myself. I will die. Because I’m just stranded like this,” she said, noting she had been in hiding and had not seen her children in a long time due to the incident.
She alleged that the DPO at the station prompted her to ask Sergeant Ibrahim for the N1m for negotiation when the sergeant reportedly disappeared after the incident, noting that this was to lure the suspect to show up.
According to her, she is surprised how the DPO and other officers allegedly turned the matter against her.
“If the police force can do this to a police officer, how much more to the innocent and civilians?”
The spokesperson for the Edo command, Moses Yamu, has not responded to calls and a text message put across to him on Sunday.
PUNCH Metro gathered that the then Divisional Police Officer of the station at the time the incident occurred, SP Lilian Osemwegie, has now retired.
A call was put across to a number said to be hers but a woman who responded after a question from our respondent, said, “Wrong number, wrong number.” PUNCH Metro cannot immediately verify if the former DPO was the one on the call, but a police source insisted it was her number.
In a statement made available to our correspondent on Friday, a human rights group, Take It Back Movement, petitioned the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, over what it described as the unjust dismissal of the female police officer and reduction in rank of her husband for reporting the alleged rape case.
The petition titled, “Petition For Review and Reinstatement, Unjust Dismissal From Nigeria Police Force” was released by the TIB Abuja branch and signed by the Federal Capital Teriitory Coordinator of the group, Robert Ande.
“We humbly submit this petition to seek your intervention in the gross injustice perpetrated against Mrs Edith Uduma and her husband (Mohamed Ibrahim) with Force No.: AP/NO 228652 by the Edo State Police Command.
“Her dismissal from the Nigeria Police Force and the deduction of the rank of her husband from (Inspector to CPL) was unjust, and we request a thorough review of her case,” the petition read in part.
“Instead of commending her actions, she was dismissed, and her husband, Inspector Ibrahim Muhammad, was arrested and detained,” the group added, adding that the command’s action was capable of “hindering investigations and protecting the perpetrator of the rape.”
Don’t Wait For A Revolution, Change IMF, World Bank Policies That Are Not Working – Buhari’s Former Aide Tells Tinubu Govt
AFOLABI
A former Chief of Staff to Ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, has urged the federal government under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu to adjust policies that are not working in the interest of the people.
According to Gambari, some other countries did not go through as much hardship as Nigerians are experiencing at the moment before riots broke out gainst the government.
He warned that the federal government of Nigeria must not wait until there’s a revolution in the land before adjusting policies of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that are not favourable to the people.
The diplomat argued that the institutions are partners of the country and should not ultimately determine how things are run.
“Ultimately, what’s the value of the policies that the people do not support?”
“The IMF and the World Bank are partners and this is our country. Therefore, if there is a policy they are advocating or they advised, and we find that it is not working, we should have the freedom to adjust it because our primary responsibility and of the government is to the people of this country,” the elder statesman said on the Sunday edition of Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, a socio-political programme aired on Channels Television.
Gambari said the Nigerian government is lucky because citizens of the country do not make much demands.
He added that it is the responsibility of every government to take the destiny of the people in its hands.
“We’ve been very lucky because Nigerians don’t demand very much. That’s why they go about their business. That’s why it has never been a pressure.
“There are countries like Sudan where the price of bread rose by 20% and there were riots, and a governor was overthrown. But in Nigeria, the people adjust but there may be a breaking point. We don’t want to wait till a revolution takes over before (we take action),” he said.
The diplomat noted that as much as Nigeria is part of the international community, the IMF and World Bank are not responsible for the day-to-day operations of the government, noting that managing the economy is the responsibility of the leaders.
He said, “Having worked in the United Nations for 13 years, and served my country at the United Nations for 10 years, I am saying that the leadership of every country has to take their destiny into their hands.
“Yes, we are part of the international community. Yes, we are part of the IMF and World Bank because we are part of the international system, but we must be able to adjust the advice of the IMF to our own needs. Our primary responsibility is to Nigeria. We are not responsible and we will not be held responsible for what the IMF does.
“Yes, we value them. They are development partners but this is our country. It is the only country we have. Nigeria is the only country we can call our own and we have to salvage it together.”
“Any president of Nigeria must make security number one because there can be no development without peace…The contribution every president can make to Nigeria is to secure this country. And then promote the framework to release the energy of our people so that they can master their affairs in terms of economy.”
Naija News reports Gambari spoke against the background of the fuel subsidy removal and floating of the naira, which were implemented by the Tinubu government and the attendant increase in living costs in the country.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has urged Nigerian youths to desist from the use and abuse of psychoactive drugs.
He noted that the usage adds no value to life, but instead causes immense destruction.
The politician stated this during the second edition of the Fly Above The High anti-drug campaign conference in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
He urged youths to employ restraint, while highlighting the growing problem of drug abuse in Nigeria and West Africa.
Reflecting on his tenure as Chairman of the West African Drug Commission under the Kofi Annan Foundation, he expressed alarm at the region’s transformation from a transit hub for drugs to a center of consumption.
“But to our dismay, displeasure, and pain, at the end of the exercise, we found out that West Africa has equally been a centre for drug consumption in a very bad way. That was more than 10 years ago, so the situation has since gone worse. And whatever applies to West Africa applies to all other parts of Africa,” he said.
The former president also shared a personal anecdote about an early attempt to take up smoking, which led to severe coughing and deterred him from continuing.
“If I had persisted, I could have become addicted. Once you get involved, it is difficult to get out,” he said, warning the gathering of youths, students, mental health specialists, and policymakers.
“There’s nothing drug can do for you except destruction,” Obasanjo declared, urging those already addicted to seek help while cautioning society against stigmatizing them
The Minister of Finance, Wale Edun has disclosed that Nigeria has saved $20 billion from petrol subsidy removal and market-based pricing of the foreign exchange rate.
He made the disclosure at a ceremony recently held to mark the first 100 days in office of Esther Walso-Jack, head of civil service of the federation, in Abuja.
“An amount of five per cent of GDP is what those two subsidies were costing when there was a subsidy on PMS; when there was petroleum product generally for a long time and when there was a subsidy of foreign exchange. Between them, they were costing five percent of GDP.
“If you say GDP was on average, let’s say $400 billion. We all know what five percent of that is $20 billion of funds that could be going into infrastructure, health, social services, education,” he said.
Edun said these flows now return into the government’s coffers for further deployment to the aforementioned sectors.
“The real change that has happened with the measures of Mr. President is that nobody can wake up and their target for the day or for the week or the month or the year is to get access to cheap funding, cheap funding exchange from central bank, which they can now flip.
“And overnight, they become wealthy from no value added for doing virtually nothing, except you know the right people. Similarly, they can no longer try and be part of a new peak market and very inefficient petrol subsidy regime as a way of making money overnight,” Edun added.
TD Jakes, bishop of The Potter’s House, a megachurch in the United States, suffered a health scare after delivering a sermon on Sunday.
As Jakes rounded off his sermon with a prayer, social media videos showed how his movements slowed.
“The meditations of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, oh Lord,” Jakes prayed amid laboured breaths.
“My strength and my redeemer, let them go in peace,” he added with his head bowed while slowly lowering the microphone.
Soon afterwards, the bishop’s head began to bob back and forth as his body jerked awkwardly.
Church officials ran towards him to prevent an imminent collapse.
In a statement on Facebook, The Potter’s House said the renowned pastor and author received immediate medical attention and is currently in stable condition.
“The entire Potter’s House family is grateful for the outpouring of love, prayers, and support from the community. Thank you for your understanding and continued prayers,” the statement added.
The church did not share if Jakes was hospitalised following the incident or what may have caused it.
Renowned Nigerian comedian and actor, Okechukwu Anthony Onyegbule, popularly known asOkey Bakassi, has argued that polygamy is a more suitable form of marriage for Africans, claiming that monogamy is failing in the region.
Bakassi shared his views during a conversation on the Honest Bunch Podcast, where he expressed that many couples in monogamous marriages are merely pretending to be happy.
He said, “Forget all the lip services that we pay to polygamy here. I still think that polygamy is the best form of marriage for Africa. Monogamy is not working.
“We are pretending. Now, what’s the difference between polygamy and monogamy? Polygamy says you can marry two people at the same time. Monogamy says you cannot marry them at the same time, you have to let one go. What if you don’t want to let one go?”
Similarly, Nollywood veteran Stephen Alajemba, better known as Uwaezuoke, has controversially claimed that having less than three wives is sinful.
He warned that men with one or two wives face risks, including being poisoned by their spouses.
In an interview with Ugwumba TV, Alajemba explained, “It’s a sin to marry one or two wives. But if you marry three or four, you will be free from sin. If you marry one wife your life is at risk. The safety of the director is in the hands of the security. If you marry two wives, they will conspire to poison you.
“But if you marry three or more wives, they will all be on their own and you will only be providing for them. You will be taking turns with their meals and bedrooms.”
You Lack Ideas, Clear Vision’ – Obaseki Fires Okpebholo Over Plans To Probe His Administration
AFOLABI
Former Edo State, Godwin Obaseki has knocked Governor Monday Okpebholo decision to probe his (Obaseki) administration, saying it is a diversionary tactic to mask his incompetence and unpreparedness for office.
Recall that Okpebholo had approved the formation of a 14-member State Assets Verification Committee to investigate the administration of his predecessor.
The committee is tasked with verifying the state’s assets and liabilities under the previous administration.
But reacting in a statement to Naija News on Sunday, Obaseki’s Media Aide, Crusoe Osagie, said his principal ran Edo’s most transparent government.
He stated that the barrage of empty probes by Okpebholo is a smoke screen to mask his incompetence and unpreparedness for office.
According to Obaseki’s aide, Okpebholo is devoid of ideas and lacks a clear vision to drive development in the State, noting that the Edo governor is resorting to cheap political theatrics and using a circus of meaningless probes to distract from his glaring incompetence and lack of direction.
The statement reads: “Our attention has been drawn to a laughable and utterly ridiculous statement by the Monday Okpebholo’s administration setting up a 14-member State Assets Verification Committee to probe the administration of his predecessor, His Excellency, Godwin Obaseki, who is globally acclaimed to have run one of the most transparent, accountable and prudent government’s in the history of Nigeria.
“This is another in the list of the barrage of meaningless probes which the governor and his directionless government is embarking on since they got into Dennis Osadebey Avenue through the back door. From probing civil servants’ employment to probing Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), and probing vehicles and other assets of government, among others, the governor-select has continued to show that he is bereft of ideas and lacks a clear vision for the development of the State and has therefore resorted to these charades of empty probes to buy time and distract from his incompetence and unpreparedness for office.
“His plan is to treat Edo people like an undiscerning mob that you can distract with a show like the duel of gladiators in the Ancient Roman Colosseum. But Okpebholo will soon learn that he is the governor with the hardest job in Nigeria because the Edo people of Edo State are wise and can hardly be fooled. His diversionary probes may succeed in deceiving people in some States in Nigeria but certainly not those in Edo State.
“He should stop his futile and failed attempt to fool the people of Edo State who have already seen him for who he truly is: a politician out of his depth who has become a tool in the hands of his many godfathers who are thirsty for vendetta, having for long been denied access to the people’s patrimony by the immediate past government of His Excellency, Mr. Godwin Obaseki.
“It is on record that the Obaseki administration achieved an unprecedented level of transparency in governance, laying a solid foundation for fiscal discipline, which was why it was able to accomplish the numerous milestones recorded across various sectors of the State, including the economy, education, agriculture, infrastructure, among others. Under Obaseki’s watch, the State developed its first asset register, containing all the government’s assets, which has since been handed over to the new government.”
He added: “So, we know what their plans are with the diversionary probes. It is just a smokescreen to mask the governor-select’s incompetence and unpreparedness for office, having come into power through a stolen mandate.
“We want to advise Okpebholo to focus on governance and improving the lives of Edo people rather than waste state resources masking his incompetence in meaningless probes. Edo people are watching and his short-span government which lasts until the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) reclaims its mandate duly given to it by Edo voters will be judged not by the noise it makes but by the impact it delivers.”
Buhari And Malami Oppressed, Removed ex-CJN Onnoghen To Perpetrate Electoral Mischief, Secure Second Term – Edwin Clark
AFOLABI
Elder statesman and leader of the Ijaw nation, Chief Edwin Clark, has alleged that former President Muhammadu Buhari, and former Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), oppressed and humiliated former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen.
According to Clark, Buhari removed Onnoghen at all costs in order to get away with “the mess and mischievous things they wanted to carry out” during the 2019 presidential election.
Clark stated this in a letter addressed to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, on Sunday, where he commended the judgment of the Court of Appeal acquitting Justice Onnoghen of all charges of false declaration of assets, following a settlement agreement with the Federal Government.
He faulted the suspension of the former CJN by President Buhari, noting the constitutional provision that placed the power to appoint and suspend a CJN in the hands of the President, the National Judicial Council, and the National Assembly.
The Ijaw leader also urged President Tinubu not to allow sacred cows to exist in his government, noting that the constitution did not provide immunity for life for a former President.
Clark said, “As for the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, in his own case, ‘a Daniel has come to judgment’. I knew he was not fairly treated; he was oppressed and humiliated by President Muhammadu Buhari and his Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN).
“At this juncture, let me say this: President Tinubu’s government must not allow sacred cows to exist in Nigeria, no matter whose ox is gored. There is no one who is above the law in his own country. A president of a country is just one of the ordinary members in the country, but once elected, enjoys immunity. There is nowhere therefore in the constitution or any legal document where it is stated that immunity is for life.
“Today in Nigeria, we have corrupt Presidents and some of them today are accusing their successors of corruption without looking back at what they themselves stole while in office but no one dares to touch them. Perhaps, it is an irony of fate for the former CJN, Justice Walter Onnoghen, who was one of the Supreme Court Justices whose judgment favored President Muhammadu Buhari in his presidential election case in the Supreme Court in 2011.”
Clark also alleged that the former President removed Onnoghen from his position as CJN prior to the 2019 general elections because of “the mess and mischievous things they wanted to carry out,” during the elections, again describing Buhari’s actions as “disgraceful, callous, unjust and so barbaric”.
“He (Buhari) allowed him to rise to the post of CJN but he saw that, that was not good enough for him because if Justice Onnoghen was to remain the CJN, the mess and mischievous things they wanted to carry out during the presidential election in 2019, Justice Onnoghen would not accept it and the best thing was to remove him, and this was the secret plan between President Buhari and his Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami.
“The show of shame that took place at the time was so disgraceful, callous, unjust and so barbaric that instead the President of Nigeria, who swore to an oath of office that he would maintain security and welfare of Nigerians, chose to stoop so low in order to humiliate a fellow Nigerian because he wanted to be President of Nigeria at all costs for a second term. It is a shame which Nigeria has just recovered from,” he stated.
The former Commissioner for Information faulted the silence of the Nigerian Bar Association and the National Judicial Council during the ousting of the former CJN from office, while commending Justice Kekere-Ekun and the Court of Appeal’s judgment acquitting Justice Onnoghen.
“I am, therefore, very happy to have read that both the judiciary, particularly the Court of Appeal and the former CJN, Justice Walter Onnoghen, have come to an amicable settlement, and I wholeheartedly congratulate him for passing out the ordeal he was subjected to by the former President, and I pray God will protect him and for him to always have the courage to fight for his right because Nigeria belongs to all of us and we are all equal citizens,” Clark said.
The Senior Special Assistant to former President Buhari, Garba Shehu, did not comment on the issue.
However, an official in the previous administration, who pleaded anonymity for lack of authorisation to speak on the issue, told one of our correspondents that the decision of the Buhari government to suspend Onoghen from office was justified under extant laws.
The official said, “The case before the Code of Conduct Tribunal against Onoghen was the non-declaration of assets, an offence against the laws of the land, the Constitution. The records are there at the Code of Conduct Bureau that Onoghen had never declared his assets, but only twice: when he was appointed as acting CJN and when he was appointed as CJN.
“That was the only time he declared his assets. Never, as a high court judge, appeal or Supreme Court Justice. And he admitted that he didn’t declare his assets. And all these bank assets that they said should be released to him, the truth is, even when he declared as CJN, he did not declare those assets. But the man, by his admission, said that he did not declare. Is that not enough to fire him?
“So, if the government of the day decides that he has not committed any offence and that they have waived it off, then they can let him off the hook. That is a political decision.”
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The Catholic Archbishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah, has said that President Bola Tinubu, his predecessor Muhammadu Buhari, and other previous heads of state were not fully prepared before taking over power.
He insisted that Tinubu and other past leaders found themselves in power by accident.
Kukah stated this on Sunday while delivering a keynote address at the official commissioning of Start-Rite School’s new building and the 4th Amaka Ndoma-Egba Memorial Lecture in Abuja.
He lamented that the fundamental element missing in Nigerian leadership is knowledge.
The clergyman expressed concern that democracy appears to be malfunctioning under successive administrations.
He stated, “If we are to start from the beginning, you will find that almost every leader who came to power in Nigeria did so as a result of one accident or another. President Tinubu, who said he was prepared for the role, is struggling. We are still trying to get off the ground. He took over from Buhari, who had already given up.
“Buhari succeeded Jonathan, who thought he would retire after being deputy governor, but circumstances thrust him into power. Jonathan succeeded Yar’Adua, who had planned to return to teaching at Ahmadu Bello University after his governorship.
“Yar’Adua, in turn, succeeded Obasanjo, who was unexpectedly released from prison to become president. Obasanjo took over after Abacha, who was being positioned by five political parties to rule indefinitely until nature intervened.
“Abacha succeeded Shonekan, who was a business executive at UAC before being called to serve as Head of State. We can go on and on, but the fundamental issue in governance is knowledge. Leaders need a deep understanding of their environment.”
Kukah stressed that while the world has changed, the expectations of leadership have not.
Former Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central), has accused PresidentBola Tinubu‘s proposed tax reform bills of being discriminatory and favouring a few states, particularly Lagos, at the expense of others.
In an interview with Vanguard, Ningi alleged that the reforms, rather than addressing national issues, cater disproportionately to Lagos and two other states.
He described the bills as an attempt to exploit citizens’ silence and push through an inequitable fiscal agenda.
“The crux of the bill lies in its discriminatory nature,” Ningi emphasized.
He further criticized the President for disregarding the National Economic Council (NEC), chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima, which had rejected the reforms.
Ningi expressed concerns that the bills were now being fast-tracked through the National Assembly despite NEC’s objections.
“It’s disturbing that, after failing to convince the NEC, the President is now attempting to push these bills through the National Assembly,” Ningi said.
The Senator highlighted the inequitable distribution of Value-Added Tax (VAT) revenues as a glaring example of the system’s flaws.
“This is not about North or South. The pains of Bauchi are no different from those of Anambra, Ebonyi, or Katsina. Lawmakers must stand united against these reforms for the sake of the country,” he said.
He explained that VAT collected in Lagos on goods sold in other states is retained in Lagos, leaving the producing states without a share of the revenue.
Ningi said, “You buy maize in Kaduna without VAT. When the maize is processed into Semovita in Lagos, VAT is collected when it is sold back in Kaduna. That VAT is returned to Lagos. Where is the fairness or ethics in this system?”
He also pointed to similar disparities in revenue allocation from petrol sales and airtime purchases, which benefit the locations of company headquarters rather than the states where the products are consumed.
Ningi called for a complete overhaul of Nigeria’s fiscal structure, proposing a system where resource-producing communities retain their earnings and pay taxes to the federal government.
“If these bills pass through the National Assembly, there will be consequences. Many will pay the price for their indifference, lack of patriotism, and outright unresponsiveness,”Ningi warned.
The bills, which include the Nigeria Tax Bill 2024 and the Tax Administration Bill, among others, were transmitted to the legislature following recommendations by the Presidential Committee on Fiscal and Tax Reforms, chaired by Taiwo Oyedele.
The Tax Reform Bills have faced pushback from some state governors, particularly from the northern region, who argue that the proposed derivation-based VAT distribution model would disproportionately disadvantage their states.
Paul Ibe, media aide to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has launched a scathing attack on Daniel Bwala, recently appointed as a spokesman to President Bola Tinubu, accusing him of betraying his integrity for personal gain.
In a statement on Sunday, Ibe described Bwala as a man “without an iota of shame,” claiming he had conspired against his own dignity and values for selfish interests.
The remarks followed the circulation of a video compilation showcasing instances where Bwala, during his time as a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, publicly criticized Tinubu.
Before his appointment, Bwala served as an aide to Atiku Abubakar, who was the PDP’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections. His recent political alignment with Tinubu has sparked a backlash from his former party members and associates.
Ibe wrote in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter), “Shut up, Daniel Bwala! If you had any iota of shame, you wouldn’t be eating your own vomit. Or is this the case of the hand of Daniel and the voice of Bwala?
“You are the master of conspiracy. For the sake of your stomach, you conspired against your own integrity and dignity.
“You are damn right about God exposing humans for who they are in the fullness of time. God has already exposed you as a duplicitous, “double-faced infernal traitor and schemer.”
Office of Nigeria’s Auditor-General of the Federation has uncovered irregular payment for contracts amounting to N197.72 billion in Rural Electrification Agency agencies, Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc, a subsidiary of Central Bank of Nigeria, the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company and other ministries, departments, and agencies in the country.
The details of the findings were disclosed in the Auditor-General’s Annual Report on Non-Compliance and Internal Control Weaknesses, covering activities between 2020 and 2021.
These violations include irregular payment for contracts, and payment for jobs partially executed or not executed at all, contravening the country’s financial regulations and procurement laws.
Specifically, N7.386 billion was the amount of irregularities in the award of contracts by 32 MDAs.
REA topped the chart with N2.12 billion while NSPM recorded the least with N11.7 million.
“The sum of N7,386,551,051.09 (seven billion, three hundred and eighty-six million, five hundred and fifty-one thousand, fifty-one naira, nine kobos) was the number of irregularities in the award of contracts by 32 ministries, departments and agencies.
“The Rural Electrification Agency, Abuja, has the highest amount of N2,117,143,168.09 (two billion, one hundred and seventeen million, one hundred and three thousand, one hundred and sixty-eight naira, nine kobo), while the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company Plc (NSPM) has the least amount of N11,720,000 (Eleven million, seven hundred and twenty thousand,” the report indicated.
The worst revelation of the report showed that the sum of N167.59 billion was paid for jobs or contracts that were either partially executed or not executed at all. This contravenes Paragraph 708 of the Financial Regulations, which prohibits payments for services or goods not yet delivered.
In this aspect, the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc, an agency in the country’s power sector accounted for N100 billion of these irregular payments, making it the highest in this category. Meanwhile National Centre for Women Development recorded the lowest irregularity at N2.17 million.
The report read, “The sum of N167,592,177,559.40 (one hundred and sixty-seven billion, five hundred and ninety-two million, one hundred and seventy-seven thousand, five hundred and fifty-nine naira, forty kobos) was the number of payments for jobs/contracts not executed by 31 ministries, departments and agencies.
“The Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc., Abuja, has the highest amount of N100,000,000,000.00 (one hundred billion naira), while the National Centre for Women Development has the least amount of N2,171,766.44 (two million, one hundred and seventy-one thousand, seven hundred and sixty-six naira, forty-four kobo).”
Similarly, the report also uncovered violations of due process in contract awards amounting to N20.33 billion across 24 MDAs.
The violations are against Section 16(21) of the Public Procurement Act (PPA) 2007 which requires strict adherence to procurement plans and mandatory approvals before contract awards. Meanwhile, the audit report found that these requirements were often ignored or violated. The report showed that NSPM, a subsidiary of CBN was responsible for the highest amount of due process violations, totaling N14.14 billion, while the Corporate Affairs Commission had the least, at N8.98 million.
“The sum of N20,334,104,016.27 (twenty billion, three hundred and thirty-four million, one hundred and four thousand, sixteen nairas, twenty-seven kobo) was the number of contracts awarded in violation of due process by 24 ministries, departments and agencies.
“The Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company Plc Abuja has the highest amount of N14,136,472,333.16 (fourteen billion, one hundred and thirty-six million, four hundred and seventy-two thousand, three hundred and thirty-three naira, sixteen kobos) while the Corporate Affairs Commission has the least amount of N8,980,603.72 (eight million, nine hundred and eighty thousand, six hundred and three naira, seventy-two kobo),” it added.
Financial corruption has been the bane of Nigeria’s problem. In July 2024, the National Bureau of Statistics’s corruption survey report showed that Nigerians paid N721 billion as bribes to public officials in 2023.
[DailyPost]