Ondo Governor Rotimi Akeredolu has assured he is on the path to recovery and will return to office soon.
Akeredolu embarked on a 21-day medical leave outside the shores of Nigeria.
The leave commenced on June 7 and ends today.
The Governor transmitted power to his deputy Lucky Aiyedatiwa to act while away.
In a statement on Thursday, the Ondo Governor thanked residents for their unwavering support, noting that he will return once his doctors deem it expedient.
The statement reads: “I pen this message with a heart overflowing with immense gratitude & deep appreciation. Your dedication, understanding, ceaseless prayers & messages of goodwill during my journey to recovery have been nothing short of a soothing balm for my soul.
“Your unwavering support and genuine affection have sustained my determination to renewed vigor and, most importantly, to continue serving you, the good people of Ondo State.
“I am profoundly grateful to our esteemed President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President @officialABAT, GCFR, and his team, as well as all political party leaders, my brother Governors, the State Executive Council, and the members of the State House of Assembly for their unwavering support.
“Your collective strength and solidarity have uplifted my spirit and reaffirmed my commitment to our shared vision for progress and development.
“While I remain on the path to recovery, I eagerly await the moment when I will stand among you once again. Rest assured, I am in high spirits and have full faith in the expertise of my doctors. I will return to you ALL as soon as they deem it expedient.
Read Also: Akeredolu thanks President, Govs, others for prayers, support
“My dear people, once again, your prayers, support, and the rejuvenating elixir of goodwill you have bestowed upon me have fortified my resolve. I am resolute in my dedication to serving you and working tirelessly for the betterment of our beloved Ondo State.
“Thank you from the depths of my heart.”
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Tajudeen Abbas on Thursday stepped down an amendment motion seeking to release Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
This followed a recommendation by Rep.Ginger Onwusibe (LP-Abia) following a motion by Rep. Eze Nwachukwu Eze (PDP-Ebonyi) in Abuja during plenary.
Eze had moved a motion titled “Need to Forestall Further Killings in Ebonyi Local Government Area, and the Rising Insecurityi in Ebonyi/Ohaukwu Federal Constituency, Ebonyi State.
But Onwusibe representing Isiala Ngwa North of Abia State had asked the House to amend the motion to ensure the release of Kanu so as to end the disturbing cases of killings in the south eastern part of the Country.
it would be recalled that Kanu had been in the custody of the Department of State Security (DSS) in spite ruling by the court to release the leader of the group
in his motion, Eze urged the President Bola Tinubu-led administration to consult with Political, Traditional and Religious Leaders in Ebonyi State and South East.
This according to him is to find a lasting solution to the Insecurity in the South East.
He also also urged the Acting Inspector General of Police to mobilise Armoured Personnel Carriers to strategic Points across Ebonyi State to forestall future attacks.
He further urged the Nigeria Police Force and other relevant security agencies to ensure effective policing of Ebonyi/ Ohaukwu Federal Constituency of Ebonyi, other States of the South-East and the entire country.
He also urged the Nigeria Police Force to engage in training of the vigilante group for intelligence gathering and effective community policing.
He asked that the House mandated the Committee on Police Affairs (lwhen constituted to make Budgetary provisions for the Nigeria Police force to acquire more combat Helicopters.
This according to him is to ensure proper surveillance of the South-East States and Nigeria in general.
However an amendment to the motion to include the release of Nnamdi Kanu was rejected and deferred by the Speaker who said the subject matter should not come under the motion on Ebonyi killings.
But Onwusibe said, the insecurity was as a result of the prolonged detention of Kanu, adding that the government should consider a way of releasing him so as to restore peace to the region.
However, Rep Ibrahim Halims, the Deputy leader of the House, rejected the amendment, saying, ” matters like that are always determined by court and not by parliamentary decision.”
In his contribution, Rep. Benjamin Kalu, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Reps. said the motion moved by Onwusibe was to find an amicable way of resolving the issue with regards to Kanu.
He added that what the prayer of the amendment should read was to urge Mr president to use any other diplomatic or political approach to find a lasting solution on this issue.
According to him, those of us from the region know where the shoe is pinching us.
In his ruling, Abbas said “this is a topical issue, my ruling on this is that I will defer ruling on this at this particular time and I will invite both the minority and majority leaders
This according to him is to consult and see what the point of the law says before I make my own position known.
“So while I rule on other motions and amendment that have been proposed, that particular one is suspended for ruling next week after due consultation.”
(NAN)
In Arogbo, Ese-Odo Local Government Area of Ondo State, a mentally ill man reportedly strangled a 17-year-old secondary school student to death.
The victim, identified as Timibra Meretighan, was taking his Junior Secondary WAEC examination at Ijaw National High School in Arogbo when he was attacked by the mentally ill man, who proceeded to strangle him.
According to an eyewitness, the mentally deranged man gained access to the school premises and the examination hall, causing the students to scatter in order to avoid harm.
Unfortunately, Meretighan, who couldn’t run fast enough, was caught by the suspect. The suspect held him by the neck and strangled him to death.
The mentally ill man claimed that he killed the victim because he had called him a madman. Seeking revenge, he traced the victim to his school and carried out the act.
The State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Funmi Odunlami, confirmed the incident and stated that the suspect had been apprehended by the state police.
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The principal of Ijaw National High School reported the incident to the police, explaining that a 27-year-old man forcibly entered the school premises and killed one of the students.
“The principal of Ijaw High School came to the station to report that one Oke Loya, 27 years old, who sought shelter at the security gate during the rain, strangled one of the students to death,” the PPRO said.
She continued, “He said the man killed one Timibra Meretighan, a 17-year-old boy from Arogbo-Ibe. The suspect claimed that the student called him a madman. The suspect has been arrested and detained in police custody.”
The First Lady of Lagos, Dr. (Mrs) Claudiana Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu on Thursday called on Christians from all denominations to embrace peace and unity for the progress and development of Nigeria.
The governor's wife gave the charge at the 2023 Lagos Praise 3.0, an annual event organized by the Office of the First Lady, Lagos to create a viable platform for the state's first family, graceful ladies, and members of the Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (COWLSO) to come together in collaboration with the five blocs of the Christian Association of Nigeria (C.A.N), Lagos State Chapter.
In her address, Mrs. Sanwo-Olu said this years theme: “Casting Crowns,” taken from Rev 4: 10-11. was chosen specifically to signify the act of laying down one’s crown and submitting to worship which is the essence of the gathering.
Dr. Sanwo-Olu urged all Christians, particularly in the five blocs of CAN to use the platform to worship God in holiness, saying the body of Christ is one.
She said,, "I therefore, heartily welcome you all to this intense praise session and urge you to enjoy the presence of God and be alive in the spirit to get the best from this worship service”
“Beyond this service, I admonish us in the light of Hebrews 12: 14 that we should follow peace with all men and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. Let’s embrace peace and be pure in our relationship with people”
She further explained that," The initiative started as a platform for the First Family, Graceful Ladies, and members of the Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (COWLSO), which is also chaired by me to come together in collaboration with the five blocs of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Lagos State Chapter.
“This is with the view to worshipping and appreciating God on a consistent basis for His faithfulness and loving-kindness and also to serve as an avenue to pray for good governance, peace, and development of Lagos State."
As it is tradition participants invited for the programme cut across the five administrative divisions of Lagos State namely Ikeja, Badagry, Ikorodu, Lagos Island, and Epe (IBILE).
Those invited to give the intense praise session the needed zest include; the eminent leadership of CAN and members of the Body of Christ, top government functionaries, security agencies, community leaders, grassroots groups, representatives of voluntary organizations, and the Organised Private sector.
There were also ministrations by the choirs from the Chapel of Christ The Light (CCTL), Evangelical Church Winning All/Fellowship of Churches of Christ in Nigeria (ECKWA/TEKAN), Organization of African Instituted Churches (OAIC), Christian Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (CPFN/PFN,) Christian Council of Nigeria (CCN),Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN), Lagos State CAN Mass Choir and Student Choir Groups. Also featured were two popular gospel musicians, Efe Nathan and Tosin Bee.
Nwonah Olubukonla,
DD, Public Affairs,
Office of The First Lady, Lagos
6th July, 2023
DD, PUBLIC AFFAIRS,
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has filed a six-count charge against Hudu Yunusa-Ari, the suspended resident electoral commissioner in Adamawa state.
The charges were filed at the high court in Yola, the state capital.
In a statement on Thursday, INEC said it took the action after reviewing the case file from the police which established a prima facie case against Yunusa-Ari.
The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) had arrested Yunusa-Ari over his conduct during the governorship election in Adamawa.
He was, however, granted administrative bail and asked to report to the headquarters of the NPF every weekday.
The electoral umpire, in its statement, said the court has fixed July 12, 2023, for the commencement of trial.
“As provided by Section 145(1) of the Electoral Act 2022, an offence committed under the Act shall be triable in a Magistrate Court or a High Court of a State in which the offence is committed, or the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja,” the statement reads.
“Furthermore, Section 145(2) of the Act provides that a prosecution under the Act shall be undertaken by legal officers of the Commission, or any legal practitioner appointed by it.
“Having reviewed the case file from the Police which established a prima facie case against Barr. Hudu Yunusa Ari, the Commission has filed a six-count charge against him at the Adamawa State High Court sitting in Yola.”
BACKGROUND
Yunusa-Ari had stirred controversy by declaring Aisha Binani Dahiru of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the Adamawa election when the collation of the results was yet to be completed.
INEC declared the announcement null and void and summoned the REC to its headquarters in Abuja.
Subsequently, the electoral umpire wrote to the police to prosecute Yunusa-Ari over the electoral infraction.
On April 20, President Muhammadu Buhari approved the suspension of the Adamawa REC pending the completion of the investigation by the police.
A day later, INEC said it was not aware of the whereabouts of Yunusa-Ari.
Speaking in an interview published by BBC Hausa, Yunusa-Ari said he wasn’t offered money to declare Binani as the winner of the election.
The suspended REC also said he never went into hiding.
The Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC) has summoned ex-Governor Abdullahi for questioning over the controversial dollar videos.
In 2017, Daily Nigerian, an online publication, had released some videos of Ganduje allegedly collecting kickbacks from contractors.
The ex-governor had denied the allegation, saying the videos were doctored.
But speaking Wednesday at a one-day public dialogue on ‘Anti-Corruption Crusade in Kano’, Muhuyi Magaji Rimingado,Esq chairman of PCACC, said the authenticity of the videos had been confirmed.
He said the videos were subjected to forensic analysis which indicated that they were authentic.
Speaking further at a programme on Thursday, Rimingado said Ganduje had been invited for questioning.
Hike In Terminal Charge By Opay, Moniepoint Is Turning POS Business Into Unattractive Venture — Operators
AdminThe new terminal charges imposed by fintech like Opay and Moniepoint Inc. and the high cost of operation have turned the Point of Sales (POS) business which was very lucrative a few months ago into an unattractive venture.
In Nigeria, millions of people survive and feed their dependents with the proceeds from POS business.
As of November 2022, POS machines deployed by merchants and individuals across Nigeria rose to 1.6 million.
The business saw its peak in February 2023 when the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) withdrew N1,000, N500 and N200 old notes valued N2trn and printed only N400bn.
During the period, currency circulation was N982bn down from N1.33trn in January.
Operators across the Federal Capital Territory who spoke to THE WHISTLER lamented how the recent review in terminal charges by at least N10 and the cost of buying receipt paper and other expenses have cut into their profit.
Sylvia Ojonne, a resident of Karu who is in her late 20s is an operator struggling to keep her POS business afloat.
She said, “Before terminal charges of N10,000 was N50 now it’s N60 and my customer’s charge rate is N150. So, I make N90, from every N10,000 transaction. We are just financing the rich while getting poor.
“I tried reviewing my charge, and my number of patronages dropped, this is because people have varieties of POS operators to patronize, and with the availability of cash in the system, chances of reviewing the charge rate are slim. Mind you, I transport myself to the bank to withdraw this cash. “
Ojonne also said the industry is saturated, adding that there are issues with the uniformity of charges among Abuja POS operators.
Since the removal of the fuel subsidy on May 29 by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the floating of the naira, inflation has spiked across the country. The Bank of America projects that inflation will hit 30 per cent in the coming months.
In Gwarinpa, Ubgon Etim, a father of three, told THE WHISTLER that the cost of financing his POS business is becoming overbearing.
Etim now spends double on transportation, almost 67 per cent more to buy printing papers and he is debited N10 extra for terminal charges.
Etim said, “In January a packet of receipt paper was sold for N900, now it’s N1,500. When I asked why it’s increasing almost every time I visit the market, I was told the dollar has increased.
“Aside from terminal charges, there is still a target that must be met daily, and it’s based on the nature of POS to be used. The government should have removed subsidy during the cashless policy, so we can suffer everything once.”
Elsewhere in Lagos and Enugu, POS operators have readjusted their prices to conform with economic realities.
Udoka Ikemefuna, a resident of New Haven extension, Enugu state told THE WHISTLER that charges on withdrawals and deposits from N6,000 to N9,500 are pegged at N300, while N10,000 to N13,000 is charged at N400.
Just recently, the Association of Mobile Money and Bank Agents in Nigeria, Lagos Chapter reviewed prices for transfers and withdrawals.
The Public Relations Officer of the association, Lagos Chapter, Stephen Adeoye tagged it as a unified price list for Point of Sales (PoS) transactions.
He said “N1,000 to N2,000, will be N100 for withdrawal. N3,500 to N4,000 N200. N4,100 to N6,400 N3,00. N6,500 to N7,900 is N4,000. Also, N8,000 to N10,900, N500. N11,000 to N14,000 is N600. N14,500 to N17,900 will be charged N700 and N18,000 to N20,000 is N800 for withdrawal.
“Like we said, depending on your location, you can also step it down for people depending on the circumstance but it should not go more than this.
“For deposits, N1,000 to N4,900 is N100; N5,000 to N10,900 is N200. N11,000 to N20,900 is N300. N21,000 to N30,900 is N400. N31,000 to N40,000 is N500 and N41,000 to N50,000 is N600 for a deposit or you call it transfer.”
DCP Abba Kyari has been granted bail by the Federal High Court in Abuja on charges that may involve money laundering.
In addition to being accused of money laundering, Kyari is also being held without bail on a primary accusation of trafficking cocaine.
On Thursday, Hamza N. Dantani, one of his attorneys, said on his Facebook page that the court had granted Kyari bail on the accusations of money laundering.
He wrote: ”Alhamudullhi! Abba Kyari’s Bail Granted by Federal High Court Abuja today.”
Recall that Kyari’s trial centres around the $61,400 cash and 25kg parcel of cocaine seized as evidence and believed to have been used as bribe to influence operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
According to the NDLEA, Kyari allegedly attempted to bribe a senior agency officer with $61,400 at a restaurant in Abuja to prevent testing a portion of the seized cocaine connected to two individuals arrested for drug pushing.
He is also under investigation after the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of the United States of America indicted him in the case of fraud involving Instagram celebrity Ramon Abbas, aka Hushpuppi.
Kyari was arrested and has been in detention since February 14, 2022, after he was declared wanted by NDLEA over alleged drug links.
Justice Nwite of the Federal High Court had refused Kyari’s bail application on charges relating to trafficking of cocaine.
The bail application was also rejected at the Court of Appeal.
Ag. IGP Olukayode Adeolu Egbetokun, the acting Inspector-General of Police, has dissolved the police crew that ran over a man in handcuffs in Edo State.
This was disclosed in a statement on Thursday, the force’s spokesman, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said this was a brave effort to address the unprofessional behaviour of some police officers assigned to the State Police Command.
In addition to restoring public confidence in the Police Force, Adejobi said that this action intends to regularise and standardise police activities in the axis.
The statement read further, “Additionally, the operatives involved are currently facing disciplinary charges and administrative procedures. This move underscores the commitment of the IGP to hold officers accountable for their actions which will never be tolerated in the Nigeria Police Force.”
He not that the IGP reiterated his commitment to ensuring the highest standards of professionalism and ethics while urging members of the public to always cooperate with Police Officers in the discharge of their statutory duties.
The Chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC), Nasir Kwarra, on Thursday, revealed that President Bola Tinubu will announce the new date for the national population and housing census that was postponed last April.
This followed a meeting with the president at the Presidential Villa, Abuja where the Commission provided him an update on its activities so far.
Briefing correspondents after the meeting, Kwarra said the Commission has submitted its report to the president who will take a decision on the new date after studying it.
The NPC boss affirmed that the Commission, which has already expended N100 billion from the N200 billion requested so far, is likely to incur additional expenses because of the delay in the conduct of the exercise.
On the meeting with the president, he said: “We briefed him fully on the level of our preparedness, the outcomes that we envisage and I’ll like to say that Mr President has graciously approved to support the Commission in the conduct of census and our preparatory activities, though we’re not stuck at all, but he has given us the courage and the impetus to upscale our preparation.
“So, we’ll continue our preparations and we’ll hear from him eventually, the date that the census will take place because we’ve made a submission to him that he will study before getting back to us.
“But as for the assurance of support, he has given that to us and we thank him immensely for this for also realizing the importance of data for the purpose of national planning and development.”
More details to come later…
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The acting executive chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Abdulkarim Chukkol, also said that cybercrime is a major crime, particularly, among undergraduates and fresh graduates of tertiary institutions due to presence of a number of academic institutions in the state.
Speaking at a one-day media training/workshop organized by the EFCC for print/electronics/online reporters in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital on Thursday.
Represented by the zonal head of the anti-graft agency, Michaels Nzekwe, at the workshop on Effective Reporting of Economic and Financial Crimes, the commission said that activities of illegal solid mineral operators posed grave threat to the local and national economy, through non-payment of royalties, taxes and other dues.
“The commission has been active in tackling their criminalities and will continue to ensure that extant laws against illegal miners are enforced”, he said.
The EFCC boss, who said that Nigerians should not wait until they suffer any loss on economic and financial crimes before they move against corrupt practices, added that, “economic and financial crimes remain a threat to our individual and corporate progress.
“It is not only by being a victim of these crimes that we suffer losses. We also suffer limitations when our neighbours, colleagues, institutions and nation fall prey to them”.
He charged the nation’s journalists on patriotism, saying that, “as journalists, we owe our nation and the entire world an obligation of exposing every shadiness and criminal acts through our reporting.
“Journalism is the best gateway to whistle blowing and I charge the media to deploy more time, energy and commitment in exposing all fraudulent activities in our midst”.
In one of the presentations, titled, “New trends in cybercrime: how not to become a victim” by Alex Ocheme of the EFCC, the commission said that cybercrime had eaten over $8 trillion of victims’ hard earned finances in the world.
He, however, said that legal bottleneck is one of the factors hindering cross border corruption investigation in the anti-corruption war.
Ocheme said that not all African countries, for example, had passed the law on cybercrime, adding that since one cannot compel those countries to try corruption offenders with such law, means that, “the money stolen is gone”.
“Each nation is entitled to its laws. They are not necessarily there to work with you. Some countries are fast to assist you in the war against cybercrime while some are not. For instance, if the UAE is not ready to collaborate with you on a cybercrime investigation, it means the money lost is gone”, he said.
Legendary Nigerian Actor Richard Mofe-Damijo, also known as RMD, has surrendered his life to God as he turns 62.
The actor took to Instagram to share a dark-themed photo of himself on Thursday, expressed how overwhelmed and grateful he is.
“SIXTY-TWO! Completely grateful and thankful.
“God I surrender, Use me! I’m ready.
“Again and again. Enable me!,” he captioned.
Osita Chidoka, Nigeria’s former Aviation Minister whose foundation owns the Computer Based Test (CBT) Centre where the embattled Ejikeme Mmesoma sat her Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), has spoken up on what he knows about the controversies surrounding the result obtained by the candidate.
Ms Mmesoma and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) have engaged in accusations and counter-accusations over the authenticity of the candidate’s claim of scoring 362 in the 2023 UTME.
With the acclaimed 362 score, Ms Mmesoma said she was the highest scorer in the examination as against the 360 reportedly scored by another candidate, Umeh Ukechinyere.
JAMB said that based on its record, Ms Ukechinyere scored the highest mark in the 2023 UTME and not Ms Mmesoma.
In a video which has since gone viral on social media, Ms Mmesoma displayed a notification of a result slip containing the 362 score, which she claimed was generated from the JAMB portal. But the examination body has since disclaimed the document, saying it stopped using such format for result slips in 2021.
Meanwhile, JAMB has announced the withdrawal of the candidate’s 249 score, and suspended her from taking the examinations for the next three years.
But in what seems to be in defence of JAMB, Mr Chidoka has raised some questions that suggest that the candidate’s paraded score is fake.
Red flags
Mr Chidoka said he observed two red flags from the result presented by Ms Mmesoma. First, he said the centre’s name, as spelt on the slip the candidate presented, was last used in 2021.
He added that the result format was also last used in 2021, a position earlier maintained by the examination board.
“Since 2021, the JAMB portal stopped referring to our centre as Thomas Chidoka Center for Human Development,” he wrote in an opinion piece.
“The correct name on the JAMB portal and the Main Examination Slip is Nkemefuna Foundation (Thomas Chidoka Center for Human Development).”
He said JAMB had in 2021 insisted that the centre should change its name to reflect the name on its Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) registration. This, he said, was implemented in 2021.
“Due to the difference in our CAC registration details, JAMB insisted we change to Nkemefuna Foundation with Thomas Chidoka in a bracket as an identifier,” he said.
According to Mr Chidoka, all examination slips for the centre now bear ‘Nkemefuna Foundation’ with ‘Thomas Chidoka Centre’ in a bracket.
“But the result she (Ms Mmesoma) presented had just Thomas Chidoka Centre without the prefix, Nkemefuna Foundation. This error raised my suspicion about the genuineness of the presented result,” he added.
The second red flag, he said, was the same one that JAMB has repeatedly flagged in this controversy.
He said a look at the result slip showed that it was different as “those who took the last examination at our centre showed a different result slip template with the candidate’s passport picture, JAMB watermarks, and no mention of the name of the examination centre.”
He said he waited for the candidate to explain how she got the result, which he said was obviously not approved by JAMB.
He said: “I gave the young Mmesoma the benefit of the doubt and waited to see if she would explain how she got the result, which is obviously not the approved JAMB result template used in 2023. Without that explanation, I knew it was a fake result.”
Bola Tinubu, president of Nigeria, has signed four Executive Orders, among which is the suspension of the five percent Excise Tax on telecommunication services as well as the Excise Duties escalation on locally manufactured products.
Dele Alake, Special Adviser to the President on Special Duties, Communications and Strategy, announced this on Thursday while briefing journalists at the State House in Abuja.
He stated that the President also signed the Finance Act (Effective Date Variation) Order, 2023, which now defers the commencement date of the changes contained in the Act from May 23, 2023 to September 1, 2023.
According to the presidential spokesman, this is to ensure adherence to the 90 days’ minimum advance notice for tax changes as contained in the 2017 National Tax Policy.
President Tinubu also signed The Customs, Excise Tariff (Variation) Amendment Order, 2023, shifting the commencement date of the tax changes from March 27, 2023 to August 1, 2023 and also in line with the National Tax Policy.
Tinubu also ordered the suspension of the newly introduced Green Tax by way of Excise Tax on Single-Use Plastics, including plastic containers and bottles as well as the suspension of Import Tax Adjustment levy on certain vehicles.
Alake equally explained that the President issued these orders to ameliorate the negative impacts of the tax adjustments on businesses and chokehold on households across affected sectors.
He however reiterated the President’s commitment to reviewing complaints about multiple taxation, local and anti-business inhibitions.
He also noted that President Tinubu’s administration will, therefore, continue to give requisite stimulus by way of friendly policies to allow businesses to flourish in the country.
The President assured Nigerians that there will not be further tax raise without robust and wide consultations undertaken within the context of a coherent fiscal policy framework.
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