Mr. Yunana Barde, Chairman of Jema’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State, has called for calm over the outbreak of a yet to be confirmed disease in Kafanchan on Wednesday night.

Barde made the call on Thursday, while speaking with newsmen at the General Hospital in Kafanchan.

He urged the people not to panic as all hands were on deck to contain further spread of the disease.

The council boss commended the General Hospital for its prompt response in providing a temporary isolation centre for suspected cases of the disease.

Meanwhile, the Medical Director of the General Hospital, Dr Isaac Nathaniel, said that resuscitative measures were being carried out on 10 suspected victims on admission, adding that their samples had since been collected for investigation.

“Last night I was notified of the outbreak of what looks like a respiratory tract infection at Ward B community in Kafanchan.

“I quickly dispatched a team of medical and laboratory personnel who got in touch with three of the suspected cases.

“We counselled them to come to the hospital for proper evaluation and treatment, after seven more victims were brought in today.

“We are doing all we can, to stabilise them and give them treatment while we carry out investigation,’’ he added.

He said the victims were children between ages three and 13 who displayed symptoms ranging from sore throat, headache, fever, difficulty in swallowing and breathing amongst others.

According to him, the state epidemiologist and his team were on their way to Kafanchan from Kaduna to ascertain the epidemiologic basis of the outbreak and its spread.

On the alleged death of about 10 people from the ailment, Nathaniel said it was ‘hearsay’ as none of the purported dead bodies had been brought to the mortuary.

“We were notified of some deaths last night but none of the so-called dead bodies has been brought to us. So, it’s all hearsay for now,” he said.

He called on residents of Kafanchan to be on the look out, as measures are put in place to prevent further spread of the disease.

The outbreak has forced many primary and secondary schools in Kafanchan to shutdown pending the conclusion of medical investigation. (NAN)

Four persons have been arrested by the operatives of the Anambra State police command in connection with a lady who was killed and dumped in abandoned swimming pool of a hotel in Awka, the state capital.

The state commissioner for culture, tourism and entertainment, Hon Don Onyenji, has said the hotel had been sealed off by the state government pending the outcome of the police investigation of the incident.

The police public relations officer in the state, DSP, Ikenga Tochukwu told LEADERSHIP Friday yesterday that those now in the police custody over the matter wasa celebrant who was marking his birthday in the club located in the hotel where the lady, aged about 30 years.

One Miss Chinyere Awuda was killed and her body dumped in the hotel’s abandoned swimming pool.

The police spokesman however did not disclose the name of the celebrant and the three other suspects, he said the others were staff members of the club which name he gave as “The Same”.

Not a few persons were shocked as tongue wagged in Awka as the video of the floating body of the lady in a swimming pool became viral yesterday.

Sources said that Miss Chinyere who was a popular clubber in the capital city was beaten to death by friends of the birthday celebrant in the club on Saturday for allegedly stealing money being sprayed on the celebrant.

It was learnt that while the celebrant was being sprayed money, Chinyere was caught picking up the money and pocketing it, a development that was said to have infuriated some of the celebrant’s friends who after beating her to death, dumped her lifeless body in the abandoned swimming pool in the hotel in Awka.

The police image-maker said the other suspects were being trailed.

A fresh crisis is brewing in the All Progressives Congress (APC) over the choice of former Kano State governor, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, as the next national chairman of the party, with his zone, the South West, staging the first protest against the move.

National vice chairman (North-West) of the party, Mallam Salihu Lukman, has warned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and APC governors against the choice of Ganduje as replacement for the erstwhile national chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu.

According to him, the decision is suicidal and the height of insensitivity that may upset the zoning arrangement of the party.

With his zone championing the protest against the decision to make him the next national chairman, there are indications that the former Kano governor may be bracing for a bumpy ride, replete with stiff opposition, to the chairmanship seat of the governing party.

Lukman’s warning is coming 24 hours after reports emerged that President Tinubu and APC governors may have tipped Ganduje as the next national chairman of the party after the resignation of Adamu and the national secretary, Senator Iyiola Omisore.

In a statement issued in Abuja yesterday, the APC national vice chairman said, “So far, as things are, only the President and Governors blocs are active in the negotiation to produce and engage leaders of APC. Already, part of the speculations emerging from the Governor’s bloc is that Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje is being considered to succeed Sen. Abdullahi Adamu. If this is true, it only suggests insensitivity and taking members of the party for granted. This is without prejudice to the person of Dr. Ganduje.

“This is because such a choice will completely distort the zoning arrangement that informed the present configuration of the leadership of the National Assembly. With the Speaker of the House of Representatives and Deputy Senate President coming from North West and North Central shut out of consideration, to propose the party’s National Chairman move to North West from North Central will be unjust.

“We must caution our governors that since the emergence of APC, governors have served almost as the conscience of the party. Any consideration for such an insensitive and unjust consideration of Dr. Ganduje to become the National Chairman of APC must be discarded. If anything, the position of National Chairman of the APC must be retained in North Central.

“Part of the challenge of managing the current transition within the party is getting the NWC to properly take the driving seat in managing and facilitating negotiations to produce and engage leaders of the party. The NWC must sit up and guide the unfolding negotiations. No single power bloc should be allowed to appropriate the process,” he said.

In the statement titled, “APC: Way Forward,”, Lukman asked President Tinubu to douse tension by speaking on the matter in order to return the APC to its founding vision of progressive politics.

He noted: “This is where the intervention of the President, being the leader of the party, would be required to moderate the excessive conduct of any power bloc, especially when such conduct risks further damaging the prospect of returning the APC to its founding vision.

“At these early stages of President Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s leadership of the party, he needs to make that strong intervention to guide the process of restoring constitutional order and returning the APC to its founding vision of progressive politics. Progressive politics must be about inclusion and justice and not some blind and insensitive considerations.

“Following the resignation of Sen. Abdullahi Adamu and Sen. Iyiola Omisore as National Chairman and National Secretary respectively, there is all manner of speculation as to which way forward. Of course, understandably, most of the speculations, if not all, are driven by interests to control the affairs of the party.

“It is, therefore, necessary that at this very early stage of negotiating new leadership for the APC, we caution all our leaders that the only way we can justify the exit of Sen. Abdullahi Adamu and Sen. Iyiola Omisore out of the leadership of the APC is by demonstrating a commitment to restore constitutional order in APC and return the party to its founding vision of being a progressive party. These are issues that would appear to be taken for granted and if not engaged could be abused by power blocs within the party, which could lead to the emergence of leaders that are worse than Sen. Adamu and Sen. Omisore. This must be avoided.”

Adamu, Omisore Served APC Well, Resigned Voluntarily – APC Governors

Meanwhile, governors on the platform of the APC have finally broken their silence on the exit of Senator Abdullahi Adamu as national chairman and Senator Iyiola Omisore as national secretary, saying they resigned voluntarily.

They also absolved the duo of any wrong doing during their tenure in office, noting instead that they served the party meritoriously.

Chairman of the Progressives Governors’ Forum (PGF) and Imo State governor, Hope Uzodinma, gave the governors’ position while addressing journalists after meeting of the APC governors in Abuja on Wednesday night.

The meeting held behind closed doors at the Imo State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja, started at about 9.54 pm and ended at 11.12 pm.

Uzodinma debunked reports suggesting that there is crisis in the party, just as he said the APC governors were in support of Adamu and Omisore’s resignation.

He stated that both Adamu and Omisore served the governing party to the best of their abilities while APC enjoyed increased fortune under their administration.

He said, “I am aware some of you are anxious to know what is going on in our party and the country. We deliberated on so many issues that have to do with our party, the APC. You must have heard of the resignation of the National Chairman of our party and the National Secretary of the party. Those are voluntary actions that have been taken with due respect to our national chairman and our secretary.

“We commended the wisdom in what they have done and they served us well in the party, we are happy with the services and the party is united, there is no crisis in the party. They are happy; we also are happy. So, we are in support of their actions and they would continue to be commended, respected, and recognised for the services they have rendered to our great party.

“Their resignations have also been accepted by the leadership of the party. There is now an acting chairman and acting Secretary”.

Uzodinma further said the APC governors were conscientiously working with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to address the current hardship Nigerians are going through as a result of removal of fuel subsidy.

He apologised for the recent adjustment in the pump price of petrol from the previous N550 to N617, assuring that the current hardship occasioned by the skyrocketing cost of food, petroleum products and cost of living will soon be addressed.

He also refuted reports that the governors are silent on the plight of the citizens because the increase in the cost of fuel means more money to them through the Federation Account Allocation Committee.

He continued: “I decided to deal with the controversial social media posting of our upcoming FAAC. We are aware that the result of the removal of the fuel subsidy will increase the volume of money that would be received by us during the Federation Allocation Account meeting.

“We are working with the Federal government to ensure that the proceeds of that FAAC will be utilised in a manner that the citizens of the country are happy, the Labour happy and we also the practitioners happy. The economy of the country would be protected. So what has happened is something that we should be happy about.

“The current hardship occasioned by the price increase on both food, Petroleum products, and cost of living is being addressed. The sub-national government is working with the Federal Government and tomorrow (Thursday), there would be National Executive Council to discuss further that”.

The National Economic Council comprising 36 state governors and Vice President Kashim Shettima has concluded a plan for state governments to implement cash transfer programmes using state-generated social registers.

It said states-generated social registers would better reflect the number of vulnerable Nigerians to be reached with such cash transfer or palliative scheme.

This came on the heels of the plan by the government to roll out its intervention measures to cushion the effects of the hardships facing Nigerians, following the removal of the controversial fuel subsidy.

At its last meeting, the NEC had set up a sub-committee, which was tasked with coming up with plans to reduce the harsh economic conditions trailing the removal of fuel subsidy and the unification of the exchange rates.

“It is states that are better positioned to do that enumeration to ensure the integrity of the social register,” the Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun, told State House correspondents after the NEC meeting chaired by vice president at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja on Thursday.

Abiodun spoke alongside the governors of Anambra State, Prof. Charles Soludo; Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed; and Acting CBN Governor, Folashodun Shonubi.

He said states-generated register “is aimed at enhancing the integrity and reliability of the National Social Register and ensuring that resources go to the intended beneficiaries.”

However, the decision to adopt state-generated cash registers means the governors are dumping the existing National Social Register, which as of 2023, has captured over 61 million vulnerable Nigerians eligible for various government social programmes.

He explained, “We also proposed that each state begin to plan towards implementing a cash transfer programme based on their social register of the states.”

The NEC also proposed the implementation of a six-month cash award policy for all public servants.

The six-month cash award policy, Abiodun said would allow sub-national entities to pay their public servants a prescribed amount of cash monthly.

The implementation of the CAP would be based on the individual capacity and priority of various states, he said.

He said, “It was prescribed that it should be implemented for six months in the first instance. And you’ll be wondering why six months.

“The idea is that as much as we’re also particular about ameliorating the pains of our people immediately, a lot of sustainable measures are being put in place and it’s our hope that within now and the next six months, those sustainable measures would have begun to be visible. And then we can begin to taper down on these cash awards.

“These would be funds that will be placed in the hands of civil servants that will be tax exempt,” he explained.

Disclosing the feedback of the subcommittee from its last meeting to journalists, Abiodun said NEC explained the importance of the proposed Cash Award Policy for civil servants, payment of outstanding liabilities to civil servants, and providing Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises with single-digit interest rates to support business growth, amongst others.

Meanwhile, justifying the need for states-generated social registers, the Anambra Governor said the existing version compiled by the Buhari administration lacks the integrity to form the basis of the government’s intervention.

“There’s a big question mark about the integrity of the so-called National Social Register. We have questions about how those names in the register were brought about and I’m sure one question I hear asked is whether it is for the most vulnerable group.

“Now, in thinking through that, we felt that sitting in Abuja and calling on somebody in Anambra to compile a list and send it to you and then the person, depends on who he brings, and the registers are generated and people go to those villages and ask where those people are and they don’t show up,” Soludo said.

The former CBN governor, who called for stress testing as a means to generating a credible register said, “If you are delivering any such national or federal programme from Abuja, it needs to be delivered via the governments that are there using their format and mechanisms to generate the comprehensive register.

Subsidy removal: Anambra commissioner backs Tinubu, says policy good for Nigerians
“That meets certain criteria, that you can stress test and you can call out the people in the village and everyone will confirm that these are the vulnerable people if you are targeting vulnerable people, as it were.”

“So the integrity test is what is missing with that register. Many have just described what is being counted as National Register as bogus; some describe it as a phantom, some in all manner of terms,” Soludo added.

On the amount to be doled out under the cash transfer programme, the Anambra State governor said there would be no uniform figure as it would depend on the capacity of respective states.

He said state governments with outstanding salaries and allowances to pay must prioritise clearing the backlog instead of implementing cash transfers.

Soludo explained, “There is quite some fiscal surplus that will come to the states, local governments, and federal government.

“And we’ve suggested that it will be nice that you can implement cash transfers, subject to your financial capacity. Some might be able to do one; some might be able to do 10; some might be able to do 20, as the case may be. It depends on their capacity.

“There may be states that are not even able to do that now. For example, suppose you have a state where salary arrears of workers have been owed for three years or four years. In that case, the priority now is to start paying down some of the salary arrears or where pensioners have been owed their pension and gratuity for several years.”

He added that the NEC proposed negotiating a new minimum wage as part of medium and long-term strategies.

Soludo also debunked notions that the Federation Account Allocation Committee would share N1.96tn to the three tiers of government in July 2023, saying the amount accrues to N900bn.

He said, “Contrary to the widely reported news item that FAAC was going to destroy about N1.9tn or N2tn and so on trending, I think it is one of the ways to moderate the possible impact of the shock on the system to distribute I think barely just N900bn of that. And so it’s not the N2tn that people have been saying.”

On his part, the Bauchi State governor, Bala Mohammed, said that the Federal Government would distribute 252,000 metric tons of grains to states at a subsidised rate. This is as the Council backed the planned distribution of grains, fertiliser starting July 24.

“In terms of the quantity of grains that will be distributed, I’ve just conferred with the Acting CBN governor. They have more than 252,000 metric tons of grains and almost an equivalent number of bags of fertilisers that will be distributed within the timeframe (of six months),” he said.

Mohammed explained that the National Emergency Management Agency made its package available to Nigerians.

Also speaking, the acting CBN governor, Folashodun Shonubi, said the Federal Inland Revenue Service briefed the council and announced that it had exceeded its half-year target and plans to generate N25tn in 2024.

Shonubi said, “The Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue was making a presentation on what they have done so far, the level of collections. It was nice to know they are ahead of their target for half-year. And we expect that before or by the time the year ends, they would exceed.

“They also gave us some idea of what next year should be like from them. And from this year, we hope to make some N10tn.

“It is planning that next year, we should be able to, working with all the agencies, provide N25tn as their contribution to the national coffers.”

The council also proposed an immediate implementation of energy transition plants, converting mass transit buses to Compressed Natural Gas with a long-term vision to establish electric automobile plants

It urged all tiers of government to be responsive to the people’s sufferings and address the rising cost of governance while balancing investment and consumption.

Former Delta State Governor, James Ibori’s attempt to relaunch his political career is at risk as a London court has threatened a fresh 10-year jail term over money he’s expected to pay up.

A state prosecutor on Thursday had requested a London court to order confiscation of $129 million from the Nigerian politician, according to Reuters.

Ibori who once straddled the Nigerian political space like a colossus is facing renewed threat of prison sentence following his conviction of fraud in the UK.

He was convicted and served sentence after being extradited to the UK in 2011 from Dubai, where he had been hiding after escaping the Nigerian anti-graft agencies.

He was charged with laundering a “corruptly acquired fortune” and pleaded guilty in 2012 to 10 counts of fraud and money laundering.

He was sentenced to 13 years in jail in a British rare case of convicting foreign politicians who looted their countries’ wealth.

Ibori’s case was particularly novel being that despite many years of accusation that Nigerian politicians loot their country’s wealth and stash them abroad, none had been convicted.

His case was hailed as an outlier.

But the question of what should actually be returned by Ibori, who was twice governor of oil-rich Delta, has been a constant focus in court despite serving his sentence.

But new evidence provided by Judge David Tomlinson of Southwark Crown Court appears to be bringing the case to a close.

On Thursday, after an argument about the computation of one of the biggest loot by a politician from Nigeria, the judge is expected to issue the final order on Friday or shortly afterward.

According to the lead prosecution counsel, Jonathan Kinnear, the total amount that should be confiscated from Ibori was £101.5 million.

He implored the judge to sentence Ibori to 10 years or not less than 5 years if he did not pay up.

Ibori who has been appearing at social functions and trying to redeem his battered image returned to Nigeria in 2017.

He has failed to attend all subsequent hearings. He was also absent at Thursday’s hearing.

The politician who has visited President Bola Tinubu twice and was part of the ex-governor Nyesom Wike’s team that hosted Tinubu before his inauguration as president has been left fuming at the fresh development.

The dissatisfied Ibori said he would appeal whatever judgement is issued via his Facebook page on Thursday.

“Finally, the shenanigans in the Southwark Crown Court are drawing to a close. Judge Tomlinson is due to make a confiscation order which should be both realisable and not punitive,” Ibori said on his Facebook page.

He added that, “However, after what transpired in court today my hopes are rapidly fading for any degree of fairness.

“In the 2 years it has taken to write this judgement it seems apparent that he has forgotten many of the salient points and is prioritising expediency over justice.

“The next step will be to take my fight for justice to the highest courts in the UK.”

THE WHISTLER reports that Ibori’s wife alongside his sister was also jailed in the UK on accusation of helping him launder public funds.

In 2021, his wife returned £4.2 million as part of the loot to the British government.

With a heavy heart, I join others in bidding farewell to the illustrious Prof. Kole Omotoso, a man whose intellect and unwavering integrity left an indelible mark on all who had the privilege to know him.

I had the honour of meeting Prof. Kole Omotoso during the era of the former Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, who was a close friend of the esteemed professor, although, I had come across some of his works during my days at the Aquinas College, Akure. 

It was during Mimiko’s period that I witnessed Prof. Kole's exceptional artistry, crave for good governance, egalitarianism and genuine concern for others.

During my time as the Board Chairman of Ondo State Radiovision Corporation (OSRC), I had the opportunity to interact more with Prof. Kole, and from that moment on, he became not only a respected elder but also a dear friend. His wealth of knowledge was freely shared, and he generously offered his invaluable consultancy and guidance without any expectation of reward.

Throughout that period, Prof would diligently monitor every programme being aired on OSRC and OrangeFM, and he would take the time to call me with genuine and constructive comments, whether in favour or against certain content. He went beyond mere critique and actively advocated for the government's attention to be drawn towards these stations, ensuring that they were watched across government offices and establishments. His persistence and efforts were instrumental in shifting the focus from viewing foreign stations to viewing, promoting and supporting the State's Television and Radio Stations within government establishments.

I could not say for certain if this laudable feat is still being upheld by the present Government of Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu, but there is no denying that having someone as dedicated and passionate as Prof Kole Omotoso was a tremendous asset to the development of the State. His selfless dedication to utilizing his expertise for the betterment of the State has left an indelible mark and serves as an inspiration to us all.

Yet, despite his exceptional talents and accomplishments, Prof. Kole Omotoso remained unassuming and detached from material possessions. I recall encountering him along Oba-Ile Road, taking a solitary walk very early in the morning to Alagbaka Government House without any concern for personal safety. 

I pulled over beside him to offer him a lift which he instantly rejected and when I expressed my worries over his security, he simply smiled and said, "No one can take anything from me, and if I'm kidnapped, I shall tell Iroko not to pay a penny for my release” Such was his unwavering spirit, unyielding to material allurements.

His artistry prowess knew no bounds, and he was renowned for his esteemed creative works that touched countless lives. But beneath his brilliance, he displayed an unmatched compassion for others' well-being. I remember him urging me to connect and reach out to a distant and older cousin, the foundational National President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and former Chairman of The Nation newspaper, Prof. Biodun Jeyifo while expressing concerns about his well-being. 

This is typical of Prof. Kole, asking about the well-being of any mutual friends we share at all times despite him making personal contact with them. His genuine concern for the people in his life went beyond mere courtesy or formalities; it was a reflection of his compassionate soul. 

His compassionate, loving, and caring nature was second to none, and he possessed a heart that knew no boundaries. He made it a point to ensure that those around him were doing well, regardless of the passage of time or the physical distance that may have separated them. Prof. Kole's departure leaves a profound void, and he will be deeply missed by all whose lives he touched.

May his legacy of artistry, integrity, and compassion continue to inspire us as we bid farewell to this luminous soul. 

Rest in peace, Uncle Yebo Gogo. 

Adieu Prof Bamikole Ajibabi Omotoso.

Aareonakakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, has condemned the continuous hike in the prices of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) otherwise called petrol, saying its effects were biting very hard on Nigerian citizens and had put the entire nation on its knee.

The Yoruba generalissimo said this on Thursday in his reaction as Nigerians have been pouring out their minds on the incessant price increase of petroleum products in the country, insisting that Nigerians can no longer bear the hardship.

Iba Adams in a statement signed by his Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Kehinde Aderemi, said the situation had added to the plights of ordinary Nigerians, saying such skyrocketing increase had never happened in nation’s history.

This was just as he noted that there was no oil-producing country like Nigeria in the entire world where the citizens were groaning in pain over insensitive increase in the prices of fuel, describing the situation as unfortunate and unexpected.

“This situation is becoming very unbearable. There is no country in the world like Nigeria (a major producer of oil) where the citizens are groaning in pain over insensitive increase in the prices of fuel.

“We know how much we buy fuel before now. Nigeria is yet to survive the subsidy removal that led to the sudden increase in the price of fuel from N187 to N500 per litre before it was jerked up now to N617 per litre within two months. It is painful. No sensitive government would be happy when the citizens are suffering.

“It is imperative for me to speak up, especially, with what we experience now in the country. It is unfortunate, this is not what we expect from a
president that is coming from the Southwest region of the country,” he said.

“As a product of this democratic struggle; a political activist and the father of the nation, President Bola Tinubu must know that the citizens are his children. Therefore, a father must work on the best way to solve the problem of the children.

“With the present situation in the country, three state governors have declared a three-day work-free day for civil servants in their respective states.

“The national leadership of the College of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) had directed its members nationwide to attend their respective workplaces only two days a week.

“The new directive was premised on the recent price hike on fuel, and this has worsened the cost of transportation, food and other essential commodities increasing by over 300 percent,” he added.

Iba Adams further condemned the fuel price increase, noting that all over the world, many things, including Power, Healthcare, Food Items, among other necessities had been subsidized in the interest of the mass of the people. Power, health, food and other necessities of life are being subsidized.

According to him, an ordinary Nigerian worker travelling from Mainland to Island on a weekly basis would spend 25 litres of fuel per day, amounting to over N15,000; N75,000 per week, and over N300,000 a month.

Iba Adams described the present situation the country had found herself as too bad, calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu “to retrace his step in order to save the country from this hardship,” even as insisted that all over the world governments still subsidize critical sectors of the economy, including energy because of productivity’s sake as, according to him, n”o economy survives high cost of energy.”

“That is too bad for Nigeria and Nigerians. Energy, including petrol, diesel, or gas needs to be subsidized because of productivity’s sake. No economy survives high cost of energy.

“It is the responsibility of every government to subsidize food-that is what is called food security. When the government subsidizes energy that is energy security.

“Presently Germany has subsidized electricity, and it would cost 5 billion Euros for its industrial output in 2023. What it means is that the government of Germany has taken up about 80 percent of the cost from industrialists and major manufacturers in the country.

“This is added to the fact that in German government subsidized food, energy, health and housing and they have an enduring welfare and social security scheme that caters to the needs of vulnerable and indigent citizens of the country,” Adams said.

“As at 2022, China has subsidized energy with 130 billion dollars. And also, over 100 billion dollars is being used to subsidize energy supply in Britain.

“All over the world, governments are subsidizing energy to boost productivity. It is sad that presently people are losing their jobs, more businesses are collapsing, companies are folding up and tension is heightened in the country.

“Hyperinflation is setting in and it shows nothing but the insensitivity of the new administration.

“Nigeria runs an informal economy and PMS is the most important energy source in Nigeria, therefore, President Tinubu has to retrace his step in order to save the country from this hardship,” he concluded.

The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has announced a total tax revenue collection of N5.5trn for the half-year period of January to June 2023.

This is the highest tax revenue collection ever recorded by the Service in any first six months of a fiscal year.

Mr. Muhammad Nami, Executive Chairman of the FIRS stated this while presenting the 2023-2024 tax revenue outlook to the National Economic Council at its meeting held on Thursday 20th July 2023, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The presentation, which contained FIRS’ 2023 Half-Year Collection Report, showed that the FIRS achieved over one 100 percent of its target for the first-half of the year when compared with a mid-year target of N5.3 trillion.

According to the report, tax revenue collected from the oil sector from January to June 2023, stood at N2.03 trillion, as against a target of N2.3 trillion; while non-oil tax collection stood at N3.76 trillion, as against a target of N2.98 trillion.

Nami, in his presentation, further stated that the Service collected a total of N1.65 trillion tax revenues in June 2023. This sum is the highest tax revenue collected by the Service in any single month.

Speaking to what he described as “a good head start, despite stubborn headwinds,” Nami attributed the excellent performance to improved voluntary tax compliance enabled by the automation of FIRS’ tax administrative processes.

“This is a good head start as we work towards meeting our target for the year. And it was achieved despite stubborn headwinds such as the impact of the currency redesign and 2023 General Elections on the economy in the first and second quarters of 2023”, said Nami.

“This half-year performance was achieved as a result of improved voluntary tax compliance by taxpayers, the continued improvement of automation of our tax administration processes, including the updated VAT filing processes; as well as our dogged engagement with stakeholders in both the formal and informal sectors of the economy,” he concluded.

Commenting on the outlook for the remaining half of the year, the FIRS Executive Chairman gave assurances that the country should expect “better days ahead” in terms of tax revenue collection.

“We believe that the performance in the second half of the year would be better considering the continuing improvement to our tax administration processes and positive impact of current government’s policies on the economy,” said the Executive Chairman.

It would be recalled that the Service achieved a total collection of N10.1 trillion in the year 2022, being the highest tax collection ever made by the FIRS in a single year.

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has disclosed its readiness to commence the automation of the passport application process to eliminate the difficulties Nigerians experience while applying for passports.

This was made known by the Acting Comptroller General of NIS, Caroline Adepoju, who appeared as a guest on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme today.

According to her, the Service is eager to get rid of physical interactions during the passport application process.

She said, “One thing Nigerians know about the Nigeria Immigration Service is the issuance of the Nigerian passport, and we know the number of Nigerians that have applied for passports in the past two years has been very high and unprecedented.

“But be that as it may, the service is working hard to ensure that we meet the expectations of Nigerians. Number one, we are automating our passport application process; we are trying to ensure that we cut out the human interface.

“Our applications are available online, and we are trying to sensitize our applicants that they should go online for these applications to avoid patronizing lots.”

The Acting Comptroller General emphasized that due to the passport’s nature as a security document, issuance of passports will require some time as a result of various procedures, including security checks, address verification, and other necessary steps that need to be completed.

Speaking on the duration of time it takes to get a passport ready, she said, “It takes six weeks to get the passport ready, while it takes three weeks for renewal.”

She also enjoined the citizens of the country not to wait until their passports expire before commencing the renewal process, adding that those applying for the first time don’t necessarily have to wait until they need the passport before starting the application process.

“So, I try as much as possible to let people know that if you are renewing your passport, don’t wait until it is completely expired. You can start your application process when you have six months validity on it. Then for fresh applicants, they don’t have to wait until the very last moment when they need the passport.”

She, however, disclosed that all hands are on deck to ensure that those seeking passport renewal don’t need to visit the NIS offices since their data has already been captured.

The Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) has told the Presidential Election Petitions Court (PEPC) that there is no credible evidence backing the reports tendered by the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, that he was shortchanged by 2.5 million votes in results of the presidential election declared by the electoral umpire.

Obi had tendered 18,088 blurred polling unit results at the tribunal, claiming that they were downloaded from the INEC Results Viewing Portal (IREV).

Obi, who had petitioned INEC, President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, and the All Progressives Congress, alleged that results from those polling units show that a total of 2,565,269 votes were not reflected in his score, aside from his claim of non-compliance with the Electoral Act 2022.

THE WHISTLER reports that on March 1, INEC’s Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu announced Tinubu as the winner of the polls with 8,794,726 votes while Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi of the Labour Party were said to have scored 6,984,520 votes and 6,101,533 votes, respectively.

On June 15, Obi’s legal team led by Dr. Livy Uzoukwu SAN presented a professor of Mathematics at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra, Eric Uwaduegwu Ofoedu, who testified before the tribunal that the 2023 poll was rigged in favour of President Tinubu with alleged connivance of INEC officials.

Ofoedu who said he specializes in numerical-functional analysis and data science, told the PEPC that when he compared the 18,088 blurred results with Form EC8As (polling unit results) given to Labour Party agents at the affected PUs, Obi was allegedly shortchanged by 2,565,269 votes.

“I observed that, from the IREV portal, scores on Form EC8As of 39,546 polling units were inaccessible – contain uploads not connected with the Presidential Election.

“From the IREV portal, 18,088 polling units results were blurred. This number of PUs negatively impacted the votes of 2,565,269 accredited voters and 9,165,191 voters that collected their PVCS,” he said in his witness statement on oath.

But in their final written address dated July 14, INEC’s lead counsel, A.B. Mahmoud SAN, said Obi failed to provide credible evidence to back his claim.

Mahmoud maintained that Obi’s witness, having not tendered or demonstrated before the PEPC the polling unit results he used in writing his report, the court should discountenance it.

“Curiously, if the 18, 088 Polling Unit results as uploaded on iReV are blurred, what of the duplicate copies in the possession of the Petitioners’ Polling Agents?

“We submit that the totality of the testimony and evidence of the so-called experts (PWs 4, 7 and 8) called by the Petitioners are manifestly unreliable and cannot ground the incidents of non-compliance pleaded by the Petitioners.

“We submit that there is no credible evidence to prove that votes in those 18,088 polling units were suppressed, just because blurred results were allegedly uploaded on the iReV. The petitioners have only left the same to conjecture and speculation which never form part of the determination of the Court,” Mahmoud stated.

He urged the court to declare that LP polling agents’ copies did not form part of his report tendered before the Court and cannot be relied upon.

Meanwhile, the professor had told the PEPC during cross-examination that he thought Obi’s team had already tendered the said polling unit results as evidence.

Mahmoud maintained that “No attempt was in fact made by the Petitioners to present any of their Polling Agents’ copies to show any discrepancy since the blurred results were alleged to have been uploaded with a view to: Suppressing votes.”

He there asked the court to dismiss Obi’s petition, adding that INEC conducted the polls within the confines of the law.