Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, has expressed deep concern over the significant decline in pupil enrolment across schools in the state. He attributes this worrying trend to the escalating insecurity fueled by incidents of kidnapping, banditry, and related crimes. Governor Sani revealed that in response to the security challenges, the government has initiated plans to relocate 359 schools from areas plagued by terrorism. These schools will be merged with others in safer locations to ensure uninterrupted education for the children. Speaking at a capacity-building program organized by the Nigeria Police Force School Protection Squad in Kaduna, Governor Sani emphasized…
Author: Editor Francis
The Federal Government has initiated a new round of audits concerning the N2.8 trillion fuel subsidy claim made by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC). This move comes after an initial audit by KPMG, which reduced the claims from an initial N6 trillion to N2.7 trillion. In a recent revelation from the minutes of the Federal Account Allocation Committee meeting held in March 2024, it was disclosed that the government is considering engaging either an external audit firm or directing the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation to verify the claims made by NNPC regarding the amount…
Segun Olatunji, the General Editor of the prominent online newspaper, First News, has tendered his resignation amidst a controversy surrounding a published article implicating Femi Gbajabiamila, the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu. Olatunji’s article titled “How Gbajabiamila attempted to corner $30bn, 66 houses traced to Sabiu” resulted in his arrest and detainment by the Defence Intelligence Agency. This sparked outrage from various media bodies including the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Nigeria Union of Journalists, Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria, and International Press Institute, ultimately leading to his release. In a statement issued by the management of First News,…
Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Taiwo Oyedele, has clarified recent reports suggesting a proposed increase in VAT rates. Responding to claims made in The Nation, Oyedele took to his official social media platform to address what he described as a misinterpretation of the committee’s recommendations. According to Oyedele, the reports misrepresented the committee’s intentions. He emphasised that the proposed changes aim to alleviate the burden on businesses imposed by the current VAT system. Oyedele outlined key issues with the current system, including restrictions on input VAT claims and taxation of essential goods and services.…
In a recent policy exposure and impact assessment seminar organised by the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Chairman Taiwo Oyedele highlighted the necessity of adjusting Nigeria’s Value-Added Tax (VAT) rate. Oyedele emphasised the need for a review of the VAT revenue-sharing formula during the seminar held on Monday. The committee’s proposal entails a significant overhaul of the current VAT distribution mechanism. Specifically, Oyedele suggested a reduction in the federal government’s share from 15 percent to 10 percent, with states and local governments collectively receiving 90 percent. Currently, under Section 40 of the VAT Act, the federal government…
In a bold rebuttal, the Nigerian government has slammed cryptocurrency exchange giant Binance for what it calls “false allegations” of bribery. The allegations surfaced in a recent blog post by Binance’s CEO, Richard Teng, where he claimed that unidentified Nigerian officials demanded a staggering $150 million in cryptocurrency payments to resolve a criminal investigation against the company. The Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation issued a press statement categorically denying the claims made by Binance. According to the statement, the Nigerian government views Binance’s accusations as nothing more than a diversionary tactic and an attempt to tarnish its image…
Some Point of Sale (PoS) agents in the FCT, have frowned at the new directive of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) for them to register with the commission. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that CAC had on Monday issued a two-month registration deadline to PoS operators to register their agents, merchants, and individuals with the commission in line with legal requirements and the directives of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). The agents, who spoke to NAN in Abuja on Wednesday, said the registration, which would require money would impact the transaction costs paid by customers. Mr Kofi…
At the Okebadan Festival in Ibadan, the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, voiced strong support for the establishment of state police in Nigeria, branding those against the idea as enemies of the nation. Adams emphasised that the current state of insecurity across the country necessitates the urgent implementation of state policing to protect the lives and property of Nigerians. Adams criticised the allocation of significant security funds to governors through security votes while insecurity continues to plague the nation. He urged President Bola Tinubu to use his influence to push for constitutional amendments allowing for the creation…
According to Carlo Buontempo, Director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service, April 2024 marked another milestone in global warming trends. Buontempo noted, “If you look at the temperature it’s yet again another record-breaking month, and this means that the sequence, the streak of months, record breaking months that started last year in June is continuing and now we are at the 11th month, so that’s one thing and that’s true for the global mean average, it is also true for sea surface temperature.” Copernicus, the EU’s climate change agency, released data indicating that April 2024 was the hottest on record globally.…
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov recently hosted his counterpart from Sierra Leone, Timothy Kabba, in Moscow for discussions aimed at enhancing bilateral ties. During the meeting, Kabba extended congratulations to Russian President Vladimir Putin on his reelection victory and subsequent inauguration. “Today I am very pleased to be here to help deepen and strengthen cooperation between our countries. And I would like to congratulate President Vladimir Putin on his confident victory and his inauguration today and wish him and all the Russian people further prosperity.” Lavrov characterized Sierra Leone as Russia’s longstanding and dependable partner in Africa. He revealed plans…
In response to the prolonged delay in completing the $18.5 billion Abuja Centenary Economic City project, the Senate has taken decisive action by establishing a seven-member ad-hoc committee. This committee has been tasked with probing the reasons behind the project’s decade-long stagnation. Additionally, the committee has been mandated to review the original public-private partnership agreement and propose any necessary amendments to facilitate the prompt and efficient completion of the project within a specified timeframe. During deliberations, the Senate emphasized the importance of prioritizing the revival of the Centenary City project and urged the federal government to extend necessary support. It…
A 19-year-old Nursing Science student at Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, Oluwateniola Omidiji, finds herself in a predicament after being arrested by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on April 26, 2024. The arrest stems from an alleged debt owed by her mother, Mrs. Omoniyi Omidiji, to a business partner. According to reports, Oluwateniola was taken into custody from the school premises by EFCC operatives, disrupting her academic commitments, including crucial exams. The arrest revolves around a business transaction involving her widowed mother dating back to 2020. In a legal move, Oluwateniola has filed a fundamental rights…