THE Senate through its Committee on Finance on Monday frowned at the N17tn loss incurred by the country on tax waivers within the last five years. It consequently urged the Federal Inland Revenue Service to suspend the tax waivers being largely abused and substitute it with a rebating system. The Senate’s objection to the allegedly abused tax waivers came to the fore during the 2024 budget presentation of FIRS to its committee on Finance. Some of the beneficiaries of the waivers include Dangote Group, BUA, Lafarge, Air Peace, NNPC, NDIC, and 23 Other Firms. Similarly, the Chairman of FIRS, Zacch…
Author: Abdullahi Maitama Sani
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CEMENT manufacturers in Nigeria have agreed to bring down the price of the product to between N7,000 and N8,000 per 50kg depending on the location nationwide. The manufacturers present also expressed their readiness to bring down the prices in the future as soon as the Federal Government intervention is fulfilled. This agreement between the Federal Government and the manufacturers was reached at a meeting called by the Minister of Works Senator David Umahi on Monday in Abuja. Also in attendance at the meeting was the Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment Doris Uzoka-Anite. Uzoka-Anite says efforts are being made to…
THE Abuja Electricity Distribution PLC has threatened to disconnect the electricity supply of 86 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) over a total debt of N47.1bn. News Point Nigeria gathered that some of the MDAs include the Ministry of Finance, Information, Budget, Works and Housing, barracks, Nigeria Police Force, Presidential Villa, CBN Governor, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), and state liaison offices in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). In a disconnection notice on Monday, the disco gave the MDAs 10 days to comply and defray their debts or risk…
PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu, on Sunday, met with his Brazilian counterpart, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and had fruitful discussions on comprehensive strengthening of bilateral ties in all fields, the Presidency has said. A statement by Tinubu’s media aide, Ajuri Ngelale, noted that the Nigerian leader, at the meeting, emphasized the strength of Nigeria’s economic potential and influence, saying the country is witnessing a leap forward, despite some short-term reform pains, as his administration is removing all encumbrances to business. The President further explained that his administration is investing in critical sectors of the economy like…
THE Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said it realised about N556.74 million from its ongoing e-auction of 462 impounded vehicles. It also dispelled rumours of allotting 300 vehicles to a single individual. The National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) 100 Compliance team, had in a statement, accused members of the e-auction committee of a monumental fraud. In the statement signed by the National Coordinator of the Compliance Team, Alhaji Tanko Ibrahim, it was alleged that over 300 impounded vehicles were allotted to one person at the rate of N10,000 per vehicle. The National Public Relations Officer of the Service,…
THE Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) will hold a two-day nationwide protest over the hardship being experienced by Nigerians as well as the deteriorating security situation in the country. NLC President, Joe Ajaero, disclosed this during a press briefing in Abuja on Friday after an emergency meeting of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the union. He said the protest will begin a week after the expiration of the 14 day ultimatum it issued to the Federal Government which will expire on February 23. The planned days for the nationwide protest is February 27 and 28. On February 8, the NLC…
THE Federal Government alongside the governments of the 36 states are considering the creation of state police. This followed an emergency meeting between President Bola Tinubu and state governors at the Aso Rock Villa on Thursday. Thursday’s meeting follows the recent hike in food prices, economic hardship, and pockets of insecurity recorded nationwide. Addressing State House correspondents after the meeting, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, explained that the process is still in its infancy and would only take shape after more deliberations between stakeholders. He said, “There is also a discussion around the issue of state…
PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment and reappointment of eight Board Chairpersons and Chief Executive Officers under the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare This was disclosed in a statement by the Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to the President, Ajuri Ngelale, Thursday. The appointees are as follows: (1) National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC): Board Chairperson: Dr. Mansur Kabir Chief Executive Officer: Prof. Moji Adeyeye (2) National Blood Service Commission (NBSC): Board Chairperson: Prof. Abba Zubairu Chief Executive Officer: Dr. Saleh Yuguda (3) Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN): Board Chairperson: Prof. Afolabi Lesi Chief Executive…
THE Federal Government has discontinued the trial of the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, and his co-defendant, Olawale Bakare, (also known as Mandate). The decision to discontinue the trial was communicated to the Federal High Court in Abuja via a notice of discontinuance, dated February 14 but filed the next day by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi. The notice reads: “By virtue of the power conferred on me under Section 174 (1) (c} of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended, Section 107 (1)…
OPERATIVES of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) police command have arrested seven notorious kidnappers in Abuja, recovering N9 million ransom. The police commissioner in FCT, CP Benneth Igweh, while parading the suspects at the command on Wednesday, said the wanted kidnappers were arrested by operatives of the Utako police division led by CSP Victor Godfrey in a coordinated operation at Tudun – Wada Lugbe and Pyakasa area of Trademore. He gave the names of the wanted kidnappers as Usman Muazu from Kwali, FCT, Aliyu Mohammed, from Pumpomare area of Borno state, Awwal Dahiru, who hails from Gwagwalada area council of…
PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has asked the Senate to confirm the appointment of five persons as board of directors of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Tinubu’s request was contained in a letter read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during plenary on Tuesday. He said the request was in compliance with the provision of section 6(1a) of the section 10(1)(2) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Establishment Act 2007. The nominees are: Robert O. Agbide, Ado Yakubu Wanga, Murtala Sagaley, Urom Eke, and Olayinka Aliyu. Tinubu urged the Red Chamber to approve his request expeditiously. The Senate president thereafter referred…
THE Presidency has requested the Interpol National Central Bureau to place a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) staff and two others on its Red Notice. The request was in connection with their alleged conspiracy and forging of documents in the name of ex-president Muhammadu Buhari to steal the sum of 6.23 million U.S. dollars in cash from the CBN. A document obtained by News Point Nigeria on Tuesday put the names of Odoh Eric Ocheme, who is a staff of the CBN, Adamu Abubakar and Imam Abubakar on the list sent to the Interpol. The request was made by the…
PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has awarded the Super Eagles team the Member of the Order of the Niger(MON) national honour for their impressive display at the just concluded AFCON 2023 tournament held in Ivory Coast. They were also given one flat each and a plot of land in the FCT Nigeria came in second place, losing the trophy to the hosts who were the eventual winners The Nigerian team were received at the State House on Tuesday where they were conferred with the titles. All the team members and officials were in attendance including Alex Iwobi, who had faced cyber-attacks over…
EMIR of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, has urged Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, to convey the message of the teeming populace about the hunger and starvation in the country to the President, saying the hardship is more alarming. The Emir made the call when the first lady paid him a courtesy visit at his palace on Monday. Mrs Tinubu visited Kano to attend the opening of a Faculty of Law building at Maryam Abacha American University named after her. The emir said, “Although we have several means of communicating to the government on our needs and request, your…
THE Federal Road Safety Corps has arrested a total of 614,051 traffic offenders across the country in 2023, this newspaper gathered. The figures were in a document made available to our correspondent on Friday. According to the document, Lagos State topped the list with 61,882 arrested traffic offenders. The Federal Capital Territory and Kano follow this with 43,682 and 38,154 arrested traffic offenders respectively. A further breakdown in the document showed that Ogun recorded 37,948 arrested traffic offenders; Kaduna 31,472; Oyo, 31,447; Kwara, 28,277; Osun, 22, 565; Kogi, 22,377; Ondo, 17,798; Niger, 17,726; Delta, 16,741; Edo, 15,727; Rivers, 14,925; Benue,…
THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has declared Margaret Emefiele, wife of a former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, and three others, wanted for money laundering. News Point Nigeria reports that Mrs Emefiele, Mr Eric Odoh, Anita Omoile and her husband, Jonathan Omoile, were declared wanted Friday night for allegedly conspiring with the former CBN Governor “to convert huge sums of money belonging to the Federal Government of Nigeria and committed felony to by obtaining money by false pretences, and stealing, contrary to and punishable under Sections 411, 287, and 314 of the Criminal Law of…
THE Governor of the Central Bank, Yemi Cardoso says the measures taken so far by the apex bank to stabilize foreign exchange rates have started yielding positive results. He noted that these measures would help to stabilise the foreign exchange rates and minimize the distortion that high exchange has on inflation, as they are closely related. Cardoso, who disclosed this during a briefing of the Joint Senate Committee on Finance, Banking, Insurance and Financial Institutions on Friday, said that $1bn has come into the Nigerian market in the past few days through the CBN interventions. “We have already begun to…
PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has directed the mandatory recitation of the National Pledge after the National Anthem at every official and public engagement. Tinubu who spoke at the groundbreaking ceremony of the 3,112 housing-unit Renewed Hope City at Karsana, Abuja, on Thursday said the imperativeness of respecting national values, promoting the nation’s ideals, and abiding by its established norms. “Before I left home this morning, I asked for a printout of the National Pledge, and we have to relaunch it again at this event. The relaunch is about being committed to the values, greatness, and hope of our country. It is…
PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has ordered the immediate release of food items from the strategic reserve to cushion the effect of hardship in the land. Nigerians have been lamenting the rising cost of living, mounting pressure on the Federal Government to reverse the trend. On Thursday, Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, announced that the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security is to release about 42,000 metric tons of maize, millet, garri and other commodities in their strategic reserve. Idris, told State House correspondents after a series of meetings of the Special Presidential Committee on Emergency Food Intervention…
THE House of Representatives has resolved to investigate some officials of Federal Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies involved in alleged certificate racketeering with Nigerian students. The resolution followed the adoption of a motion on the floor of the House, on Wednesday, moved by the member representing Birniwa/Guri/Kiri-Kasamma Federal Constituency of Jigawa State, Abubakar Fulata. Recall that a Daily Nigerian newspaper reporter, Umar Audu had, in December 2022, bagged a degree from a university in Cotonou, Benin Republic, in six weeks and subsequently participated in the mandatory National Youth Service Corps scheme. Audu subsequently accused unnamed officials of the Ministry of…