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Members of the House of Representatives from the northern part of the country have raised fresh concerns over the four tax reform bills currently under consideration in the National Assembly. They spoke at an interactive session organised by the House of Representatives with the members of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms on Monday. The bills, particularly the proposed amendment to the distribution of Value Added Tax (VAT) revenue, have sparked widespread debate. The bills are: The Nigeria Tax Bill 2024, which is expected to provide the fiscal framework for taxation in the country; and the Tax…

The Chairman of Igbo Etiti Local Government Area (LGA) of Enugu State, Eric Odo, has appointed a Senior Special Assistant on Garden Egg and Pepper. Odo also appointed a Senior Special Assistant Yam and Pepper. While Ezeugwu Frederick Ogbonna was appointed an assistant on Yam and Pepper, Nwodo Everestus Ugonna was appointed to advise the Chairman on Garden Egg and Pepper. According to their letter of appointment dated November 1, both Nwodo and Ezeugwu have been directed to report to the office of the executive chairman Igbo Etiti LGA, Ogbede, for briefing and deployment. “I am pleased to inform you…

Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Ola Olukoyede, has said two of the agency’s staff members were recently dismissed over allegation of corruption. Olukoyede disclosed this during the opening of the 6th Annual Criminal Law Review Conference organised by the Rule of Law Development Foundation in Abuja. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 5-day event is titled: “Optimising the Administration of Criminal Justice in Nigeria: How to Navigate Emerging and Systemic Challenges of Insecurity and Economic Hardship.” The EFCC chairman, who said the two officials were dismissed two week ago, said besides dismissal,…

STATE HOUSE PRESS STATEMENT PRESIDENT TINUBU APPROVES RESTRUCTURING OF MEDIA AND COMMUNICATIONS TEAM   President Bola Tinubu has re-designated the positions of two recently appointed officials in the State House media and communications team to enhance efficiency within the government's communication machinery. The restructuring is as follows: 1. Mr. Sunday Dare – hitherto Special Adviser on Public Communication and National Orientation is now Special Adviser, Media and Public Communications. 2. Mr. Daniel Bwala – announced last week as Special Adviser, Media and Public Communication, is now special adviser Policy Communication. These appointments, along with the existing role of Special Adviser,…

President Bola Tinubu has removed the Executive Secretary, Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), Dr Chioma Ejikeme, from office 13 months after her re-appointment for another four years in office. In a statement issued on Monday by the Head, Corporate Communications Unit of PTAD, Olugbenga Ajayi, the President announced Tolulope Odunaiya as the new Executive Secretary of the directorate. The statement noted that Odunaiya officially assumed office on November 18, 2024, at the PTAD Headquarters, succeeding Ejikeme, who served from August 2019 to November 2024. Tinubu had, in October 2023, reappointed Ejikeme as the PTAD’s executive secretary. In her first address…

The Chadian Government has repatriated no fewer than 600 irregular migrants from Nigeria who were found engaging in begging activities in various parts of the country. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that thousands of Nigerian refugees have fled Nigeria’s restive Borno state since 2019 at the peak of the Boko Haram insurgency to take refuge in neighboring countries of Chad and Cameroon. Mr Muhammed Barkindo, the Director-General of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), disclosed this to newsmen while profiling the refugees in Maiduguri on Monday. Barkindo said that the migrants were primarily from Borno, Kano, Sokoto and…

Ayodele Olorunfemi, candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the Ondo governorship election, says Peter Obi and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) ruined his chances of winning. On Sunday, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Lucky Aiyedatiwa, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as winner of the poll. The governor secured 366,781 votes in all 18 LGAs to defeat his closest rival Agboola Ajayi, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who polled 117,845 votes. The LP candidate secured 1,162 votes, finishing fifth from bottom in the 17-candidate off-cycle election. BACKGROUND On the eve of the election, INEC…

STATE HOUSE PRESS STATEMENT   FORMER PRESIDENT OBASANJO WAS NOT AN IDEAL LEADER TO EMULATE   In a recent display of his characteristic self-importance, former President Olusegun Obasanjo once again took to the public stage to bestow his unsolicited wisdom on leadership and governance in Nigeria. From his lofty perch, he blamed those who served after his tenure for the nation's myriad challenges.   Unfortunately, the former leader's habit of casting aspersions on every subsequent administration has devolved into a recurring pastime, overshadowing the expectation of an elder statesman to join a constructive dialogue on attaining national progress.   In…

Rep Philip Agbese (APC-Benue), Deputy Spokesman for the House of Representatives, says the parliament is committed to passing the tax reform bills initiated by President Bola Tinubu despite threats by the state governors. Addressing journalists in Abuja on Monday, Mr Agbese said the lawmakers considered the four executive bills “catalysts for economic growth” and would support them despite the governors’ threats to hinder lawmakers’ return to the House in 2027. The bills are Nigeria Tax Bill 2024, Tax Administration Bill, Nigeria Revenue Service Establishment Bill and Joint Revenue Board Establishment Bill. The bills seek to provide a fiscal framework and…

The lawmaker representing Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Chief Ibe Okwara Osonwa, has continued to receive accolades from his constituents for his effective representation in the Green Chamber. Our correspondent gathered that the lawmaker has initiated several impactful projects in the education sector, including the renovation of schools, the transformation of Ofali Agwu School into Abia’s first smart school, the installation of solar-powered streetlights in some communities within the federal constituency, road construction, training and empowerment initiatives with start-up grants, and many other interventions for his constituency. In an interview with the press on Monday, Mrs Mary…