Featured
FG kick-starts 59th Independence activities
…10 youths to win N10m, Buhari will leave legacies-SGF
The Federal Government Monday started activities to mark Nigeria’s 59th Independence Day Celebration.
Nigeria got her independence from Britain on 1st October 1960.
Speaking during the 59th Independence Day Celebration press briefing at the Radio House, Abuja, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, thanked God for preserving the nation to witness its 59th anniversary.
Mustapha, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary Political and Economic Affairs in the Office of the SGF, Gabriel Aduda, said efforts have been made to keep the nation one over the years despite its diverse challenges.
He recognized the fact that the country ought to be far ahead of where it is today.
President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, he said, is doing its best to leave long-lasting legacies in the country.
He said that 10 youths will have the opportunity to win N1 million each during the youth Concert scheduled for Monday 30th of September, 2019.
He said “First, we give thanks to God Almighty for preserving our lives to witness this Celebration. We pay tribute to our founding fathers who exhibited patriotism and spirit of nationalism during the struggle for Nigeria’s Independence.
“The struggle for Nigeria’s independence was not an easy one. It was a result of intellectual prowess, patriotic zeal, as well as a love of country that enabled our forebears to succeed in their struggle.
“Nigeria’s leaders since then have made varied contributions to building our nation-state. Above all, efforts have been made to ensure that the country remains united despite diverse challenges which are not unexpected in a multicultural society such as ours.
“Independence Day for us is a joyous occasion, but also a sobering one because we are beset with a lot of developmental challenges looking at how far we have come. Ideally, we should be far ahead of where we are right now as a people, but never the less President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration is not sitting on its oars, but working to ensure better livelihoods for the Nigerian People.
“It is the avowed determination of President Muhammadu Buhari to bequeath to the Nation a long-lasting legacy of improved infrastructural facilities and a better economy across the length and breadth of the country,” he stated
He said that there will be Juma’at Prayer & Special Lecture on Friday 27/09/19 at the National Mosque, Abuja.
Interdenominational Christian Service, he said, comes up on Sunday 29/09/19 at the National Christian Center, Abuja.
On Monday 30/09/19, he said there will be National Youth Entrepreneurship Empowerment Summit (NYEES2) Independence Edition at the International Conference Center, Abuja.
On the same day, he said there will be Youth Concert Independence Edition CD at the Millennium Park.
On Tuesday 01/10/19, he said there will be Independence Media Broadcast by the President by 7 am.
He disclosed that there will also be Presidential Change of Guards and Public Lecture/Gala Night at the State House on the evening of the same day.
Business
Tax Reform Bills: The Verdict of Nigerians

Ismaila Ahmad Abdullahi Ph.D
The public hearings conducted recently by the two Chambers of the National Assembly have elicited positive responses from a broad spectrum of Nigerians, cutting across regional interest groups, government agencies, civil society groups, concerned individuals, the academia, and Labour Unions, among diverse others. Contrary to a few dissensions hitherto expressed in the media, almost all the stakeholders who spoke during the week-long sessions were unanimous in their declaration that the hallowed Chambers should pass the tax reform bills after a clean-up of the grey areas.
The public hearings were auspicious for all Nigerians desirous of economic growth and fiscal responsibility. They were also a watershed moment for the Federal Inland Revenue Service, which had been upbeat about the tax reforms. Indeed, the public hearings had rekindled hope in the tenets of democracy that guarantee freedom of expression and equitable space for cross-fertilisation of ideas. Without gainsaying the fact, the tax reform bills have been unarguably about the most thought-provoking issues in Nigeria today, drawing variegated perspectives and commentaries from even unlikely quarters such as the faith-based leaders, student bodies, and trade unions, which speaks much about the importance of the bills.
In the build-up to the public hearings, not many people believed that the bills would make it to the second reading, much less the public hearings. Even the Northern stakeholders who seemed unlikely to support the passage of the bills have softened their stance and have given valuable suggestions that would enrich the substance of the bills. The Arewa Consultative Forum came to the public hearings well-prepared with a printed booklet that addressed their concerns. It concluded with an advisory that the bills should be “Well planned, properly communicated, strategically implemented and ample dialogue and political consensus allowed for the reforms to be accepted.”
The concerns of ACF ranged from the composition of the proposed Nigeria Revenue Service Board as contained in Part 111, Section 7 of the bill, the unlimited Presidential power to exempt/wave tax payment as proposed in Section 75(1) of the bill, the family income or inheritance tax as contained in Part 1, Section 4(3) of the bill, to the issues around development levy and VAT. On the development levy, the ACF stated that unless the Federal Government is considering budgetary funding for TETFUND, NASENI and NITDA, it does not see the “wisdom behind the plan to replace (them) with NELFUND”.
The position of the North was equally reinforced by the Supreme Council for Shariah in Nigeria, Northern Elders Forum, Kano State Government, Professor Auwalu Yadudu, and the FCT Imams. Like the ACF, these stakeholders lent their respective voices to the Section on the Inheritance Tax in Part 1 of the bill and the use of the term ‘ecclesiastical’, which, in their views, undermines certain religious rights and beliefs. The Kano State Government, represented by Mahmud Sagagi, affirmed that “we support tax modernisation” but cautioned that “we must ensure that this process does not come at the expense of states’ constitutional rights and economic stability”. Professor Auwalu Yadudu, a constitutional law professor, drew attention to the use of the ‘supremacy clause’ and cautioned that the repeated use of “notwithstanding” in the bills would undermine the supremacy of the Nigerian constitution if passed as such.
Other stakeholders that made contributions at the sessions included the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas, Fiscal Responsibility Commission, Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria, Nigeria Customs Service, and a host of others. While most of their concerns bordered on technical issues requiring fine-tuning, they were unanimous in their support for the bills. They aligned with the position of the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, Zacch Adedeji, Ph.D. and the Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Mr Taiwo Oyedele, which is that the extant tax laws and fiscal regulations are obsolete necessitating reforms aimed at creating a fair and equitable tax and fiscal space to grow Nigeria’s economy.
In one of the sessions, Dr Zaach Adedeji expounded on the criss-cross of trade activities in the Free Trade Zone whereby companies misuse tax waivers as exporters to sell their goods or services in the Customs Area at an amount usually less than the price the operators in the Customs Area who pay VAT and other taxes sell theirs thereby disrupting business transactions. This way, the operators in the Free Trade Zone shortchange the government in paying their due taxes by circumventing extant regulations, which are inimical to the economy’s growth.
Overall, the presentations were forthright, foresighted, and helpful in elucidating the issues contained in the bills. According to the statistics read out at the end of the hearings at the Senate, 75 stakeholders were invited, 65 made submissions, and 61 made presentations. At the House of Representatives 53 stakeholders made presentations. By all means, this is a fair representation. Given the presentations, it is evident that the National Assembly has gathered enough materials to guide its deliberations on the bills. As we look forward to the passage of the bills, we commend the leadership of the National Assembly for their unwavering commitment to making the bills see the light of the day.
Abdullahi is the Director of the Communications and Liaison Department, FIRS.
-
Featured6 years ago
Lampard Names New Chelsea Manager
-
Featured5 years ago
FG To Extends Lockdown In FCT, Lagos Ogun states For 7days
-
Featured6 years ago
NYSC Dismisses Report Of DG’s Plan To Islamize Benue Orientation Camp
-
Featured5 years ago
Children Custody: Court Adjourns Mike Ezuruonye, Wife’s Case To April 7
-
Featured3 years ago
Transfer Saga: How Mikel Obi Refused to compensate me After I Linked Him Worth $4m Deal In Kuwait SC – Okafor
-
Sports2 years ago
TINUBU LAMBAST DELE MOMODU
-
News3 months ago
Zulu to Super Eagles B team, President Tinubu is happy with you
-
Featured5 years ago
Board urges FG to establish one-stop rehabilitation centres in 6 geopolitical zones