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Gombe Governor Appoints Yakubu Kwairanga As New Emir Of Funakaye
By Abdulateef Bamgbose
Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya has approved the appointment of Alhaji Yakubu Muhammad Kwairanga as the new Emir of Funakaye.
The appointment was contained in a letter signed by the Commissioner, Ministry for Local Governments and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Ibrahim Dasuki Jalo.
According to the Commissioner, the appointment is in the exercise of the powers vested in the Governor under the Gombe State Chieftaincy Law 2022 and based on recommendations of the kingmakers of the Funakaye Emirate Council as well as due consultations.
Hon. Dasuki, while presenting the appointment letter to the new monarch at the Emir’s palace in Bajoga, Funakaye Local Government Area, charged the royal father to embrace all and sundry in his domain and build on the legacies of his predecessors.
He said “Almighty Allah has chosen Yakubu Muhammad Kwairanga as the next emir of this blessed Emirate from among many other eligible candidates from the royal family , as such I am appealing to the entire Funakaye Community to support and rally round the new monarch.”
He assured that Governor Inuwa Yahaya led administration will continue to accord special recognition and respect to the traditional institution in view of its role in the maintenance of peace and social cohesion.
While wishing the new Emir a peaceful reign, the Commissioner said the coronation and presentation of staff of office to the new emir will be held at a later date.
The newly appointed monarch is a younger brother to the late Emir Muazu Muhammad Kwairanga III who died on 27th August, 2022.
Featured
Tax Reform Bill Passage: New Tax Laws, Better Nigeria
By Arabinrin Aderonke
Nigeria must work; this is the vision we have held onto for so long. When the news came that the Senate had passed all four tax reform bills, it was one of those moments you stop and ask yourself, is this really happening? For years, Nigeria’s tax system has been a source of frustration, something we all got used to criticizing. Truthfully, it was not just tax. From electricity to education to healthcare, we have long complained about the failure of government systems.
On top of that, Nigeria remained tied to the unstable global oil market, leaving us with unpredictable revenue and a shrinking ability to fund our future. That is exactly why we must keep believing in the idea of a new Nigeria. And this time, it is not just another round of promises, this is action.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu understood that to truly rebuild Nigeria, we needed a tax system that would create sustainable revenue, spread the burden fairly, and give every Nigerian, rich or poor, north or south, a reason to trust government again. That is what led to the introduction of the tax reform bills in 2024. It has taken months of serious policy work, consultation, and courage. Now, with the National Assembly passing all four bills, the Nigeria Tax Bill 2024, the Nigeria Tax Administration (Procedure) Bill 2024, the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill 2024, and the Joint Tax Board (Establishment) Bill 2024, we are seeing decisions that could finally loosen Nigeria’s dependence on oil and give states the resources they need to grow.
One of the features is the new VAT sharing formula. Under the proposed structure, 50 percent of Value Added Tax revenue will be shared equally among all states, 20 percent will be distributed based on population, and 30 percent will be distributed according to actual consumption. It is a formula designed to balance fairness with performance, giving each state a stake while also encouraging economic activity and good governance.
The Senate also made it known that the VAT rate will remain at 7.5 percent, resisting pressure to increase it. For Nigerians, that means no new burden added to goods and services. But more importantly, the bills approved also provided for the continued funding of development agencies such as the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA). These are the institutions that support learning, research, and innovation across the country, and their survival is necessary for the future of the Nigeria we all want.
Another part of the bill is the plan to turn the Federal Inland Revenue Service into the Nigeria Revenue Service (Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill). But this is not just a name change. It is a coordinated effort to build a system that supports states, strengthens local government revenue, and makes tax collection more transparent.
Dr. Zacch Adedeji, Executive Chairman of FIRS, has led the redesign of the agency and introduced many measures aimed at improving tax collection across the country, and even these Tax Reform Bills are one. If anyone has earned respect in this space, it is him. His work shows that reforms are possible when people in charge are ready to do better.
As it stands, all four tax reform bills have been passed, and these laws are now in place. This means Nigeria has completed what many consider the most needed tax reform in years.
The process now moves to the harmonization stage, where both the Senate and House of Representatives will come together to resolve any differences in their versions of the bills. Once they reach an agreement, the bills will be sent to the President for his final approval. After the President signs them into law, they will be published in the official gazette, making them official. From there, the Federal Inland Revenue Service, which will be renamed the Nigeria Revenue Service, will take the lead in implementation. With the capable Tax Boss, Dr. Zacch, we can be sure that the results will exceed expectations.
This is the Renewed Hope Nigerians have been waiting for. The changes are here, these reforms give us the chance to do things right!
Arabinrin Aderonke Atoyebi is the technical assistant on broadcast media to the executive chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service
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