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PDP Chieftain Condemns Gov Obaseki’s Ill-treatment of Philip Shaibu

Published

2 years ago

August 29, 2023

…Suspects Impeachment Plot

Prominent member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Edo North, Chief John Asekhauno has condemned what he perceive as harassment of the deputy governor of Edo State, Comrade Philip Shaibu, by Governor Godwin Obaseki and his aides.

In a press statement released yesterday, Chief Asekhauno expressed deep concern over the reported incident, claiming it was an affront to democracy, assault on political legitimacy, and a grave violation of the rights of an elected official.

He firmly denounced any harassment or intimidation against political opponents who ran on the same ticket with him, emphasising that it had no place in a civilised society.

Narrating the ugly event that took place at the Sir Victor Uwaifo Creative Hub and Soundstage, the venue of the 60th anniversary of the Midwest Referendum celebration on Airport Road, Benin City, yesterday, Chief Asekhauno noted that against the narrative pushed by Mr. Chris Osa Nehikhare, the Edo Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, that Comrade Shaibu ushered in his counterpart from Delta State and was already seated in the hall, an hour before the arrival of Governor Obaseki at the venue.

The party chieftain, who claimed to be an eyewitness, revealed that it was upon the realization that none of his media aides was within sight that the deputy governor sought to find out where they were so they could capture special moments for his office at the event, then he went to ask after his aides.

He noted that on getting to the entrance of the venue, he was surprised that all his media aides were outside as the security personnel to the governor would not allow them access into the hall, claiming that they were not accredited to be part of the media crew covering the event.

“I suspect that all the efforts by Philip Shaibu to get his media aides into the hall, which the security details of the governor rebuffed, may have been the reason he stormed out of the venue as he felt he was not needed there.

So, the narrative by the commissioner that the deputy governor does not like attending state functions is an attempt to malign him, and the stoppage of his media aides may have been orchestrated to get the deputy governor to react to gather impeachment offences against him.”

Recalling the incident of Sunday, the August 29, where in a viral photograph, a security detail of Governor Obaseki was seen at an interdenominational service at the Festival Hall of the Government House, preventing the deputy governor from greeting his principal, the PDP chieftain said “such actions not only degrade the dignity of those involved but also cast a negative shadow on the efforts towards building a united Edo State, and I think the good people of Edo State deserve leaders who prioritisme the welfare of the citizens over personal animosity.”

Chief Asekhauno urged Governor Obaseki to adhere to the principles of democratic governance and lead by example. He emphasized that political differences should be resolved through constructive dialogue, not by resorting to power plays or harassment.

The PDP Chieftain called on all stakeholders to work towards fostering an inclusive and collaborative political environment for the benefit of all Edo residents.

Chief Asekhauno further demanded a thorough investigation into the alleged incident to ensure that those responsible for the harassment face appropriate consequences.

He stressed the need for accountability and transparency in governance, urging the state’s leadership to focus on fulfilling their campaign promises instead of engaging in political hostilities.
Asekhauno appealed to all political actors in Edo State to prioritise unity, development, and good governance above personal or party interests.

He remarked, “It is time for our leaders to rise above pettiness and work towards the common goal of making Edo State a model of progress and prosperity.”

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Business

Tax Reform Bills: The Verdict of Nigerians

Published

3 weeks ago

March 6, 2025

The Gleamer

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.

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