Opinion

STRATEGIES OF SHEHU DIKKO IN SPORTS

Published

2 months ago

January 17, 2025

Felly Mammah

Chairman, National Sports Commission Alh. Shehu Dikkos says that everybodys positive impute in sports will place the sector in an enviable platform that will make it a reference point globally more so, as the country has energetic and vibrant boys that are the dream of most African countries and the admiration of the world.

The scripture asked a rhetorical question that “can two work together accept they agree”? This question seems to have been answered by the body language and gestures of both the Chairman of the Sports Commission Alh.Shehu Dikko and the Director General Mr Bukola Olapade. The subtle smile on their faces in every gathering shows compatibility expected to put same smiles on faces of Nigerians who have long desired workable transformation in the sports sector. The ease in the gesture of these sports administrators speaks volume that with togetherness a goal can be scored either through penalty shootout, from corner, from free kick or directly.

Their visit to President Bola Tinubu led by the Chairman recently, eulogizes the truth that the President maintains his stand and commitment for Alh Shehu Dikko to saddle the mantle of leadership in the sports sector. Pictures taken during their visit to the President captured a right choice made by him to have selected Shehu Dikko to manage Sports Commission going by his statement ‘Shehu, I am happy with u and see u on the Television’. This statement further explains his expectation for making the right choice and choosing the right persons with like minds to effect changes in sports sector.

Both the Chairman and the Director General have verse experience in sports as an added advantage that will enable them manage their shortcomings. Part of the reason for their presidential visit led by the Chairman, was to present both their strategical and action Road map plan to the President, which includes the plan to create a sports economy, infrastructure development and the National Sports Festival.

Among their desirous plea was for the President to respectfully, declare Sports as a National assets to be backed by necessary legislative frame work for proper development.
Alh. Dikko explained that part of his major challenge as expected by Nigerians is to turn sports around completely from what it use to be, to new world of competition likend to global expectation. He also, wants to xtray the possibility of achieving three Rs which includes resetting peoples thinking, refocus and redirect ideas for sports to be seen not only as medication to highblood pressure and entertainment industry, but now a money making industry that will be profitale to both the government, athletes, viewers and the business entreprenuers.

Shehu Dikkos active participation in sporting activities lives him with a drawn plan on how the minds of viewers particularly the management will be drifted from sports qualifications, participation and summer tourism to sports development and production to ensure that the eco system works accordingly.

This visit to the President since their assumption of duty, was a grate opportunity for them to let Nigerians understand their defined vision of what the sector should offer the general sports world. Serious focus according to the Chairman, will also, be to have very close synergy and as well, merge the experiences of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Major Stakeholders and strictly select credible coaches, serving and experienced retired sports administrators that will help change the face of sporting activities.

The Chairman Shehu Dikko was promising as he has assured Nigerians befor the President that the remaining 6 matches to be played for qualification for the World Cup and other significant matches that involve both male and female will be strictly monitored befor March 2025. The different sports fedrations especially the NFF according to him, will be more promising and as well, regain its lost wide audience.

However, The Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) Exco members led by their Abuja Chairman, Mr Chidoka and his National Secretary Mr Ikenna Okonkwo shortly visited the Sports Commission Chairman to pledge their commitment in di- eminating sports news in a manner that will not paint the country with a negative image. The SWAN chairman on behalf of others was emphatic as he assured Shehu Dikko that it is observed that negative representation through thier coverages is tantamount to presenting the image of sports in the country to a liken stage of deformation. Chidoka said that the country has both deligent and intelligent correspondence that can be reckoned with.

Surprisingly, Shehu Dikko himself is a writer with pedigree and have published books that are educative. He is seen as a man with vast knowledge possibly the reason he is flexible in communication and public relation. Some people no doubt have qualifications in criticism but this natural gift of thiers can be converted to workable eco system in line with Shehu Dikkos idea to raise the GDP of our country. Shehu Dikko has opened his doors to dialouges for better understanding of his three Rs to the general public especially those with goodwill of motivations

Felly Mammah
Press Officer.

Share on Facebook

Business

Tax Reform Bills: The Verdict of Nigerians

Published

2 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.

Share on Facebook