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NDUME THE PETREL AND TINUBUS TAX REFORMS OF TROUBLE.By: Inuwa Bwala
NDUME THE PETREL AND TINUBUS TAX REFORMS OF TROUBLE.By: Inuwa Bwala
Intrigues, intimidation, blacknail,bribes, and lobbying were said to be part of the strategies used in the moves to get the 4 Tax Reform Bills presented to the National Assembly by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu passed.
Unconfirmed reports had it that, Senators were offered N50m each, while N30m was dangled before each member of the House of Representatives.
Recalcitrant Senators and members were either threatened or blackmailed, even as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s foot soldiers employed lobbying tactics to get the bills passed.
But like the infamous Third Term Bill of the Olusegun Obasanjo era, the bills seem to be heading for the dustbin. Nigerians, especially Northerners, have never been so united in opposing a particular government policy, as they did over the obvious ill-fated tax reform bill of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
In what could be described as a courageous stance against their own government, members of the rulling All Progressives Congress, APC, were in the vanguard of campaigning against the bill and may eventually shoot it down.
Both Senators and members of the House of Representatives, seem to tow the lines of the Northern Governors Forum, the Arewa Consultative Forum and the National Economic Council: all of whom advocated for the withdrawal of the bills, to allow for wider consultations and Public sensitization.
To them, the tax reform bills are delicate and require a deeper reflection on the mood and socio-economic realities of the country, before presentation, and passage.
In the face of attempts by their leadership to have the bills sail through, the lawmakers were vehement in opposing the passage of the bills, arguing that the mood of the country and the socio- economic realities in Nigeria cannot accommodate the assumed bebefits.
The petrel in the red chambers, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume: who represents Borno South Senatorial District, seem to have spoken the minds of other Nigerians, in the crusade against the tax bills.
To him, the benefits of the bill were only apparent to the President and his tax reform experts, but the generality of Nigerians are bound to suffer in the long run, if the bills are allowed.
Ndume, during plenary and in an interview with Channels Televission insists that the seeming desperation on the part of the leadership of National Assembly smacks of a plot to further deprive Nigerians of the dividends of democracy.
Ndume’s position was re-echoed in the House of Representative, where members shouted down attempts by the Speaker, Honorable Abbas, to get a soft landing for the bills.
While the Senate President, Godswill Akpadio seem to have had his way with the bills, using the gavel: referring all four bills to the Finance Committee, the story with the House of Representatives is a different ball game.
Debates on the bill have been differed for Tuesday in the House of Representatives apparently buying time to further lobby. But most vocal memberst of the house: names with held told me in confidence that, since the law requires the passage of the bills by both chambers of the National Assembly, any action taken by the Senate will be an exercise in futility, as the House of Representative is determined to shoot the bills down.
Whatever becomes the fate of the President’s four tax reform bills, it is clear that, the Executive and the leadership of the National Assembly may have their ways but as Senator Ndume said, the lawmakers will have their says.
NDUME THE PETREL AND TINUBUS TAX REFORMS OF TROUBLE.By: Inuwa Bwala
Finally, DSS Arraigns Sowore on alleged Cybercrime Offences
By: Our Reporter
Judge bars him from inciting public, undermining national security
The Department of State Services (DSS) on Tuesday arraigned a politician and online publisher, Omoyele Sowore, before a Federal High Court in Abuja, for alleged cybercrimes, with the court barring him from further making statements that are detrimental to the peace and security of the country.
Justice Mohammed Umar, in a ruling, threatened to revoke the bail granted Sowore’ should he ever make such statements. The arraignment came after two previous attempts, with the politician’s lawyer introducing what the DSS lawyer, Akinolu Kehinde SAN, called legal obstacles.
On Tuesday, however, Justice Umar held that since there was evidence that Sowore was a presidential candidate in the country before and having also earlier been granted bail by the court, with his international passport still being held by the court, he was entitled to be granted bail on self-recognition.
The ruling was on a bail application argued by his lawyer, Marshall Abubakar, shortly after Sowore was arraigned on a five-count charge, in which he is accused of defaming President Bola Tinubu by referring to him as a criminal in his posts on X and Facebook.
When the charge, being prosecuted by the Department of State Services (DSS), was read to him, Sowore pleaded not guilty.
In the charge, Sowore, the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2019 and 2023 elections, is accused of contravening the provisions of the the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Amendment Act, 2024 and the Criminal Code Act by calling President Bola Tinubu a criminal
The two other defendants listed in the charge, marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/484/2025 are X Incorp (formerly Twitter) and Meta (Facebook) Incorp.
Details shortly.
Finally, DSS Arraigns Sowore on alleged Cybercrime Offences
News
One killed, dozens abducted as bandits launch multiple attacks in Zurmi, Bungudu LGAs in Zamfara
One killed, dozens abducted as bandits launch multiple attacks in Zurmi, Bungudu LGAs in Zamfara
By: Zagazola Makama
Armed bandits have carried out a series of coordinated attacks across parts of Zamfara State, killing one person and abducting several others in Zurmi and Bungudu Local Government Areas, security sources have confirmed.
In the first incident, bandits invaded Tungar Tsamiya village in Moriki District of Zurmi LGA at about 10:40 p.m. on Nov. 30, shooting dead one resident and abducting 10 others.
Security forces launched a search-and-rescue operation to locate the victims.
Barely hours later, on Monday morning, another group of bandits attacked Doguwar Gona forest in the same Moriki District.
The assailants abducted 17 men and women who were in the area fetching firewood. Security personnel are tracking the movement of the attackers with the aim of rescuing the captives.
In a separate incident in Bungudu LGA, gunmen armed with AK-47 rifles stormed Makwa village in Kurar Mota District at about 12:15 p.m. on Dec. 1 and abducted an unconfirmed number of residents.
Troops of Operation FANSAN YANMA and police operatives, supported by local vigilante groups, have intensified efforts to rescue all abducted victims and restore calm across the affected communities.
Search operations are ongoing.
One killed, dozens abducted as bandits launch multiple attacks in Zurmi, Bungudu LGAs in Zamfara
NSA Ribadu visits Kontagora Bishop, pledges swift rescue of abducted Niger schoolchildren
By: Zagazola Makama
The National Security Adviser (NSA), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, on Monday paid a sympathy visit to the Bishop of Kontagora, Bishop Bulus Yohanna, following the recent abduction of students of St. Mary Private Catholic Primary and Secondary School, Papiri, in Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State.
The NSA, who arrived Kontagora by helicopter at about noon, was accompanied by the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mr Tony Ajayi; the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs; and senior officials from the Office of the NSA.
Ribadu and his entourage proceeded to the office of the Bishop at St. Michael Church, where they met with representatives of families of the abducted students, the school principal, and the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) for the 19 Northern States, Bishop Joseph Hayap.
During the meeting, the NSA assured the community that the Federal Government was intensifying efforts to secure the safe release of the abducted pupils and staff.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ending attacks on schools and ensuring the safety of students across the country.
NSA Ribadu visits Kontagora Bishop, pledges swift rescue of abducted Niger schoolchildren
Finally, DSS Arraigns Sowore on alleged Cybercrime Offences
One killed, dozens abducted as bandits launch multiple attacks in Zurmi, Bungudu LGAs in Zamfara
NSA Ribadu visits Kontagora Bishop, pledges swift rescue of abducted Niger schoolchildren
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