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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
BOSEPA Concludes 2024 Sanitation Exercises with Stern Warning and Commendations
By: Our Reporter
The Borno State Ministry of Environment, led by Dr. Juliana Bitrus, Permanent Secretary, and Alhaji Abubakar Suleiman, General Manager of BOSEPA, concluded the final sanitation exercise for 2024 with a strong warning to defaulters on 7th November 2024.
The team supervised the sanitation vanguard in Maiduguri and its environs, ensuring compliance with sanitation regulations.
During the exercise, Dr. Bitrus and her team inspected various markets and locations in Maiduguri and its environs, ensuring compliance with sanitation regulations. The team issued stern warnings to defaulters, including the three chairmen of Tasha Kangaluya Market, who were cautioned to comply with sanitation regulations or face legal consequences.
Dr. Bitrus thanked the trade unions operating in the markets for their cooperation, which contributed to the success of the exercise.
Additionally, bean cake sellers along Roadside were taken to the sanitation court for engaging in illegal activities and neglecting to clean their environment.
The exercise was commended by Alh. Musa Goma, Special Adviser to the Governor on Environment, who thanked individuals and clubs for their continued support. He called on other clubs and associations to participate in the sanitation exercise to help make Borno cleaner and more peaceful.
Alhaji Suleiman Abubakar, General Manager of BOSEPA, emphasized the importance of proper waste management, warning against dumping refuse into drainages and waterways. He announced that those found guilty would face legal consequences, including arrest and prosecution.
Suleiman expressed his gratitude to the Executive Governor Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, Borno State House of Assembly, the state Executive council, Clubs/Association and all other individuals who contributed to the success of the exercise throughout the year.
The sanitation supervisory team also witnessed key officials such as the General Manager of BOTMA, Engr Babashehu Tijjani, and other senior members of the Ministry of Environment and security personnel.
Shortly after the exercise the team visits Borno State Environmental Sanitation Court, where they discussed potential reviews of environmental laws with the judge.
BOSEPA Concludes 2024 Sanitation Exercises with Stern Warning and Commendations
Yobe received the Arab Bank consulting team
By: Yahaya Wakili
The Yobe state government, through the office of the secretary to the state government, Alhaji Baba Mallam Wali mni, has received a reputable consulting team who were engaged to conduct comprehensive feasibility studies and technical designs for the successful implementation of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) project in the state.
The SSG who received the team on behalf of the state government highlighted three priority areas identified by the Executive Governor of Yobe State, Hon. Mai Mala Buni CON, to be handled under the project.
He articulated the three key areas to include: infrastructure, agriculture, and energy, which were strategically selected to improve the livelihoods and promote the economic growth of the citizens.
While making his remarks, the Secretary to the State Government has called on the consultant to justify the conference reposed on them by the government.
Earlier speaking, State Focal Person BADEA, Idriss Mohammed Yaro Gumsa, told the SSG that consultants were in Yobe for the past couple of days as he took them round for a sightseeing visit to some of the proposed project sites.
Also, as part of the mandate for the consultants visit to Yobe, the state government conducted a high-level stakeholder engagement aimed at preparing necessary requirements for securing alternate financing to drive sustainable development and enhance the quality of lives of Yobe communities through funding from BADE.
The session chaired by the SSG, represented by the Hon. Commissioner of Finance and Economic Development, Alhaji Mohammed Abatcha Geidam, was meant to deliberate on the technical aspect of the project proposal.
“Under agriculture, the proposed initiatives include supporting 20,000 smallholder farmers across the 17 LGAs of the state with essential inputs such as seeds, fertilizers, and equipment, including solar-powered water pumps and hand-push tillers, among others.
“Establishing 50 small-scale irrigation schemes in Yobe State to facilitate year-round crop production, targeting over 14,000 individual beneficiaries.
According to him, the focus for infrastructure development in the project involves the construction and rehabilitation of 253 kilometers of rural and urban roads across the state.
Others include drilling and installing 200 hybrid solar-powered boreholes in urban-rural communities, boarding secondary schools and primary healthcare centers, as well as construction of 200-bed capacity hostels in the designated tertiary institutions across the three senatorial districts.
While the energy sector intends to provide solar and renewable energy solutions for boarding schools, specialist hospitals, healthcare centers, and modern markets and promote energy efficiency through advanced technologies and practices.
He urged the consulting firm to work in line with the state government’s priorities and ensure due diligence in the conduct of their assignment.
Meanwhile, in his presentation on the overview of the BADEA project in Yobe, the State Focal Person, Idriss Mohammed Yaro, highlighted the deliberate efforts made by the Yobe state government towards attracting the BADEA project, which include an official visit to the Arab Bank’s headquarters in Riyadh by our leader and people-oriented governor, His Excellency, Governor Mai Mala Buni CON.
The consultant assured the government of their commitment to deliver the assignment according to standard specifications.
Yobe received the Arab Bank consulting team
Zulum felicitates with CEO Matrix Ltd, Alhaji Adisa at 50
By: Our Reporter
Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum has felicitated with the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Matrix Limited, Alhaji Abdulkadir Adisa Aliu, on the occasion of his 50th birthday.
Governor Zulum in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Dauda Iliya, described the celebrant as a distinguished philanthropist whose commitment to education support, job creation, and equal opportunities has left an indelible mark on society.
The governor further lauded Alhaji Aliu’s ingenuity as an entrepreneur who has taken the Matrix Group to the apex of its business, thereby creating jobs in the process for the teeming unemployed youth in the country.
“Let me join family, friends, and associates to celebrate you as you turn 50,” Governor Zulum stated. “Indeed, you have positively impacted the lives of many. Happy 50th birthday.”
He expressed gratitude to Allah (SWT) for Alhaji Aliu’s good health, strength, and longevity while urging him to remain steadfast in his values and service to humanity.
Zulum felicitates with CEO Matrix Ltd, Alhaji Adisa at 50
BOSEPA Concludes 2024 Sanitation Exercises with Stern Warning and Commendations
Yobe received the Arab Bank consulting team
Zulum felicitates with CEO Matrix Ltd, Alhaji Adisa at 50
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