Dons EzeFEC APPROVES TAX RELIEF TO BOOST BUSINESSES, EMPLOYMENT
FEC APPROVES TAX RELIEF TO BOOST BUSINESSES, EMPLOYMENTThe Federal Executive Council (FEC) yesterday approved a raft of far-reaching economic policies and infrastructure programmes.It endorsed a bill which seeks federal and state collaboration to suspend certain taxes on small businesses and vulnerable populations.Among the taxes to be axed are levies on road haulage, business premise registration, livestock, and market.The council okayed the Economic Stabilisation Bills, to be transmitted to the National Assembly for passageThe bills embody the recommendations of the Presidential Committee on Tax and Fiscal Policy Reforms set up last year by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.The committee is headed by a tax expert Mr. Taiwo Oyedele.One of the bills seeks to amend the income tax laws, promote the export of goods and services, reform the exchange rate regime and unlock foreign exchange liquidity.The Federal Executive Council (FEC) yesterday approved a raft of far-reaching economic policies and infrastructure programmes. It endorsed a bill which seeks federal and state collaboration to suspend certain taxes on small businesses and vulnerable populations. Among the taxes to be axed are levies on road haulage, business premise registration, livestock, and market. The council okayed the Economic Stabilisation Bills, to be transmitted to the National Assembly for passage. The bills embody the recommendations of the Presidential Committee on Tax and Fiscal Policy Reforms set up last year by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The committee is headed by a tax expert Mr. Taiwo Oyedele. One of the bills seeks to amend the income tax laws, promote the export of goods and services, reform the exchange rate regime and unlock foreign exchange liquidity. Read Also: Tinubu to citizens: your sacrifices will soon yield lasting economic benefitsIt proposes tax relief to companies that generate incremental employment. Another bill offers personal income relief to people in private and public employment, from N200,000 to N400,000. FEC approved major road projects across the country, allocating billions of naira for construction. Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, said the Abuja/Kano Road project, handled by Julius Berger, received approval for N740 billion. The project, initially valued at N155 billion, was revised to N797 billion by the previous administration and further increased to N1.5 trillion. Other approved projects include the rehabilitation of Maraban-Kankara/Funtua Road in Katsina State, the construction of the Sokoto/Badagry Super-highway Section 2, Phase 2 in Kebbi State, and the dualisation of Afikpo-Uturu-Okigwe Road in Ebonyi, Abia, and Imo states. FEC approved N80 billion to complete the Bodo-Bonny Road in Rivers State, bringing the total cost to N280 billion. The Third Mainland Bridge, previously executed under emergency work, has been upgraded with solar lights and CCTV cameras, enhancing security and reducing road blockages. Umahi also mentioned 14 road projects and bridges affected by floods, including Ado-Ekiti/Afe Babalola in Ekiti State and Lafia/Shendam Road in Plateau State. FEC approved the establishment of a Disaster Relief Fund to enhance Nigeria’s preparedness and response to natural disasters. President Tinubu hinted at the plan for the fund during his visit to Maiduguri to sympathise with the state on the massive flooding. He said the plan was to work in collaboration with governors to draw some funds from the Federation Account and get additional funding from the private sector. To forestall a reoccurrence of the Borno flooding, FEC constituted a committee to review the integrity of dams nationwide, including the Alau Dam in Maiduguri. President Tinubu directed the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to deliver assorted foodstuffs to flood victims. Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, said the President directed the setting up of the fund to build greater resilience against disasters, which are increasingly frequent due to climate change. He said the fund would focus on financing disaster response efforts, leveraging contributions from federal, sub-national, and…
CIC ENUGU: ALUMNI FOUNDATION ON RESCUE MISSION
CIC ENUGU: ALUMNI FOUNDATION ON RESCUE MISSION In the quiet corners of history, some stories shimmer with the light of rebirth, tales of institutions that, though fallen, rise once more through the power of love, memory, and the indomitable human spirit. Such is the story of the College of Immaculate Conception (CIC), Enugu, a celebrated institution that has stood as a lighthouse of learning since its inception in 1942. Yet, once radiant with the glow of excellence, fate’s hands dimmed this signpost, caught in the crosswinds of underfunding and neglect. Its grandeur practically left to wane.But where there is darkness, there too is the possibility of dawn, heralded by the unyielding devotion of those who remember and return to rebuild. This is a love story about not just giving but also belonging. This is the story of the CIC Enugu Alumni Foundation, a collective of hearts bound by gratitude, community, and a profound sense of stewardship, now leading a renaissance that is as extraordinary as it is unprecedented.To fully appreciate the magnitude of the CIC Enugu Alumni Foundation’s work, one must first understand the forces that conspired to bring the school to its knees. CIC was not just a school; it was an altar of knowledge where the virtues of discipline, faith, and intellectual rigour were instilled in generations of young men. It was a place where the future was shaped, where dreams were nurtured under the careful guidance of the Catholic Church, the school’s original proprietor. The Church’s influence was profound, shaping the very essence of its students.But history, with its cruel indifference, has a way of altering the course of even the most revered institutions. The Nigerian Civil War, a devastating event that tore through the fabric of the nation, left scars not just on the land but on CIC’s soul. The war’s impact was overwhelming, shaking the very foundations of the institution. In the aftermath, the Military Administration, in a sweeping act of power, took control of schools across the land, wresting them from the hands of their original proprietors. CIC was not spared.Under the various defunct governments’ watch, once a bastion of educational excellence, the school began to wither. Once stately and strong, the buildings became relics of a forgotten time, their walls cracking under the weight of neglect. The classrooms that had once echoed with the sounds of eager minds at work fell silent; their desks and chairs felt abandoned. The fields, where boys had once played with the vigour of youth, became overgrown, and the dreams of champions left to fade. Once a pillar, the institution became a shadow of its former self, almost a monument to what once was and what had been lost.Yet, from the ashes of this decline, a new story began to emerge, not of decay but of renewal, a rise from ashes to phoenix. The CIC Enugu Alumni Foundation, composed of men who had once been boys within those hallowed halls, could not stand idly by as their alma mater declined. In their hearts, the motto Semper Fidelis—Always Faithful—still burned bright, and with this fire, they resolved to act. They coalesced and, in rhythm and symphony, moved.They moved, driven by an extraordinary sense of gratitude, and took it upon themselves to breathe life into their old school. Their mission was not merely to restore the school but to elevate it and ensure it would once again be a guiding light of learning for future generations. And so, with the spirit of warriors and the hearts of poets, they embarked on a revival journey.What they have accomplished is nothing short of miraculous. Through their tireless efforts, they have raised the funds necessary to rebuild what was lost and construct new facilities that rival…
EXPLOSION ROCKS ABUJA, MANY INJURED
EXPLOSION ROCKS ABUJA, MANY INJURED A tanker carrying fuel exploded in Maitama in Abuja on Monday night, leaving many injured and causing widespread panic. The incident happened along Shehu Shagari Way and also affected passengers in a commercial vehicle. Amid the chaos, emergency responders showed up at the scene, and nearby hospitals were quickly alerted. The driver of the tanker is believed to have fled the scene after the truck tipped over, leading to the explosion. The exact cause of the incident is still under investigation. The explosion also resulted in a significant traffic gridlock in the area, further disrupting movement in the busy part of the federal capital city.
CELEBRATING JOLA OGUNLUSI FORMER NUJ SECRETARY @ 90, BY BOLAJI KAREEM
CELEBRATING JOLA OGUNLUSI, FORMER NUJ SECRETARY @ 90, BY BOLAJI KAREEMOn September 25, Former National Secretary of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) , Comrade Jola Ogunlusi will be 90 years old. His friends and associates have planned a thanks giving service for Saturday September 28, at church of Pentecost, 21, road, FESTAC Village, to give praise to God for preserving the life of the man who crossed many turbulent waves, along with others to make Journalism and its practitioners get to the promised land in Professionalism and unionism.Mr Ogunlusi has course to praise God for sparing his life. He was humiliated, suffered setbacks survived a ghastly motor accident, incarcerated and even mocked by his peers in his younger days at Ayedun Ekiti. Because of his poor background he could not complete his secondary school education. He dropped out at Ansar- Ud- Deen High school Ikole Ekiti in Form four due to financial crisis. He ended up as a pupil teacher and studied privately at home for General Certificate of Education GCE. His love for politics and late Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s ideology made him to join the services of Africa Newspapers of Nigeria, Publishers of Nigeria Tribune and Iroyin Yoruba. This was in the early 60s, when political crisis had engulfed the popular Wild , Wild West and Chief Awolowo was incarcerated. Then it was a crime to buy or read Tribune titles, openely.He joined the Iroyin Yoruba as a reporter under late Pa Olu Olofin. His passion for welfarism and trade unionism in the 1960s grew as he was influenced by comrade J. O. James to join United Labour Congress of Nigeria, as an Assistant Secretary. Because of the poor financial standing and political victimisation of Tribune workers, working for months without salary. Jola Ogunlusi, to keep body and soul together, was also a freelance reporter for Africa Arts, Magazine and LAMP Magazine. He was discovered by Chief Ayo Adedun who eventually made him to take up appointment with Western State Government newspaper,. Sketch Press Limited, where he was seconded to Gboungboun the Yoruba publication of the newspaper. Chief Mike Pearse who later assisted him to gain employment with the New Nigeria newspapers.His journey unto full-fledged trade unionism started in the late 70s when NUJ was at its peak of leadership crisis, which led to Michael Asaju and Sidi Ali Sirajo’s factions. The union was then operating a controversial constitution luckily for Mr Ogunlusi he found himself in the camp of Asaju’s faction which became the reorgnised faction by the government.I remember the brunt I had personally with Igwa’s group when I used the photograph of Chief Asaju to illustrate a page I planned in the Herald newspaper. At the editorial conference, the Editor, Alhaji Yakubu Abdulazeez had to put his feet down to overrule views of the likes of Dan Ikunaye and Alfred Ilenre, where were in Sidi Ali Sijaro’s camp. They insisted we must not use Asaju’s photograph While on a facility tour in Cuba, Ali Sirajo was in charged of his group, mostly Northern Journalists who were sympathetic to his course except, Plateau, Borno and Kwara States. There was no active NUJ unionism in the northern states. This was the period that Jola Ogunlusi’s NUJ Secretariat succeeded in dragging the union to full-fledged professional and trade union body, fighting for oppressed journalists. Many decrees and draconian laws like, Albatross, were hanging on the necks of media practitioners in Nigeria Despite the fact that the crisis which started in Jos was not solved at the Akure delegates conferece which led to emergence of Alhaji Bola Adedoja excutive the offshoot of Michael Asaju’s recognised camp, Jola Ogunlusi and his new boss, Adeoja . continued to forge ahead, fighting in all fronts to…
WE’LL USE EDO TEMPLATE IN ONDO, ANAMBRA – GANDUJE
WE’LL USE EDO TEMPLATE IN ONDO, ANAMBRA – GANDUJE National chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has said the party would use its template in Edo State governorship election to win the November 16 election in Ondo State. Ganduje, a former governor of Kano State, also said the party would use the same template to win Anambra currently under the control of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and other states in the South East in future elections. He spoke on Monday in Abuja, while celebrating the victory of Senator Monday Okpebholo with members of the Edo state election situation room. Ganduje said a big party like the APC ought to have been fully in charge of the South East geo-political zone, and urged party leaders at all levels to work hard towards actualising the party’s objectives. “We have started working to develop strategies to win these states. Next year, Anambra state will follow. Let me remind you that we have a project which we named political demarginalisation of South East geo-political zone. “That project is also a task that must be done. We will face South East zone with 5 states. We already have 2, but 2 is too small for a big party like ours. We will face that state and see how we can recover many states in our favour,” Ganduje said. Meanwhile, some elders of the APC from the North Central led by a former Senate President, Ameh Ebute, have expressed optimism that the 2027 general election would be a walkover for the party. They spoke while on a visit to the party’s national secretariat in Abuja on Monday to congratulate Ganduje, on his victory at the High Court in a suit which sought his removal as chairman. The suit was filed by the North Central APC Forum which sought the court to declare Ganduje’s chairmanship of the party as a breach of the provisions of Article 7(vii) and (ix) of the party’s constitution and the consensus reached at the 2022 National Convention held in Abuja, that the national chairman of the APC from 2022 to 2026 must be someone from the North Central geopolitical zone of the country. Ebute said, “We feel we should be the first to come and congratulate you on your winning of the Edo governorship election for the party; for adding Edo to states controlled by the APC. We have no doubt in your ability to lead this party to a higher level. “We are happy that the suit seeking your sack as national chairman was struck out. We are solidly behind you and we shall continue to support you to take the party to the next level. With these achievements, we believe 2027 will be a walk over.” Similarly, a former presidential aspirant, Cesnabmilhilo Oken’oval who was part of the delegation said, “We are very happy with your leadership and we will continue to support you. 2027 election will be the greatest shock, we will cary it clear and clean.” Speaking on his victory at the federal High Court, Abuja during the visit, Ganduje said, “There is no doubt that claim was baseless and was treated by the court as such. We don’t fear such baseless litigations.”On Edo election, he said, “The election of Saturday is an indication that our efforts are yielding results. Fighting an incumbent government is not easy.”:
OONI OF IFE GOES INTO SEVEN DAYS SECLUSION, TO COMMUNICATE WITH SPIRITS, TELLS NIGERIANS TO BE PATIENT WITH TINUBU
OONI OF IFE GOES INTO SEVEN DAYS SECLUSION TO COMMUNICATE WITH SPIRITS, TELLS NIGERIANS TO BE PATIENT WITH TINUBU South-West monarch, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has called on Nigerians to “remain patient” with the administration of President Bola Tinubu as the country navigates through challenging times. Speaking ahead of his seven-day seclusion, where he is set to pray and commune with the ancestors, the monarch expressed concerns over the hardship many citizens are currently facing. Oba Ogunwusi acknowledged the difficulties Nigerians are enduring, noting that the present situation is a testing period for the nation. This was contained in a statement released on Monday, by his spokesperson, Moses Olafare, which said as part of traditional rites, the Ooni will spend a week in seclusion, seeking divine intervention for Nigeria’s well-being. According to Olafare, the monarch before going into seclusion, said the rite is the most sacred moment for him on the throne which he utilises to interact with his ancestors and pray for the people, the Oduduwa race worldwide, as well as mankind in general. The statement read, “This time around, I want to pray and seek for the face of our Creator to intervene on the current economic situation. “Things are very tough and people are feeling the hardship, I want to pray for all and sundry and specially urge the youths to exercise patience so that we will not use our hands to destroy our country.” Ooni said, “I know that people are passing through difficult periods in which they are not finding life easy and truly this is a challenging period. “But I know that after this festival, normalcy will return to the country, as the problems we’re facing will soon come to an end. Oba Ogunwusi urged the Tinubu government to do more to serve the populace by making bountiful dividends of democracy for the citizenry. It said, “The seclusion usually precedes the annual Olojo celebrations, which allows the Ooni to withdraw from the human distractions. It is usually marked by silence, reflection, and spiritual cleansing, allowing him to focus solely on the divine communication with the spirits. “During this time, he undertakes solemn prayers and makes offerings, not only on behalf of the Yoruba race but for the peace, prosperity, and well-being of the entire nation. It is a time of deep intercession, seeking the favour of the gods for good harvests, protection, and guidance for his people,” he said. “Oba Ogunwusi will be marking his 9th edition of the Olojo festival on Saturday 28th when he will be appearing to the public with the sacred Crown of Oduduwa known as ‘Ade Are’ worn once a year to commemorate the first day of the mankind,” Olafare added.
FEDERATING, CONFEDERATING OR RESTRUCTURING THE NIGERIAN SPACE
FEDERATING, CONFEDERATING OR RESTRUCTURING THE NIGERIAN SPACEThe idea of a confederated republic is from a reflection on the perennial crises bedeviling the Nigerian federation since the amalgamation of the numerous nations within the geographical space we now have. The word “confederation” like its newer baby morph “restructuring” is now viewed with horror, a signal of a veritable Nigerian Armageddon ! It is an apocalypse arching back into the meeting at Aburi Ghana, in 1967 where the demon which birthed Nigeria’s fratricidal civil war was ushered into the nation’s psyche. Quite an unfortunate perception, scorching all perimeters of the Nigerian space whenever mentioned.Our boring song from a broken proverbial record is that Nigeria remains a doomed construction or configuration from its inception because the alien makers of that forced agglomeration concentrated on the market driven dreams of their vision instead of in its viability. Neither the brilliant statesmanship generated by altruistic patriots like Herbert Macaulay and Nnamdi Azikiwe nor the wise political pragmatism of men like Aminu Kano and Joseph Tarka, and the fierce nationalism of Obafemi Awolowo and Ahmadu Bello and others regarded as founding fathers, were able to stabilize the ever rocking and rocky marriage of that strange union.The components of the federation of Nigeria have remained centrifugal in their tendencies instead of centripetal. The center was attractive to those who did not rest to exploit what that center was able to create for everybody. There might not be much wrong today if those forces sympathized with the desires of others and accepted healthy competition for control of that center. But an incorrigible and unholy passion to dominate and appropriate remain the drivers of those who believe without any disguise that they own the entity called Nigeria.So far, the tragic experience of a brutal thirty-six month civil war has taught no one any enduring lesson/s. We refer to that disaster with lingering fear and hatred and all sorts of mixed fillings or emotions.The various strife and cries from aggrieved sections of the country have also taught no one much. Everybody, deaf or dumb, clearly see the writings on the wall of time and history. This thing called Nigeria is not working. It is not working because it is a forced marriage. Even when marriages are made from love of partners for partnership, if, and when the desired bonding failed, the parties try or head to arbitration, separation, or final divorce. In the case of the Nigerian marriage, the partners appear to be insisting on indivisibility and internecine destruction and death. Those you think are too old and therefore wise enough to know better claim that Nigeria was made by God! God put the country together! Dear comrade. God does not put countries together. Countries are constructed by human beings except in the ineducable brains of morons or cretins.A few Nigerians yearn for a Communist or Marxist State or some utopian arrangement. Maybe such systems might work but it is bound to be from nations which transit by evolution or willful design into acceptable alternative systems. The problem is that any winning design/s must begin on a national platform where people collectively project such new directions. Communist entities such as the defunct Soviets and the Peoples Republic of China began by what Political Philosophy calls the delimitation of ethnicities. The voices of all ethnicities must be listened to carefully or heard.One day, a calmer world of public intellectuals will discover in a free thinking atmosphere that a winning political philosophy will be the product of a mean between technological determinism and Marxian utopian idealism. Note that globally, despite careful forethought, no ideological formation has emerged or will emerge without a periodic ruffle as the world found out in 2008 during the global jittery…
WE’LL MOVE AGAINST NON-LAGOSIANS IN 2027 ELECTION – MAJ GEN OLANREWAJU
WE’LL MOVE AGAINST NON-LAGOSIANS IN 2027 ELECTION – MAJ. GEN. OLANREWAJU Former Minister of Communications Maj. Gen. Tajudeen Olanrewaju has announced plans to ensure that non-Lagosians are excluded from elected offices in the upcoming 2027 elections. Speaking as the Alternate Chairman of the De Renaissance Patriots Foundation in Ikorodu, Olanrewaju criticized existing political parties for denying indigenes the opportunity to occupy significant political roles. He claimed that there is a concerted effort by ruling elites, largely composed of non-indigenes, to maintain control over Lagos State’s political landscape. Olanrewaju pointed out that for 25 years, Lagos has not been governed by an indigene except once, raising concerns about the representation of local interests in governance. “The political parties have consistently favored non-indigenes for key positions, ignoring the rights and interests of the indigenous population,” Olanrewaju stated. He called for unity among indigenes across various political parties to contest for positions, from governorship to local council roles, and to reject political manipulation. Olanrewaju emphasized the need for indigenes to reclaim their political rights, arguing that the current situation perpetuates inequality and marginalization. He urged political parties to nominate candidates solely from the indigenous population to ensure that Lagos State’s governance reflects the will of its rightful inhabitants. This advocacy for indigenous representation is part of a broader effort to address historical injustices in the state’s political system.
SACK EFCC CHAIRMAN NOW – KOGI ASSEMBLY
SACK EFCC CHAIRMAN NOW – KOGI ASSEMBLY The Kogi State House of Assembly has called for the immediate removal of the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede, over his unprofessional handling of the case against the immediate past Governor of the state, Alhaji Yahaya Bello. The legislators, during plenary in Lokoja, the state capital, on Monday, condemned what they described as the EFCC operatives’ unprovoked attack on the Kogi State Government Lodge, saying it was an attack on the Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, and the entirety of the Kogi people. The lawmakers accused the EFCC of assassination attempt on the former Governor and the incumbent, stressing that the persecution of the former governor had gone on for too long and must stop. This followed a motion of urgent public importance moved by Hon. Akus Lawal, representing Ankpa 1 State Constituency. Hon Jacob Olawunmi, Ijumu State Constituency, seconded the motion. Hon. Akus said the EFCC was out to himiliate and possibly kill the present and former governors. His colleagues all supported this. Hon. Abu Jibril of Ajaokuta State specifically said the EFCC boss should be prosecuted for allegedly attempting to kill the governor. He called on the President to remove him immediately. According to him, the EFCC’s conduct shows that the chairman is incapable of leading a supposed impartial agency like the EFCC. “The Chairman has shown incompetence that warrants his removal,” he said. Hon Bode Ogunmola, Ogori/Magongo State Constituency (PDP), said, “If I am in London and there is a crisis, if I get to the Nigerian House, I will feel safe. If I am in Abuja and there is a crisis, I believe that if I get to the Kogi Lodge, I will be safe. For the EFCC Chairman to order that fire be opened on the official lodge of the Governor, he should be sacked and prosecuted. We should be told why he wants to kill our Governor.” The Majority Leader of the House of Assembly, Hon. Suleiman AbdulRazak, alleged that officials of the EFCC were begging the former Governor to let them pretend as if he was arrested. He said it was an embarrassing act, which showed that the anti-graft agency was acting a script written by some political enemies of the former Governor. The lawmaker therefore said the President should be notified of the assassination attempt on the present and former Governors; adding that the whole drama was a show to embarrass the former Governor. He concluded that, on the fateful night, a coup attempt was committed at the Kogi State Governor’s Lodge and called on the President to immediately remove the EFCC Chairman to save the nation from further embarrassment. The lawmakers concluded that the EFCC had an agenda different from the fight against corruption, which had been revealed by the way the Commission approached the issue of arrest. This, they said, must be condemned by all well-meaning Nigerians. Hon Yahaya Umar, representing Omala State Constituency said, “The unlawful conducts of the EFCC show that the intention of the chairman is not to arrest former Governor Yahaya Bello, but to ridicule the state. “The chronology of how the event happened shows that the problem of the chairman is not with the offences being alleged, but that they want to disgrace the defendant and Kogi State in general.” On her part, the Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt Hon. Comfort Nwuchiola Egwaba, stated, “The EFCC is just trying to give the former Governor a bad name through their media trial. The EFCC is not sincere in this fight. It has an agenda it is pursuing and the entire people of the state, particularly the women and youths, will…