Chairman of the Governing Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Mr. Chiedu Ebie, has applauded the ruling of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which affirmed his appointment, describing it as well-considered and sound.

In the judgment delivered by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, the court dismissed a legal action filed by oil-producing communities in Bayelsa and Delta against President Bola Tinubu over Ebie’s appointment.

This was contained in a statement on Friday by NDDC Director, Corporate Affairs, Seledi Thompson-Wakama.

Justice Abdulmalik ruled that the prayers sought by the plaintiffs had become a mere academic exercise since it had become statute-barred, stating that the plaintiffs failed to institute the action within three months after President Tinubu made the appointment, as prescribed by the law.

The NDDC Chairman observed: “By the ruling, the judiciary has once again proved that justice is never lacking in the Temple of Justice.” He expressed delight that the ruling had finally laid to rest all ambiguity and misrepresentation of facts surrounding the provisions of NDDC Act on appointments.

Ebie noted that the judgment confirmed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s foresight and reputation for resolved all ambiguity and misrepresentation of facts surrounding the provisions of the ting in compliance with extant laws regarding appointments to public office.

He dedicated the legal victory to God and all Niger Deltans of goodwill while extending a hand of fellowship to all critical stakeholders to join the NDDC governing board and management to consolidate the significant shift in the region’s infrastructural and socio-economic development.
According to him, “The judgment is remarkable and will further spur my dedication to leadership and enable me to make invaluable contributions to the development of the region.”
Ebie further stressed the need for a holistic and sustainable development of the Niger Delta region and urged all stakeholders to shun divisiveness and rally round the present governing board and management in sustaining the peace and harmony within the Commission which has become the hallmark of the present leadership since its inauguration11 months ago.
He remarked, “Looking at the level of peace and harmony that exists among members of the governing board and management, I am confident that we will continue to excel and reach new heights of excellent-quality service delivery to the region and its people.

“I call on all Niger Deltans to shun all forms of distractions through frivolous litigations that distract the Commission’s governing board and management and, in its place, imbibe the virtues of commitment and other positive attributes needed to foster peace and unity, promoting innovation for impactful strides for advancing development of the region.

Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), declared that the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force would profile every commercial bus in Abuja.

This program will start in January 2025, he said. Wike revealed this information on Thursday during the FCT Renewed Hope Youth Empowerment Program in Abuja, where he also gave beneficiaries brand-new automobiles to operate as taxis. Eyes Of Lagos reports,

“They are not paying a dime. No; the government is saying this is our support to feed your family and reduce the cost of transportation in the city… Abuja should compete with other cities in the world,” said the minister.

He encouraged the beneficiaries not to be ashamed that they are being empowered to be taxi drivers, saying that many Nigerians who reject taxi driving jobs at home gladly embrace such when they travel abroad.

To curtail kidnapping and cases of ‘one-chance’ robbery, the minister said effective January 2025, any commercial bus not duly profiled by security agencies won’t be allowed to operate within the nation’s capital.

“Most of the Keke Napep and most of the motorcycles are informants. Everybody here that is a beneficiary is being profiled by the security.

“And so what we are coming up with is that from January next year, there will be nobody that will operate as a taxi driver or a bus driver without having approval from security, with security profiling you and without going about with Abuja colour.

“Nothing like using any vehicle on the road. No, we won’t allow that. From January, we won’t allow that.

“We will take the vehicle number, name of the drivers and the rest so everybody will have confidence that this is the vehicle I’m entering in case anything happens,” he added.

The Senate yesterday suspended its rules to pass a bill seeking the establishment of Federal University of Agriculture and Tropical Studies, Iragbiji, Osun State, for second reading.

The Executive Bill was subjected to legislative process by the Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele.

The fresh Bill was read on the floor of the Red Chamber for the first time yesterday and the leadership of the Senate suspended the rules to accommodate it for second reading.

In his lead debate on the bill, Bamidele said the proposed institution is a bold step towards, not only addressing the educational needs of the populace but it will also serve as training ground for the development of agriculturalists in the country.

He said: “Agriculture with its allied sectors is unquestionably the largest livelihood provider more also in the rural areas and can contribute significantly to the GDP.”

The proposed university, according to him, will provide the holistic development of agriculture and tropical studies, knowledge skills and the telescopic vision on the future that will help them contribute to accelerated agricultural growth rate and enhance farmers income and generate employment in the sector.

He listed the objective of establishing the university to include, advancement of learning and to hold out to all persons without distinction of race, creed, sex or political conviction, the opportunity of acquiring tertiary education in agriculture and tropical studies.

Bamidele said: “It will act as agents and catalysts through post-graduate training, research and innovation for the effective and economic utilization, exploitation and conservation of the country’s agricultural resources.

“It will offer to the general population particularly in the area agriculture tropical studies as a form of public service, the results of training and research and to foster the practical applications of these results.

“It will identify the problems and needs of the agriculture sector in Nigeria and to find solutions to them within the context of overall national development.

“It will provide and promote sound basic scientific training as a foundation for the development of agriculture and tropical studies in Nigeria, taking into account indigenous cultures and the need to enhance national unity.

“One noticeable feature in the development of universities in Nigeria is the emergence of specialized universities.

“Most of these focus on science and technology; hence the need to establish the Federal University of Agriculture and Tropical Studies, Iragbiji, Osun State to increase the number of Agricultural Universities.

“This will help the back to land policy of the federal government to ensure the diversification of our national economy.

“Agriculture is key and the drivers of these to me are products from the universities of agriculture, I therefore advocate for the establishment of more universities of Agriculture and Tropical studies across the country,” he stressed.

After the lead debate, the Senate accordingly passed it for second reading and mandated its committee on Tertiary Education and TETFUND to conduct public hearing and report back in two weeks.

The Dangote Petroleum Refinery says it has not received authorisation from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited to supply Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, to members of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria.

It announced this on Thursday as oil dealers under the aegis of the Petroleum Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria demanded the refinery to release its PMS price, stressing that its silence on this matter had dragged on for so long.

On Wednesday, IPMAN’s National President, Abubakar Maigandi, said his members had gone to the Lekki-based refinery but could not lift petrol for almost four days.

Maigandi was reacting to Tuesday’s comment by the President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, that the facility has over 500 million litres of petrol but marketers were nowhere to be found.

Maigandi had said, “If the refinery truly has 500 million litres, then there should be no reason our members couldn’t load after four days. We’re willing to buy the product directly if the refinery is ready to sell to us, but for now, our members can’t access it even after paying.”

The National President of PETROAN, Billy Gillis-Harry, corroborated the position of his IPMAN counterpart, stressing that petrol retailers had approached the refinery on the need to load products but this never worked.

“We have listened to him (Dangote) and as far as I’m concerned what he said is very strange to my hearing. PETROAN had written to him since 2022, we wanted to have a business meeting with him and understand the business dynamics but no way up till now,” [/b]Gillis-Harry told one of our correspondents.

However, in a Thursday statement by the [b]Dangote Group Chief Branding and Communications Officer, Anthony Chiejina, the company denied receiving money from IPMAN, saying the IPMAN members’ money was paid to NNPC which did not authorise Dangote to sell the independent marketers.

The refinery said it has no direct dealings with IPMAN yet, though talks are ongoing as regards that.

The statement titled, ‘IPMAN: Setting the Record Straight’, read partly, “The Dangote Petroleum Refinery wishes to clarify that it has not received any payments from the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria to purchase refined petroleum products.

“Although discussions are ongoing with IPMAN, it is misleading to suggest that they (IPMAN members) are experiencing difficulties loading refined products from our petroleum refinery, as we currently have no direct business dealings with them. Consequently, we cannot be held responsible for any payments made to other entities.

“The payment in mention has been made through the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, and not us. In the same vein, NNPCL has neither approved nor authorised us to release our Premium Motor Spirit to IPMAN.”

Speaking further, Chiejina emphasised that the Dangote refinery has capacity to meet the nation’s fuel demand with the ability to load 2,900 trucks per day.

“We would like to emphasise that we can meet the nation’s demand for all petroleum products, including petrol, diesel, and aviation fuel. At present, we can load 2,900 trucks per day and we have also been evacuating petroleum products by sea.

“We advise IPMAN to register with us and make direct payment as we have more than enough petroleum products to satisfy the needs of their members,“ the company stated.

It further advised stakeholders to refrain from making what it called unfounded statements in the media.

“Furthermore, we believe it is instructive for all stakeholders to refrain from making unfounded statements in the media, as that could undermine the economic re-engineering efforts of President Bola Tinubu. Conducting business through public speculation is counterproductive and unpatriotic.

“In the interest of our country, we encourage all stakeholders to collaborate and heed the advice of President Tinubu, while promoting a unified approach, rather than engaging in media conflicts and needless propaganda,“ the statement concluded.

Dangote petrol price

Meanwhile, the National Headquarters of Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association has asked Dangote to announce the price of its PMS.

PETROAN said it was taken aback by the speech of Aliko Dangote that the refinery has the capacity to provide enough petrol to satisfy local consumption, adding that about 500 million litres.

In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Dr Joseph Obele, on Thursday, PETROAN said Dangote’s comment that marketers should come and pick fuel is not enough to trigger a purchase decision.

He said NNPC Retail is selling at N1,040 per litre in Port Harcourt, stressing that the energy that the CEO of Dangote refinery used in saying marketers were not buying from him, such energy could have been used to announce the price of Dangote petrol.

“If he had announced a favourable or attractive selling rate at that press conference, such an announcement could have caused traffic at his facility by this hour. A businessman will abandon his previous buying source for a new location with the least discount granted by another seller,“ Obele stressed.

Enough products

This came as the Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria announced on Thursday that there was enough petrol to sell to Nigerians, warning against panic buying.

The Chief Executive Officer of MEMAN, Clement Isong, said, “In light of several inquiries from the press regarding a perceived tightness in the petroleum supply market, MEMAN wishes to assure the general public and all stakeholders that we have significant stocks of products in our tanks and/or access to significant stocks of products in the tanks of our suppliers (including Dangote Refinery and NNPC Trading Limited), and a clear line of sight on future supplies for all petroleum products.”

Isong, who disclosed this in a statement, noted that the deregulation of the downstream oil sector now allows diligent marketers to plan and book in advance for their supply needs to avoid running out of stock.

According to him, MEMAN does not envisage any scarcity now or shortly.

“We urge the public not to panic-buy petroleum products, as our supply efficiency continues to improve, and logistics optimisation begins to set in,” Isonog said.

Also on Thursday, another set of data from MEMAN showed that the landing cost of petrol was N978.01/litre as of October 31, 2024.

It stated that the landing cost of diesel was N1,069.97/litre, while that of aviation fuel was put at N1,119.67/litre.

The landing cost of these white products is the unit price of the imported commodities on landing at Nigeria’s shores.

Berlin warns of ‘serious consequences’ for ‘inhumane regime’ after 69-year-old Jamshid Sharmahd put to death

Iran has executed a 69-year-old German-Iranian political scientist after years in captivity, sparking outrage in Germany and beyond.

Berlin warned of “serious consequences” for Iran’s “inhumane regime” after Jamshid Sharmahd was put to death on Monday, while a Norway-based human rights group labelled the execution the “extrajudicial killing of a hostage”.

Sharmahd, a German citizen of Iranian descent and a US resident, was seized by Iranian authorities in 2020 while travelling through the United Arab Emirates, according to his family.

Iran, which does not recognise dual citizenship, announced his arrest after a “complex operation”, without specifying how, where or when he was seized.

Sharmahd was sentenced to death in February 2023 for the capital offence of “corruption on Earth”, a sentence later confirmed by Iran’s supreme court.

The Iranian judiciary’s Mizan website said on Monday that “the death sentence of Jamshid Sharmahd … was carried out this morning”.

He had been convicted of playing a role in a 2008 mosque bombing in the southern city of Shiraz, in which 14 people were killed and 300 wounded.

His family have long maintained that Sharmahd was innocent.

Sharmahd was also accused of leading the Tondar group, which aims to topple the Islamic Republic, and is classified as a terror organisation by Iran.

Germany’s foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, said the killing “shows once again what kind of inhumane regime rules in Tehran: a regime that uses death against its youth, its own population and foreign nationals”.

She added that Berlin had repeatedly made clear “that the execution of a German national would have serious consequences”.

“This underlines the fact that no one is safe under the new government either,” she said in reference to the administration of president Masoud Pezeshkian, who was inaugurated in July.

Baerbock expressed her “heartfelt sympathy” for Sharmahd’s family, “with whom we have always been in close contact”, and said the German embassy in Tehran had worked “tirelessly” on his behalf.

However, Mariam Claren – the daughter of another German-Iranian detained by Tehran – charged on social media that “this state murder could have been prevented if the German government had really wanted to”.

The director of Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights (IHR), Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, called the execution “a case of extrajudicial killing of a hostage aimed at covering up the recent failures of the hostage-takers of the Islamic Republic”.

“Jamshid Sharmahd was kidnapped in the United Arab Emirates and unlawfully transferred to Iran, where he was sentenced to death without a fair trial,”[/b]said Amiry-Moghaddam, whose group closely tracks executions in Iran.

At least [b]627 people have been executed this year alone by Iran, according to IHR. Rights groups accuse the authorities of using capital punishment as a tool to instil fear throughout society.

Several other Europeans are still being held in Iran, including at least three French citizens.

European parliament member Hannah Neumann, who chairs the assembly’s Iran delegation, called for a total change in the EU’s policy towards Tehran, the Bild daily reported.

“There were some voices who wanted to wait and see how the regime would develop after Pezeshkian’s election,” Neumann said. “This terrible execution shows us clearly how we should judge this new government.”

A South African group, Progressive Forces, has launched a petition against Chidimma Adetshina from competing in the Miss Universe 2024.

This comes after the arrival of Adetshina in Mexico on Wednesday.

DAILY POST reports that the newly crowned Miss Universe Nigeria arrived in Mexico to represent the country at the 2024 edition of the global competition scheduled to be held in November.

Chidimma Adetshina had faced criticism in South Africa during the announcement of her Miss South Africa contest.

In response to the controversy, the South Africa Department of Home Affairs, DHA, said preliminary evidence suggests Chidimma’s mother committed fraud and identity theft.

Following the allegations, she withdrew from the pageant and accepted an invitation to join the Miss Universe Nigeria pageant.

In the wake of the development, Progressive Forces of South Africa petitioned the organisers of the Miss Universe on Wednesday to prevent Chidimma from participating in the competition, arguing that her involvement could jeopardise the integrity of the Miss Universe brand.

The petition has recorded over 1,000 signatures in 24 hours.

“We are greatly concerned about Chidimma Adetshina, Miss Universe Nigeria, whose mother has been found guilty of committing identity fraud.

“On the 29th of October, Home Affairs cancelled Chidimma Adetshina and her mother’s identities by court order. We are writing on behalf of everyone who stands for justice to plead with Miss Universe to cancel her entry,” the group wrote in its petition.

Russian court fines Google $20,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000

A Russian court has ruled that Google owes Russian media stations around $20 decillion in fines for blocking their content, and the fines could get bigger.

To put that into perspective, the World Bank estimates global GDP as around $100 trillion, which is peanuts compared to the prospective fine. Google would therefore have to find more money than exists on Earth to pay Moscow – but on Tuesday fell a little short of that mark when it posted $88 billion quarterly revenue.

The bizarre amount has been calculated after a four-year court case that started after YouTube banned the ultra-nationalist Russian channel Tsargrad in 2020 in response to the US sanctions imposed against its owner. Following Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine in 2022 more channels were added to the banned list and 17 stations are now suing the Chocolate Factory, including Zvezda (a TV channel owned by Putin’s Ministry of Defence), according to local media.

“Google was called by a Russian court to administrative liability under Art. 13.41 of the Administrative Offenses Code for removing channels on the YouTube platform. The court ordered the company to restore these channels,” lawyer Ivan Morozov told state media outlet TASS.

The court imposed a fine of 100 thousand rubles ($1,025) per day, with the total fine doubling every week. Owing to compound interest (Einstein’s eighth wonder of the world), Google is now on the hook for an insane amount of money, or what the judge on Monday called “a case in which there are many, many zeros.”

Not that there’s much chance of bankrupting Alphabet over the issue. Google in Russia has been inactive since 2022 after the search giant effectively pulled out of the country following Putin’s special military operation. Google says the Russian authorities had seized its bank accounts and the offshoot was essentially bankrupt. The ad-spreader had over 200 staff in Russia and, while some have been relocated, others were laid off.

The battle is now on in courts around the globe as Russia seeks to seize Google’s assets, with little success. The Chocolate Factory certainly seems sanguine about it.

“We have ongoing legal matters relating to Russia. For example, civil judgments that include compounding penalties have been imposed upon us in connection with disputes regarding the termination of accounts, including those of sanctioned parties,” Alphabet reported in its last earnings statement [PDF].

“We do not believe these ongoing legal matters will have a material adverse effect.”

The law student was born in South Africa to a Nigerian father but faced a backlash that exposed anti-foreigner sentiment in South Africa.

South Africa is stripping a would-be Miss South Africa contestant, who was at the centre of a row over her nationality, of her national identity papers, the government said.

Chidimma Adetshina, 23, withdrew from the Miss South Africa pageant in August amid a torrent of abuse over allegations she was not South African which prompted an official investigation into her citizenship.

The government said Tuesday it was cancelling Adetshina and her mother’s identification documents after they missed a deadline to justify keeping them.

The law student was born in South Africa to a Nigerian father but faced a backlash that exposed anti-foreigner sentiment in South Africa.

Her Nigerian heritage attracted vicious xenophobic attacks when she was announced as a Miss South Africa finalist.

The furore drew in ministers, with the government saying it was investigating a claim that her mother may have stolen the identity of a South African woman.

Adetshina and her mother were given until Monday to provide reasons why their national identification documents should not be cancelled, Home Affairs Director General Tommy Makhode told a parliamentary committee on Tuesday.

“We have not received any response and therefore the department will be proceeding with the withdrawal of those documents in line with the Identification Act,” Makhode said.

Adetshina said at the time that she was withdrawing from the South African competition for her and her family’s “safety and wellbeing”.

She flew in September to Nigeria where she won a Miss Universe pageant after being welcomed in the country with open arms.

She will be competing in the Miss Universe 2024 competition in Mexico on November 16 where she will represent Nigeria.

South Africa and Nigeria, the continent’s two economic heavyweights, have a long-held rivalry, with tensions spilling over into sports, music, regional political influence and even ride-sharing apps.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says it stands by its advice to Nigeria to remove petrol subsidy and float the exchange rate.

Daily Trust reports that the Bretton Woods institutions have been accused of advising President Bola Tinubu on the present economic policies, especially the removal of subsidy from PMS as well as the floating of the naira which have plunged the country into inflationary pressures.

But the IMF’s African Region Director, Abebe Selassie at a briefing on the sidelines of the IMF and World Bank Annual Meetings in Washington DC, US, had said the organisation did not advise the President to remove fuel subsidy.

“The decision was a domestic one. It was President Tinubu’s decision. We don’t have programmes in Nigeria. Our role is limited to regular dialogue, as we have with other nations like Japan or the UK,” he had clarified.

However, according to PremiumTimes, an IMF spokesperson in response to its enquiry said that the institute stands by its advice to the Tinubu-led government.

“We stand by our advice, though it’s important to underscore that individual pieces of that advice cannot be viewed in isolation.

“Our advice is a comprehensive policy package where all elements are linked to each other. That package seeks to ensure macroeconomic stability and raise living standards in a sustainable fashion.

“Importantly, our advice on petrol subsidies and the exchange rate, is set in a larger, comprehensive policy mix that also includes scaling up social transfers to provide relief to Nigerians who are already suffering from a cost-of-living crisis or who are impacted by policy reforms,” the spokesperson was quoted as saying on Wednesday.

MORE controversies are trailing the opposition of governors from the 19 states in the North to the Tax Reform bills that will make derivation principle as the basis for Valued Added Taxation (VAT) allocation.

The Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), the Middle Belt Forum (MBF), as well as a former general secretary of the Yoruba Elders Council (YCE), Dr Kunle Olajide, expressed reservations over the rejection of the bill by governors and other stakeholders in the North, which they made public at the end of a meeting held in Kaduna on Monday.

The bills, aimed at reforming tax collection in Nigeria, include the Nigeria Tax Bill 2024, Tax Administration Bill, Nigeria Revenue Service Establishment Bill, and Joint Revenue Board Establishment Bill.

In the communiqué of the meeting read to journalists by the chairman of the Northern Governors Forum and governor of Gombe State, Alhaji Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya, the leaders also urged members of the National Assembly from the North to reject all bills that are not in the interest of the North.

Part of it read: “Forum notes with dismay the content of the recent Tax Reform Bill that was forwarded to the National Assembly.

“The contents of the bill are against the interests of the North and other sub-nation-als, especially the proposed amendment to the distribution of Value Added Tax (VAT) to Derivation-based Model.

“This is because companies remit VAT using location of their headquarters and tax of fice and not where the services and goods are consumed. In view of the foregoing, the Forum unanimously rejects the proposed Tax Amendments and calls on members of National Assembly to oppose any bill that can jeopardise the wellbeing of our people.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the Northern Governor’ Forum is not averse to any policies or programmes that will ensure the growth and development of the country.

“However, the Forum calls for equity and farness in the implementation of all national policies and programmes so as to ensure that no geopolitical zone is short-changed or marginalised.”

Reacting to the rejection of the planned amendment of the VAT Act to be based on derivation, the Middle Belt Forum said such reform is necessary for the sake of equity and fairness.

The national publicity secretary of the MBF, Dr Isuwa Dogo, charged the National Assembly to go ahead with the amendment in line with the reality on the ground, coupled with the consumption patterns and capacity of states.

“VAT should be localised; if a group of people, states, or otherwise are not patronising a product or not aligning with the consumption, such people have no right to share in the distribution of VAT.

“In some parts of the North, alcohol is forbidden, and there are several instances where it was openly destroyed

“It would be abnormal for such states to benefit from the sharing of VAT accrued from the consumption of alcohol.

Therefore, it should be on the basis of consumption.

“For example, why should the VAT derived in Lagos not be used for the people of Lagos or should be taken to Sokoto, Katsina, or any place in the North where alcohol is forbidden? So, what is being derived in Lagos should belong to Lagos, likewise any other products. So, the amendment in this regard is necessary,” the MBF spokesman said

Similarly, the former secretary general of YCE, Dr Kunle Olajide expressed disappointment over the opposition of the governors and traditional rulers from the North to the proposed amendment of the VAT distribution, noting that the administration of President Bola Tinubu has been fair to all regions with his programmes and policies.

He explained that the Tax Reform bill before the National Assembly, when passed into law, would serve the interest of the country and not against any of the regions.

According to him, “It is most unfortunate and unbelievable that we still have some people in this country who still believe that this country should be balkanised and keep dividing us between North and South.

“In my humble opinion, the present government under President Bola Tinubu has been fair to all regions and doing things in the best interest of the entire country from the Atlantic Ocean to the Sahara desert.

“It is most unfortunate that the issue of VAT is being rejected by the North; this is a means of generating funds for the government to distribute appropriately for the development of the country.

“It surprises me that the governors and the traditional rulers took such a decision, I don’t know where we are going in this country.

“To me, that decision on the bill by the federal government is in the best interest of the country for the government to attend to basic needs of the citizens.” Another group, the Arewa Civil Rights Movement (ACRM) described the decision of the northern governors as ill-conceived which could set the country back.

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday in Abuja, the national president of the group, Dr Agabi Emmanuel, said the governor’s rejection of the bills is ill-conceived and would set the country back.

He argued that directing lawmakers to reject the bills due to issues with one is unjustified and oversteps the governors’ authority.

The contentious issue lies in the proposed Value Added Tax (VAT) sharing template, which reduces the Federal Government’s share from 15% to 10%.

However, the allocation among states will consider the derivation principle, encouraging states to attract businesses.

The ACRM views the governors’ claim that the North would be disadvantaged as disingenuous, instead, Emmanuel suggests this is an opportunity for northern states to create a more investment-friendly climate.

The group said the action of the governors paints the North in a beggarly light and contradicts the region’s history of tax compliance.

It urged northern lawmakers to disregard the governors’ directive, emphasising their responsibility to con-stituents. Rejecting the bills would confirm lawmakers’ inability to serve and potentially lead to recalls, he said.

The movement also called on governors to focus on their duties and account for excess earnings from the Federation Account since assuming office.

“Our Movement is concerned with the far-reaching consequences of the ill-conceived directive to northern lawmakers to reject the bills.

First, it is wrong to direct lawmakers to reject the four bills because they have issues with just one.

“This will set the country back as it is creating needless drama and distraction that is unnecessary at this point. Secondly, we are of the view that the governors overstepped their remit by directing federal lawmakers to reject the bills.

“These are not state law-makers, and even if they were it would amount to validating the allegation of rubber-stamp parliaments that states are known for because of the overbearing attitude of these governors. But we are talking about federal lawmakers who are employees of their constituents and sworn to protect the interests of the constituents.

“Additionally, the claim by the governors that the North would be disadvantaged by the VAT sharing formula on account of major companies being headquartered in southern states where their taxes would be captured is totally disingenuous.

“What we expect is that this is a wake-up call for us in the north to create a more investment-friendly climate.

The governors cannot exploit sectarian extremism that discourages investments and expect profit-oriented organisations to site their headquarters in their states.

“Furthermore, we disagree with the Northern Governors Forum because their rejection of the proposed tax reforms paints the North in a beggarly light making it appear as if those of us from there are unwilling to be tax compliant.

“This is especially true when their opposition to the Tax Bills creates the impression that northerners are so impoverished that they cannot pay the associated taxes when the North has a rich history and tradition of being tax compliant.

“The Arewa Civil Rights Movement urges the northern lawmakers to disregard the directive from the state governors as they had no basis to issue such a directive.

The lawmakers’ responsibility is to their constituents.

“Should the northern lawmakers reject the Bills based on the interference from the governors they would have confirmed to those who voted them into office that they are incapable of serving. Such disrespect for the wishes of their constituents will definitely result in a wave of recall as the people will not accept rubber-stamp lawmakers.

“We urge the Northern Governors to get back to work while also preparing to account for what they did with the excess earnings that came into their states’ coffers from the Federation Account since they assumed office on May 29, 2023.

“They should also begin to explore how to walk back the sectarian extremism they adopted for their states that is now proving injurious to revenue generation.”

Contributing, the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), expressed frustrations over the treatment of the Niger Delta region by successive federal administrations.

Speaking to the Nigerian Tribune, spokesperson for PANDEF, Chief Dr Obiuwevbi Christopher Ominimini, called for a fundamental reform of VAT distribution system.

“Proceeds from VAT should be shared based on contribution “States that generate more should receive more.

Fairness demands it,” he said.

He condemned the lack of accountability for the environmental degradation and impoverishment of Niger Delta communities due to oil and gas exploitation.

“Our people can no longer fish or farm because the ecosystem has been ruined,” said Chief Ominimini.

“We have nothing to show for the billions extracted from our land. The Niger Delta, despite its wealth of resources, remains the poorest region in Nigeria. This is economic in-justice,” Ominimini said.

He noted that while Niger Deltans have limited access to their own resources, citizens from other regions freely exploit gold and other minerals for personal gain.

“Gold miners in other states enrich themselves, while we’re barred from accessing our oil. This disparity is unacceptable,” he asserted.

Ominimini questioned the government’s transparency regarding oil and gas reve-nues, suggesting that the supposed 13% derivation fund is a mere illusion.

“What we actually receive is less than 8%,” he claimed.

“The rest is misappropriated, and those in power aren’t held accountable for what they take from our land.” He further raised concerns about ongoing gas flaring, describing its impact on the health and well-being of local communities.

“Every day, we suffer the hazards of gas flaring. The government’s inaction on this matter is nothing short of wickedness towards the Niger Delta people,” he declared.

Ominimini pointed to the dominance of non-indigenous executives in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) as evidence of systemic exclusion.

“How many traditional rulers from the Niger Delta hold oil blocks?” he asked. “The answer is few to none, while traditional rulers from other regions hold multiple. They ignore our suffering, as it has no impact on their lives.”

CPPE Director/CEO, Dr Muda Yusuf, on his part, called for caution on the issue concerning the tax reform because of the seeming political undertone.

“In my view, this is more political than economic. I think it’s a natural reaction or natural response. They are having an amendment that will put you in a disadvantage. It is natural for you to reject it. I am not surprised by this because the bulk of the VAT is generated from the southern part of the country.

“The percentage contribution from the northern part is not so significant. So naturally, if you weigh the allocation heavily in favour of derivation, it will favour the South.

“That is why I said it’s more political which we need to manage very carefully. As for me, I will just say we should allow the sleeping dog to lie and leave the situation as it is. I think this is the way I will look at it,” Dr Yusuf added.

A finance expert, Biyi Adesuyi, described the northern governors’ action as an indication that the proposed bill may not see the light of the day.

He hinged his pessimism on the fact that those opposed to the bill, are from a section of the country with the largest number of representatives on the floor of the National Assembly.

He, however, said bills such as this are needed if the country is really desirous of practising true federalism.

The Wealthigate Advisors boss attributed the action of the governors to their inability to think out of the box, regarding the issue of internally generated revenue in their states.

Adesuyi argued that the intention of the proposed bill, which is fiscal federalism is not alien to the country, since that was the practice before the military introduced unitary system of government.

“For instance, when Pa Obafemi Awolowo was running the Western Region, the region was generating the largest revenue out of all the regions, and what obtained then was to remit a fraction of such revenue to the centre. But it is the exact opposite that we are seeing now.

“Some of these Northern states produce nothing, but rely solely on disbursements from Abuja. They don’t bring anything to the table, yet they are the largest partakers of what comes to the table.

“Look at the statistics, based on IGR per state, you will see the performance of the North in terms of IGR. And, unfortunately, because these governors cannot think out of the box, they believe such law would cripple their states, if passed,” Adesuyi stated.

Also, the senator representing Borno South in the National Assembly, Ali Ndume, has joined forces with Northern elders to reject the Federal Government’s move to increase the tax regime of the country.

While aligning himself with the stance of the Northern elders, Senator Ndume suggested to the President Bola Tinubu-led administration to expand sources of income for Nigerians and ensure that Nigerians are not merely existing but living.

The former Leader of the Senate lamented what he called the elimination of the middle class occasioned by high inflationary rate demanded that positive steps be taken to bring succour to Nigerians.

“This tax they’re talking about, we are almost losing the middle class in Nigeria.

It is either you have it or you do not have it. Those that are in the middle are being squeezed out. If Nigerians can pay for those taxes, it is okay.

“But in the current situa-tion, increasing taxes is not an alternative at all. I will not support any increase in tax.

“Let us get things right first. Let people start living and not survive. Let people have extra income, and then you can tax them. I like to use an example of common sense. Allow Nigerians to have enough blood in their body before you start asking for donation,” Ndume stated.

The lawmaker accused the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun and Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Zach Adedeji for instigating what he described as anti-people economic reforms.

“The poverty is too much is in the North. Let us be frank about that. So, you want to increase taxes again?

Tax those people who can afford it. Those who can afford the taxes in Nigeria, I do not want to be particular about it, are not even paying the taxes.

These big companies do not even declare their income, not to talk of getting the appropriate taxes.

“I am one of those opposing that tax bill in the National Assembly. I am not going to support it. In fact, I am going to start campaigning against the increase in tax for now because it does not only affect the North but the average Nigerian.

“I am not saying people should not pay tax, but do not go and tax people that are barely struggling to survive.

You are paying somebody N70,000 as a minimum wage, and all of a sudden, the price of fuel went up to N1,000.

It means that if you put the arithmetic together, you see that you would have continued paying me the N30,000 and allow the litre of fuel to be N100.

“It is like giving you with one hand and taking it with the other hand. Let the tax authority focus on those who are supposed to pay tax.

For example, in Abuja, if you go round, there are a lot of properties in there that are not paying taxes. Fortunately, you have Nyesom Wike who stands up to do something about it.

“People are not paying property taxes. These banks, for example, are making tons and tons of money, and they are not paying taxes. And they are collecting taxes. If you transfer money, they are collecting taxes. If you receive money, they are collecting taxes. And they declare profits. Go and check their taxes.

Now you want to squeeze somebody who is barely trying to survive because they are many.

“You need to start from somewhere that is acceptable. I, at one time, proposed a bill for communication and phone owners to pay tax. It didn’t see the light of the day.

“You are talking about Abuja here. Many people do not have access to mobile phones. Anybody who can access a phone should be able to pay tax.”