Author: Amina Mohammed

The four tax reform bills are not against the interest of the North, the Presidency said yesterday. Apart from refuting the claims that the bills will undermine the economy of any region, the Presidency also clarified that the reforms are designed to streamline tax administration and promote equitable economic development across the country. The bills have scaled the second reading in the Senate. It is now at the committee stage where it will undergo public hearing. Also yesterday, Senator Seriake Dickson and former House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara, gave reasons why the tax reform is desirable and passage of…

The Federal Government has commenced a free Compressed Natural Gas bus service in Abuja to ease transportation costs for Nigerians in the capital city. The CNG buses began operations on December 2, 2024, as shown in a video shared by the Presidential CNG Initiative on its X (formerly Twitter) page. The buses, according to reports, will run along popular routes from suburbs in Abuja such as Mararaba to Eagle Square and Berger bus stop. The government has announced that the buses will convey passengers free of charge for the next 40 days, with the free service scheduled to end on…

Borno state governor, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum has warned that there would be consequences for Nigerians if President Bola Tinubu decides to go ahead to get the Tax Reform Bills passed into law at all cost. Zulum, who said neither himself nor any Northern governor was against President Bola Tinubu over the Executive Bills, however, noted that they were only craving for dialogue and adequate consultation about the proposed legislations in order not to be short-changed. “This is a democratic setting, we need more time. People have told the President that governors are against him, we didn’t say anything like…

The General Council of the World Trade Organisation has reappointed Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala for a second term as its Director-General. Her new four-year tenure is set to begin on September 1, 2025. In a statement issued on Friday by the organisation, Okonjo-Iweala expressed gratitude to the WTO’s 166 member nations for their continued trust and support. “I am deeply honoured by the trust and support of the WTO General Council and its 166 Members. It is a privilege to continue serving as Director-General for a second four-year term,” she said.

The House of Representatives on Wednesday asked its relevant committees to invite the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Managing Directors of Commercial banks, and other financial institutions utilizing point-of-sale services to find solutions to the challenges faced by users of POS in the country. This followed a motion by John Okafor (APC, Imo) on the need to implement verifiable documentation of Point of Sale users and fund recipient identity across the country. Okafor said the increasing challenges posed by the undocumented identities of Point of Sale (POS) users and fund recipients in Nigeria have given opportunities for fraudulent…

The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Maitama, on Wednesday, ordered the remand of the former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) until December 10. The court will rule on his application for bail on that date. Justice Maryann Anenih gave the order after Bello and his co-defendants, Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, pleaded not guilty to a 16-count charge filed against them by the EFCC. The charges include conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, and possession of unlawfully obtained property linked to an alleged N110 billion fraud.…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has produced the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory sitting at Maitama for arraignment.  Bello is billed to enter his plea to a 16-count charge ordering on his alleged complicity in a N110billion fraud. The erstwhile governor’s whereabouts remained unknown till yesterday when he surrendered himself after a protracted hide-and-seek game between him and the anti-graft agency. Dressed in white caftan and blue cap, was marshalled into the court premises by armed operatives of the EFCC before 9am, for his arraignment.…

Six men linked to France midfielder Paul Pogba, including one of his brothers, went on trial in Paris yesterday  accused of blackmail, attempted extortion of millions of euros and holding a player at gunpoint. The case at the Paris criminal court has shocked the French football world – all the more so because the alleged perpetrators include three childhood friends and Pogba’s own brother Mathias. Tuesday’s trial comes on top of professional woes for Pogba, whose career has struggled since France’s spectacular 2018 World Cup win when he scored against Croatia in the Moscow final. He suffered through repeated injuries and…

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, on Wednesday, stated that the country must confront the pressing issue of the National Library, which has been abandoned for over 18 years, by ensuring its completion. Obasanjo, who delivered a goodwill message at the 60th anniversary of the National Library of Nigeria in Abuja, described the library as not only a symbol but also a critical necessity. The contract for the library, which stands incomplete on Plot 35, Cadastral Business District in the Federal Capital Territory, was awarded to Reynolds Construction Company in 2006 during Obasanjo’s administration. The contract was worth N8.9 billion, with an…

A witness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Musa Odiniya, yesterday told an Abuja High Court that Al-Duraq Investment Limited, which was registered in 2021, got the contract for the construction of the Apron Extension at Katsina Airport in 2022. Odiniya, who is a former Director of Procurement at the Bureau Public Procurement (BPP), said this while testifying in the alleged N2.7 billion contract fraud against a former Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika. The EFCC is prosecuting Sirika and his daughter Fatima, Jalal Sule Hamma, and Al-Duraq Investment Nigeria Limited for abuse of office and contract fraud. They are standing trial before…