News

By Muhammadu Sabiu 

Bishop David Oyedepo has warned young people about the “japa syndrome” (vacating Nigeria for greener pastures).

To rebuild the nation’s lost respect, Oyedepo encouraged the government to invest heavily in its people.

The cleric highlighted that investing more in education is necessary since it is the cornerstone of sustained national development, adding that a conducive atmosphere for youngsters will lessen the rate of Japa.

He was quoted as saying, “Parents need to reorientate their children. We all need to stay in Nigeria to rebuild.

“Everyone has a part to play in the recovery of his nation.”

By Uzair Adam Imam

The Kano State Ministry of Education has announced Sunday, January 8th, 2023, as a resumption day for all boarding public and private primary schools for the commencement of the 2nd term academic session.

A statement by the Director Public Enlightenment Ministry of Education of the state, Aliyu Yusuf, disclosed this on Saturday.

The statement added, “While expressing appreciation for the cooperation and support been [sic] accorded to the ministry, Commissioner Rt. Hon. Ya’u Abdullahi Yan’shana urged Parents/Guardians of Pupils and Students of the schools to ensure compliance with the approved resumption dates.

“The Commissioner who also wished the students and pupils successful commencement of the 2nd term Academic session, however, warned that appropriate disciplinary action would be taken against defaulting students,” the statement added.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

The Governor of Anambra State, Charles Soludo, hosted the presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso on Thursday.

Kwankwaso was accompanied by Buba Galadima and other key members of his campaign team to Anambra’s State Government House in Awka. 

Explaining the reason for the visit, Kwankwaso said he was in the state to open the campaign office of his party and decided to pay the governor a courtesy visit. 

Receiving Kwankwaso’s entourage, Soludo commended him for his tenacity and belief in Nigeria. He described Kwankwaso as a man with exemplary public service history, which he called the greatest philanthropy.

Soludo said, “I want to commend your tenacity and belief in the country, your exemplary public service and commitment to our nation. I have always said that those who have something to offer should offer it through public service. Public Service is the biggest philanthropy”

By Uzair Adam Imam

The Presidential Candidate of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has accused his Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) counterpart, Alh. Atiku Abubakar, of being a liar.

Tinubu Tuesday argued that Abubakar was a liar who could not explain the source of his wealth, adding that there were a lot of contradictions in the information he gave.

Addressing the North-West Muslim leaders in Kano, Tinubu said, “They asked one of them. How did you get rich? He said he was doing transportation and motor vehicle business.

“He had forgotten that civil service (sic), you cannot do any other thing if you are a custom officer but farm. Who is lying to who? Who is contradicting who?” 

Tinubu mockingly threw the label against Abubakar to the delight of his supporters, who cheered him on at the event.

However, in 2020, Tinubu was reportedly accused of stealing public funds after Peoples Gazette’s report exposed some documents showing how Tinubu stole to enrich himself.

By Muhammadu Sabiu 

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, or EFCC, was able to retrieve over N13 billion that was earmarked illegally.

The funds are the profits of unauthorised payments made between 2017 and 2021 under the subsidy regime.

Recall that this was reported in a recent paper on the National Inherent Risk Assessment of Money Laundering in the Nigerian Extractive Sector that was obtained from the website of the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit, or NFIU.

The document stated: “The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the agency responsible for the investigation and prosecution of corrupt subsidies in the oil and gas in Nigeria, recovered N12,998,963,178.29 as proceeds of illegal payment made within the subsidy regime between 2017 and 2021.”

Corruption involving fuel subsidies has raised concerns in Nigeria. For instance, according to the World Bank, increased gasoline subsidies put the Nigerian economy at high risk.

This is because the payments might have a major impact on public finances and raise questions about the sustainability of the country’s debt.

By Muhammadu Sabiu 
 
The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has announced that by using its flagship taxpro max solution, taxpayers may now easily receive their Tax Clearance Certificate.
 
The solution, which consists of a tax administration module unveiled by the top tax authority in June 2021, provides a quick way for activities including taxpayer registration, tax return filing, tax payment, and getting a tax clearance certificate.
 
According to a statement released yesterday and signed by Mr. Johannes Wojuola, Special Assistant to the Executive Chairman, FIRS (Media & Communication), the taxpayer can now generate a Tax Clearance Certificate with just one click, as opposed to the two weeks it previously took to do so.
 
This technical advancement follows extensive technological improvements that the Service undertook in an effort to fully automate its tax administration activities.
 
Commenting on the development, Muhammad Namu, the Executive Chairman of the FIRS, said, “One of our objectives as a service is to build a Customer-Centric institution.
 
“That means an institution that has the customer at the heart of its innovations and solutions. It is for this reason that we have tuned the operations of our TaxPro Max solution to be able to deliver Tax Clearance Certificates in the shortest possible time to taxpayers.
 
“At the click of a button, a taxpayer will get their Tax Clearance Certificates, as long as they have no outstanding liabilities.
 
“This would impact in no small measure on the ease of doing business in Nigeria.”

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

The Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC), has requested that legal practitioners in Nigeria, who desire the attainment of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), should submit applications online.

This was disclosed by the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court and Secretary of the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee, Hajo Sarki Bello in a memoir on Monday, January 2, 2022.

Bello said this year application is online and lawyers who desire the award of the rank of SAN should submit relevant documents to the LPPC’s portal.

He added that all applicants must pay a non-refundable processing fee of one million naira and upload evidence of the payment online.

Part of the memoir reads: “By the combined provisions of Section 5(2) of the Legal Practitioners’ Act Cap 11 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria of Nigeria 2004 and the Regulation 10 (1) – (4) of the Guidelines for the Conferment of the Rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria 2022. (“The Guidelines”) the Legal Practitioners’Privileges Committee ( “the LPPC or the Committee “) hereby makes a formal call for applications preparatory to the rank of the year 2023. Commencing with the year’s exercise applications shall only be made online and prospective applicants are directed to visit www. lppconline.com to make their application.”

The rank of Senior Advocates of Nigeria is the highest rank in the Nigerian Bar. It is the equivalent of the rank of the Queen’s Counsel in the United Kingdom. The rank of SAN is yearly awarded to legal practitioners that have distinguished themselves in character and advocacy.

By Muhammadu Sabiu 

Seven private depots were closed by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) for selling gasoline above the N148 per litre permitted by the federal government.

Independent petroleum marketers had complained in recent months that they were purchasing the product from private depots for more than N200 per litre, making it impossible for them to sell the commodity at the government-approved price.

The Authority’s Chief Executive, Engr. Farouk Ahmed, said the depots would be closed until a decision was made on how to proceed while speaking to journalists on New Year’s Eve in Abuja.

Among the companies, he identified were Ardova, Rainoil, TCL, Bluefin, and NEPAL.

According to Engr. Ahmed, two of the depots are in Lagos, two are in Warri, one is each in Oghara, Port Harcourt, and Calabar.

He reassured customers that the closure would not affect the availability of petrol around the nation, stating that there would be enough fuel for about 30 days.

He said that in an effort to lessen fuel shortages, the authority had many discussions with marketers on how to address supply issues that operators were having.

He also noted that certain privately operated depots were found to continue loading the commodity above the government-approved price, despite having obtained the cargo under favourable circumstances.

By Ahmad Deedat Zakari

Zazzau Emirate Council has debunked the rumours that a title holder of the Emirate was arrested on the ground of sodomy.

Spokeperson of the Emirate, Malam Abdullahi Aliyu Kwarbai, in a statement issued on Thursday, said the suspect is not a title holder of the Zazzau Emirate but one of the Emir’s servant.

According to him, Shehu Umar Ciroman Baraya, who was accused and arrested is one of the Emir’s servant (Bawan Sarki) and not a title holder of the Emirate as claimed.

He added that the media should always verify claims concerning the Emirate Before rushing to the press and that the misleading reports be corrected immediately.

He said: “The attention of Zazzau Emirate Council has been drawn to the News in the Media that a “TITLE HOLDER” of the Emirate has been arrested for Sodomy.

For the record, the Emirate Council would like the General Public to note that the arrested suspect (SHEHU UMAR CIROMAN BARAYA) is one of the Emir’s Servant (BAWAN SARKI) and NOT a TITLE HOLDER of the Emirate as claimed.”

By Ibrahim Mukhtar 

A Nigeria-based Chinese woman accepted the religion of Islam at the palace of the Emir of Machina in Yobe State. 

The woman who was at the palace with her fiancé explained that no one forced her to accept the religion—she wanted Islam on her own conviction. 

After she took the Kalimatu al-Shahada from His Highness, the Emir of Machina, she was asked to choose the name she wanted.

The Daily Reality learned that she chose “Fatima” based on the advice given to her by her fiancé. 

Fatima was observed to have been happy and relaxed alongside all those with her in the Emir’s palace.