The Enugu State Government has sealed Enugu ShopRite and SPAR for alleged non-remittances purchase tax in their malls to the government after being served several warning notices.

The State Internal Revenue Service (ESiRS), enforcement team carried out the sealing of the malls on Tuesday morning.

Other malls and businesses closed include - Roban, Mama Onyinye restaurant among others.

The Enugu State Internal Revenue Service(ESIRS) HOD eateries, bars, hotels, and shopping malls, Egwuonwu Perpetual said the agency has visited the sealed malls and businesses on several occasions to request for the purchase tax but they failed to remit such.

She added they have also pleaded with the concerned individuals to be remitting their taxes when due, but "have been recalcitrant and till now they have not done anything concerning these instructions."

“It is worthy of note that after we met with the Roban store they displayed our sticker and have complied with remitting their purchase tax to the IRS. On the other hand, ShopRite has frustrated all our efforts to get them to do the needful.

"It is always one story or another eventually they promised us that before the end of February, they would do something but we are in March and the ESIRS have not heard from them,” she said.

Egwuonwu stressed that the malls would remain closed until the issues at hand were resolved.

Speaking to journalists on the incident, the spokesperson for the service, Nnamdi Eneh explained that the agency had gone on air to enlighten and educate the people on the need to remit their taxes.

“Our public enlightenment programme has been ongoing for a while now. We have been sensitizing the people and pleading with them to pay their taxes so as not to fall victim during enforcement, but most of them remained adamant.

"The objective here is not to disrupt anybody’s business but since pleading did not work, this is the only way to compel them to do what they are supposed to do.”

We Want Abba Kyari Back In The Sout-East, IPOB/ESN Are Celebrating His Exit With Crime - Joe Igbokwe

Anambra-born politician and Lagos chieftain of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), Joe Igokwe has stated that the presence of the suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari is needed in the South-East region of the country now more than ever before.

While reacting to the deteriorating South-East security situation which has already claimed the life of late Professor Dora Akunyili's husband (Dr. Chike Akunyili), and many others in recent time, Joe Igbokwe begged the federal government to repost the result-oriented DCP Abba Kyari to the region.

The Special Assistant to the Lagos State governor on Drainage and Water Resources Matters alleged that from the look of things, members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), and their bandits unit, the Eastern Security Network (ESN) are capitalizing on the absence of Kyari in the region to commit atrocities.

Please federal government, we need Abba Kyari back in the South-East, Joe states on his Facebook post a few moments ago. Check out the post below:

Igbo’s apex sociocultural organisation, Ohanaeze NdIgbo Worldwide, raised the alarm over the incessant killing of innocent citizens of the Igbo nation. Ohanaeze said the zone was currently under a heavy siege.

President General of the organisation, Professor George Obiozor, raised the alarm during the Igbo Day Prayer Summit organised by Ohanaeze NdIgbo Worldwide, in collaboration with the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), South East zone. Obiozor spoke against the backdrop of Dr. Chike Akunyili’s murder.

The president-general, who was represented by Secretary General of Ohanaeze, Mr. Innocent Nwudenyi, stated that there was need for the people of the South-east to pause and seek the face of God, because there were too many killings in the zone lately.

Obiozor stated, “As we gather today to pray, we need to take a pause in Igbo Nation. We need to seek the face of God, we need to remember our brothers and sisters that have been killed over the years but more importantly, we need to think about today. The Igbo Nation is under siege; there are too many killings. Many unnecessary killings in the zone.”

He described the killing of Akunyili as unfortunate, regrettable and most worrisome, pointing out that the killings in Anambra State and otherstates of the South-east have reached an alarming stage.

The Ohaneze Ndigbo president noted that something needed to be done urgently to save the South-east from the unnecessary killings. He also asked the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and other groups to think deeply and take a pause.

“Professor Obiozor has asked IPOB and other groups to think deeply, because if they kill every person, who will be there,” Nwudenyi said. “We need to take a pause as a people and understand what is confronting us,” he added.

The president-general regretted that beyond the sit-at-home order, there were on-going killings from one state to another in the South-east and called on the clergy to pray fervently for the zone.

In an address, Ebonyi State Governor, Chief David Umahi, wondered why Igbos would be killing each other, and called for brotherly love, harmony, and peace among the Igbo.

Umahi, who was represented by Secretary to the State Government and Coordinating Commissioner, Dr. Kenneth Ugballa, regretted the killing of Akunyili and noted that his death was a big blow to NdIgbo

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), on Monday, has said it was still unsafe at this time for the nation’s public universities to reopen for academic activities.

It also said even at that, the union is still on its industrial action which it commenced since March nationwide and would only call it off when demands are addressed by the government.

The Lagos Zone coordinator of the union, who is a lecturer at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, (FUNAAB), Prof Olusiji Sowande, gave this position in a statement made available to newsmen on Monday evening.
According to him, there is nothing different on the ground from what it used to be before COVID-19 in the nation’s public universities nor any noticeable concrete steps taking to address the terrible conditions that most of the universities are.

He said student’s hostels are not only still inadequate, there is just no significant facilities on ground to carry out the physical distancing guidelines in large and crowded lecture rooms.

Besides that, he said, water and electricity supply, among other needs, are also still unreliable and that is why reopening of tertiary institutions for now without taking concrete steps to address these issues would be suicidal.

He said it was even unheard of that government could make arrangements for special bailout funds for airline operators and other private entities without considering the same for public universities.


While also decrying that some of the union members, particularly those at the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) and Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU) have their salaries withheld for five months and members’ check-off deductions generally had not been remitted since February 2020 to date by the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF), as well as members having one complaint or the another over salaries payment due to what he termed their forceful enrollment into Integrated and Personnel Payroll System (IPPIS), he said the government would need to address all these issues.

According to him, the payment of salary is incomplete when third party deductions are not remitted to the parties concerned.

Prof Sowande explained that “Check-offs and other third-party deductions by law should not be held beyond seven days before being remitted to the concerned parties.

“So, deducting and failure to remit our check-off since February 2020 to date by the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) is not only illegal but criminal,” he stressed.

He said the withholding action raises a number of questions such as who is keeping the deductions and on whose directive, as well as would the interest be paid on the funds, among others.

He called on OAGF to provide answers to the inquiries, noting that the union was not only ready with the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) is developed as an alternative to IPPIS but already demonstrated the workability of the system to the minister of education with other top government officials in the ministry and its agencies in attendance.

He said the government would need to call for a physical meeting with ASUU leadership so as to resume their discussion on contentious issues for possible resolutions.