₦airaland Forum

Contrary to the pronouncement by the minister of communications and digital economy, Isa Ali Pantami, that the five percent telecom levy had been suspended, the director-general of the Budget Office, Ben Akabueze, has maintained that the tax remains in effect as the Budget Office of the Federation and the Federal Ministry of  Finance, Budget and National Planning had not been advised about the suspension.

Speaking on Arise News channel, Akabueze stressed that the five per cent tax on telecom services is part of the federal government’s expected revenue to fund the medium-term expenditure framework and that the bill had been passed into law.

He argued that a suspension would mean further fiscal deficit for Nigeria, just as he said telecom operators in Nigeria are not overtaxed but rather undertaxed.

“This is a matter that would be resolved in due course. I’m a member of the fiscal policy and tax policy review committee which includes members of the private sector; in fact, the majority of its members are from the private sector and we deliberated extensively on this matter before we arrived at including this in the finance bill.

“And one of the things that we looked at that time – so you know – four years ago, at least 21 countries in Africa had excise taxes on telecom services; in fact, in all of these countries also, they had VAT rates that were, on the average, double the VAT rate for Nigeria.

“There are extensive studies on this subject about the taxation of telecommunication companies in Africa and other developing countries, and I assure you that the average effective tax rate, which is called the AETR on telecommunications, in Nigeria is below the African average. There are several countries in Africa where the AETR on telecommunications is over 90 per cent which is giving rise to the concerns that in some places they may currently be overtaxed, but certainly not in Nigeria.
 

“Again, on this continent, as of today, we have the lowest tax to GDP ratio. And so, at a time when we face existential revenue challenges, I think that we all need to be really circumspect about what views we take on this matter.”

Akabueze further noted that there were several consultations with operators before the bill was passed and pronouncement was made, and that a reversal would further dampen Nigeria’s fiscal problems.

“This wasn’t something that the Ministry of Finance woke up and introduced. The finance bill went through the Federal Executive Council; it went to the National Assembly as, an executive bill from Mr. President, there were public hearings, and at the end of the day they passed it into law.”

According to him, his office engaged with different stakeholders including Customs, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and other industry practitioners to discuss the modalities for the implementation before

“Let me say, I don’t know about the suspension, I mean, this is the law now. So, I haven’t heard beyond what I’ve read in the media. We haven’t been advised about the suspension. So, for instance, recently, the Federal Executive Council passed the medium-term expenditure framework for 2023 and 2025. That includes projections for this tax; that framework is currently before the National Assembly in the last two weeks, and the Finance Committee of the National Assembly has been holding engagements with agencies of government on this.

“So, when we are formally advised that this is no longer applicable, then we will have to rework the medium-term expenditure framework. What that means is, of course, that the projected revenues will diminish, and the deficits would increase, which means that we either have to cut back on expenditure or increase debt,” he added.

The federal government yesterday took a major step towards finally resolving its faceoff with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) by setting up a tactical committee to review the no-work no-pay policy which the striking lecturers have kicked against.

The lecturers’ union insists that its members have to be paid for the period they were on strike before they return to work.

The setting up of the committee followed a meeting by the minister of education, Adamu Adamu, with pro-chancellors, chairmen of Councils as well as Vice Chancellors of universities.

The meeting held behind closed-doors was part of efforts to resolve the seven-month industrial action by lecturers of public universities.

The director press and public relations at the Federal Ministry of Education, Ben Goong, disclosed this to journalists after the meeting which lasted for over two hours.

He said the committee is to also look into issues of increase in the salaries of the university lecturers and come up with workable solutions.
 

The spokesman for the ministry did not give a specific timeline for the 14-man committee. He, however, said the committee is expected to come up with its findings in no distant time, and that its report will be forwarded to President Muhammadu Buhari for action.

The federal government help the meeting with vice chancellors and pro-chancellors of its universities in the renewed efforts to end the ongoing strike by ASUU.

After exhaustive deliberations, the stakeholders set up a committee to review the recent report of the Prof. Nimi Brigg’s Committee, which engaged ASUU on its demands from the government.

The minister of education, Malam Adamu Adamu, at the meeting, described the indefinite strike by ASUU as anguish and internal turmoil to him.

Adamu said he wanted the parties to reach an amicable resolution of all the issues contained in the 2009 agreements because the past two weeks had been a very dark period in the nation’s education sector.

The Briggs’ committee renegotiated the controversial 2009 agreement between the government and the university-based staff unions.

The unions include ASUU and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, among others. The 14-man committee was composed of some pro-chancellors, vice-chancellors and other stakeholders.

The government had in March 2022 constituted a seven-man team, chaired by Briggs, to speedily bring to a conclusion all outstanding issues in the 2009 Agreement in order to achieve the desired industrial peace on the campuses but after over seven months, its engagement failed to yield result as the lecturers continued with the strike.

However, the spokesperson for the Federal Ministry of Education, Ben Goong, who briefed journalists after the meeting, said the committee would be chaired by Adamu.

He said Adamu inaugurated the 14-man committee to look into the recommendations on the resolution of the ASUU strike.

Goong named the members of the committee as Professor Olu Obafemi, Professor Nimi Briggs, Udo Udoma, Bashir Dalhatu, Professor Kayode Adebowale (University of Ibadan), Professor Kabir Bala (Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria), Professor Lilian Salami (University of Benin), Professor Charles Igwe (University of Nigeria, Nsukka), registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, representatives of the Academy of Letters, Science, Medicine and Social Sciences.

During his presentation, Adamu said he had been in a dark period of personal anguish and internal turmoil following the strike.

Adamu also said the government had done all it could with regard to the ASUU strike, saying that the meeting was to share the details of what the government had done and what remains to be done.

He stated that the main challenge in meeting ASUU’s demands had been the dwindling resources available to address all the concerns of the citizenry.

“For me, this is a position I would have wanted us to reach after an amicable resolution of all the issues contained in the 2009 Agreements. It appears that we are running ahead of the negotiations but not for the right reasons. The president of ASUU has been reported to have said the union would no longer negotiate with the current federal government.

“This position must be resisted. Government and ASUU have no option but to continue talking until our universities have reopened their doors to students, who clearly are the principal victims of the seemingly unending strikes. In the circumstances, therefore, all Councils and Senates of our universities are enjoined to rise up to their responsibilities.

“We must, together, continue to work to restore our public universities to where they were in the 60s and 70s. As the most important officers in our university system, pro-chancellors and vice-chancellors must demonstrate more commitment to ending the ongoing strike.

“As chairmen of councils and Senates – the highest policy and academic bodies in the system – you must consider it your paramount duty to promote policies and actions that will discourage industrial disputes in our campuses. Government will continue to support the physical and academic development of its universities.

“Government will continue to reasonably enhance the working conditions of all university staff, academic and non-teaching. The main challenge, as you are fully aware, is dwindling resources available to address all the concerns of the citizenry. We thank you for your support, understanding and sacrifices,” he said.

Adamu outlined the government’s efforts to resolve the industrial action embarked upon by ASUU on February 14, saying that the government had offered the union a 23.5 percent salary increase “for all categories of the workforce in federal universities, except for the professorial cadre which will enjoy a 35 percent upward review.”

He also said the government promised that a sum of N150 billion “shall be provided for in the 2023 budget as funds for the revitalisation of federal universities, to be disbursed to the institutions in the first quarter of the year.”

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Academics Peace-building Team which is made up of some former vice-chancellors and pro-chancellors, alongside senior academics in the university system, has pleaded with ASUU to accept some of the offers by the government and end the strike.

The academics, who stated this in a communique, called on the government and the union to find a common ground on the issues at stake.

It also said the deployment of a centralised payment platform for universities negates the principle of autonomy.

Some members of the team include a former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Maiduguri, Professor Jibril Aminu; a former VC of the University of Ibadan, Emeritus Professor Olufemi Bamiro; a former Pro-Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Dr Nkechi Nwagogu, among others.

The communiqué reads in parts, “The struggle for university autonomy that formed the major point of dispute since 2003 has to be contextualised in conversation over the IPPIS or UTAS.

“A centralised payment platform for all federal universities fundamentally negates the principle of autonomy. Global best practice in general, and the law establishing the federal universities, vest the power over finances to the Governing Council with the Vice-Chancellor as Chief Accounting Officer.

“The centralisation of salary payment and approval of establishment figures and academic staff recruitment from the office of the Head of Service all negate the core principles on which university governance and administration are founded.

“We make bold to submit that these incursions/features hurt the Nigerian university system very badly.

“While the Federal Government and ASUU both agree that the funding to universities is inadequate, they differ radically on how to fund the shortfall. Both parties need to be very creative and demonstrate the resolve to solve the funding challenge. Government should explore and adopt blended financing options with a strong mix of tax credits for any actors that support tertiary education.

“This way, more money will flow into the system and the fear of education being priced out of the hands of the poor will be mitigated. ASUU’s hardline ideological stand on the matter of non-payment of tuition fees must be moderated to accommodate this possibility as long as the government puts in place the framework to accommodate intelligent but indigent students.

“For the government, it is a matter of political will, which, like many strategic decisions, will be painful at its introductory stage but will translate to long term gains. ASUU is correct in stating that the industrial dispute has lasted this long because the federal government has not shown sufficient commitment toward its resolution.”

The battle for the 2023 presidential election seems to have shifted to Kano State at the moment.

DAILY POST reports that there is an ongoing tussle among the leading presidential candidates to inherit the millions of votes in Kano State, as President Muhammadu Buhari will not be on the ballot.

The supremacy battle between Governor Umar Ganduje, ex-governors Rabiu Kwankwaso and Ibrahim Shekarau could decide where the pendulum swings for or against any of the presidential candidates.

For the past 20 years, Buhari monopolized the votes in Kano. In 2011, Buhari under the Congress for Progressives Change (CPC) polled 1.6 million votes. Shekarau of the ANPP, was at that point the incumbent governor of Kano State.

In 2015, Buhari polled 1.903 million votes, while PDP polled 215,777 votes. In 2019, even with Kwankwaso in PDP, Buhari still polled 1.4 million votes, leaving Atiku Abubakar with 391,593 votes.

However, during the 2019 governorship election, Ganduje won the election with a margin of 8,982.

With Buhari not on the ballot for the first time in 20 years, presidential candidates are scheming to crack the Kano votes. As it appears, Buhari’s votes are non-transferable to anyone. When he won the 2019 election with a margin of over 1 million votes, two weeks after, Ganduje struggled to win the election with 8,982.

Last week, the candidate of the PDP, Atiku, his running mate, Ifeanyi Okowa and several other presidential bigwigs were in Kano to receive Shekarau. The main opposition is counting on the former governor to deliver the votes.

Kano’s political cobweb

The ruling party is relying on Governor Ganduje to deliver the votes against his former boss, Rabiu Kwankwaso of the NNPP.

The political relationship in the State is like a cobweb. In 2003, Shekarau defeated Kwankwaso and his deputy Ganduje. In 2011, the duo of Kwankwaso and Ganduje made a comeback when they defeated the ruling ANPP led by Shekarau, who had completed his tenure.

By 2016, Kwankwaso, who was in the Senate had a fallout with his successor, Ganduje and was forced to move to the PDP. In the 2019 election, both Ganduje and Shekarau teamed up against Kwankwaso but managed to win the governorship race with less than 10,000 votes

Within this election cycle, Shekarau has been in APC, but left after losing the supremacy battle. He defected to NNPC, however, he claimed that he was betrayed by Kwankwaso and he is now finally in the PDP.

Interestingly, the Shehu Sagagi-led State executive of the Kano PDP is loyal to Kwankwaso. However, on Tuesday, the Court of Appeal removed the Sagagi led exco. Which means Shekarau will be the leader of the PDP in the State.

Chances

The ruling party, APC and Ganduje will rely on their political structure. They have two Senators, several House of Representative members, among others.

During the primaries, Ganduje backed Tinubu completely and was even on campaign entourage to several States. This fueled speculation of Tinubu picking him as running mate, however, the former Lagos State governor settled for Kashim Shettima.

On the other hand, the Kwankwasiyya Movement proved themselves in the last election. They narrowly lost the governorship election with slim margins.

Also, with Kwankwaso on the presidential ballot as the only candidate from the Northwest, many believe that the group is well prepared.

Abdulmummin Jibrin, the spokesperson of Kwankwaso, had recently claimed that his principal is the one to inherit the votes.

“Somebody who is the beneficiary of the 12 million Buhari’s votes. Kwankwaso is the most popular person, most loved.

“He is the person who is going to control those votes. Now look at the dynamics of the election today, there is no sitting governor in the northern part of the country that is contesting for the presidency, so every governor has peculiar challenges in his State,” he said.

Meanwhile, a statement in June had suggested that there could be a possible alignment between Tinubu and Kwankwaso, when the latter said, “If I cannot get (the presidency) I can recommend Tinubu.”

Jubrin responded that there is no alliance between his party and Tinubu.

“People should disregard all these rumours that Kwankwaso is working for Asiwaju,” he said.

Atiku will be looking at how to improve his votes in Kano. The highest votes he has gotten from Kano is 391,593 in 2019.

Although, with Buhari out, he may fancy his chances, but considering that Kwankwaso is on the ballot and Ganduje is working to deliver the State for Tinubu, the Kano votes may be balkanized and not in its usual bulk.

“Atiku and Shekarau will be seeking to convince Kano voters that he is the only one that can ensure the North retains power for another 8 years,” Mohammed Jafar, a political analyst in Kano told DAILY POST.

Where is Peter Obi

Some months back, there was a serious conversation on alliance between Peter Obi and Kwankwaso.

However, the talks broke down because none of the two candidates was willing to deputize.

Still, Obi will be counting on non-indigenes in Sabon Gari and other parts of Kano. Also, he will be relying on the strength of his deputy, Yusuf Datti. Although Datti is from Kaduna State, he is from a large family with strong connections in the north.

It is unclear how these factors will translate to getting a significant bite of the Kano votes.

Tradegood:
We reject Climate change swap deal in the name of JESUS CHRIST.

Osinbanjo, are you not aware that Cliimate change is about a nation yielding up her sovereignty to the UN? Are you not aware?

Osibanjo, are you not aware that the Climate deal is about New world Order globalist agenda? Are you not aware or are you one of them?

Nigerians leaders wake up and be responsible, pay the debt you owe and stop mortgaging the future of unborn Nigerians because you know that you will not be alive when the consequences start showing their fruit.

Future Nigerians deserve to live too.

One moment you were with Kamala, the next you are now her her mouthpiece to Nigerians.

Are you not aware, dear Osibanjo, that Americans fought this very climate change deal and won?

If her people rejected the deal, what makes you think we are the best for the lab rat for the project?

tiwaoke, patriotsleague, myflair, iykenuwa, doctorgold, lifted2000, abokimallam, lailo, agubadin, owontime, adayincanada, amaridigital, jackacanfeild, hanndye, davidyguy, andythelight, seunayantokun, feeprooted, lifestyle1, smart724, rikithor, shiwex, zeemam, eriokanmi, joyce95, shooyie, scotesam, okefranci, sulaak, Slaxe4, symbiandon, nowazobia, cool ambience, hiprofile, Michlins, mars16, onewazobia, adelekan40, dejol88, kcbaba007, metrofox, gentlevip, lachynos2k2, theraregem1, israelmao, eyimbamercedes, komu1048, ramble, janetudeh, oladelesp, deputy1111, traceychelsea13, brightsbella, doyou2019, seunoj, casualobserver, temmy1997, bfly, antoni, noegenesis, joylove2324, djdn29fjc, theniceguy, softesst, oldnairalander, wereneribo, divinehand2003, johnrake69, inoki247, techbaron, spatialking, odetokun3, Charlesedu777, lagbajatgeberean, kingspin, awoo10, tiswell, guyman01, sesrchingvictor, backtovillage, dochenaj, emmacolinho, kingharzy, mycar, idemudia22, drtee1, fuckyoumod, Cstrr, blinking001. sunnyja.

Viz007:
The most corrupt institution in Nigeria remains NNPC. Till date, NNPC does not produce petrol, yet billions is spent yearly to settle salaries of NNPC workers.