News
Dispute stalls Federal Govt, Emefiele plea bargain talks
The suspended Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele and other top officials of the bank held by the Department of State Service (DSS), may face trial, this is according to the Nation newspaper.
This follows the stalling of the plea bargain move between the Federal Government and the embattled apex bank boss.
The Nation newspaper reported that Emefiele and the affected officials of the apex bank have “not made substantial concessions on some refunds expected from them, while sources said trillions of Naira were being tracked by a federal agency but only a few billions of naira was offered as refundable by some of those linked to the suspicious transactions.
It was gathered that some interceding forces and Emefiele have not made progress on the plea bargain terms.
Despite Emefiele’s offer to step aside in August, the other aspects of plea bargain process were “not substantially met.”
It has also been confirmed that the four deputy governors were dropped because of their alleged complacency when Emefiele was in the saddle at the apex bank.
It was learnt that the Presidency was shocked by the “massive scale of fraud and flagrant violations of the CBN Act,”.
It was also learnt that following interventions, the government’s investigation, initially coordinated by a security agency, had recommended plea bargain option with Emefiele, who wanted it.
Apart from Emefiele offering to step aside, other terms were the withdrawal of court cases against the government and the refund of substantial cash allegedly linked to him and others.
But there were strong indications that the plea bargain option may have suffered a setback.
“The engagement of the Special Investigator has also uncovered more mismanagement of resources and questionable expenditures in CBN than what some security agencies dug up.
A source within the Presidency, said the CBN was stinking. He declined to volunteer information on the plea bargain dimension.
The source said the government might prosecute anyone indicted.
He said: “I don’t know whether plea bargain has collapsed or not. I don’t even know if that is on the table to start with. But I know the CBN Governor and the Deputies have been removed.
“The investigations across board are going on and Iam sure the govt will prosecute anyone who has compromised the country.”
Investigation confirmed that the four deputy governors were replaced because of their alleged complacency.
The Presidency source said none of the deputy governors complained when Emefiele was allegedly mismanaging the CBN.
“Most of the DGs “actively collaborated with Emefiele on policies and decisions not in line with the CBN’s mandate,” he said.
Those affected were Folashodun Adebisi Shonubi (Deputy Gov Operations and Acting Governor); Aisha Ahmad (Deputy Governor, Financial System Stability): Adamu Lamtek (Deputy Gov Corporate Services) and Kingsley Obiora (Deputy Governor, Economic Policy).
The source added: “Investigation is still ongoing. The special investigator sure uncovered a lot of rots which implicated the Deputy Governors.
“There is no way the Deputy Governors would have remained with the scale of corruption, poor corporate governance and complacency that happened under Emefiele.
“Allowing them to remain will mean the government has condoned all that went down under their watch.”
Source: The Nation Newspaper
President Bola Tinubu will, on Thursday, sign into law four groundbreaking tax reform bills that will transform Nigeria’s fiscal and revenue framework.
According to the press release signed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President (Information and Strategy) the four bills, the Nigeria Tax Bill, the Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Bill, were passed by the National Assembly after extensive consultations with various interest groups and stakeholders.
When the new tax laws become operational, they are expected to significantly transform tax administration in the country, leading to increased revenue generation, improved business environment, and a boost in domestic and foreign investments.
The historic presidential assent to the bills at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, will be witnessed by the Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Senate Majority Leader, House Majority Leader, chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, and his House counterpart.
The Chairman of the Governors Forum, the Chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum, the Minister of Finance and Coordination Minister of the Economy, and the Attorney General of the Federation will also attend the ceremony.
One of the four bills is the Nigeria Tax Bill (Ease of Doing Business), which aims to consolidate Nigeria’s fragmented tax laws into a harmonised statute.
By reducing the multiplicity of taxes and eliminating duplication, the bill will enhance the ease of doing business, reduce taxpayer compliance burdens, and create a more predictable fiscal environment.
The second bill, the Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, will establish a uniform legal and operational framework for tax administration across federal, state, and local governments.
The Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, the third bill, repeals the current Federal Inland Revenue Service Act and creates a more autonomous and performance-driven national revenue agency— the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS).
It defines the NRS’s expanded mandate, including non-tax revenue collection, and lays out transparency, accountability, and efficiency mechanisms.
The fourth bill is the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Bill. It provides for a formal governance structure to facilitate cooperation between revenue authorities at all levels of government.
It introduces essential oversight mechanisms, including establishing a Tax Appeal Tribunal and an Office of the Tax Ombudsman.
The Lagos State enforcement squad of the MOE&WR led by KAI operatives on Wednesday burst an illegal abbatoir which was being operated at a private residence at Succo road directly opposite the RRS Barracks and LASTMA Yard in Oko Oba, Agege, arresting some of those found slaughtering animals for public consumption in the location.
The operation followed a tip-off from a whistle blower.
“The enforcement team said, the contaminated meat from cows and goats have been confiscated to prevent it from entering the food chain”.
“This action of the operators of the abbatoir is in defiance of the closure of the Oko Oba Abbatoir and poses great health dangers and environmental risks to the law abiding residents of the area”.
“We need to make it clear that such disregard for public health and sanitation will not be tolerated in Lagos State” .
“Every Government’s primary responsibility is the protection of lives and properties and we will not shirk that responsbbility.”
“We will continue to ensure that only safe and approved public facilities are allowed to operate within our communities.”the statement reads.
News
Former Kwara gov, Cornelius Adebayo, dies at 84
Born on February 24, 1941, in Igbaja, in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara, Adebayo was known for his impactful service in both state and national capacities.
Former Governor of Kwara State and ex-Minister of Communications, Cornelius Adebayo, has died.Adebayo died at the age of 84.
He died in the early hours of today (Wednesday).
Born on February 24, 1941, in Igbaja, in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara, Adebayo was known for his impactful service in both state and national capacities.
He rose to political prominence in 1979 as a Senator under the Unity Party of Nigeria.
He later became Governor of Kwara State in 1983, a tenure cut short by a military coup.
Years later, he was appointed Minister of Communications under President Olusegun Obasanjo.
President Tinubu signs four TAX Bills into Law Tomorrow
Lagos State Enforcement Team Busts Illegal Abattoir in Agege, Arrests Operators
Former Kwara gov, Cornelius Adebayo, dies at 84
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