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Gowon @90: I Embrace Transformative Power Of Forgiveness For National Healing – Obi

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The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in Nigeria’s 2023 election, Peter Obi has explained that he joined others to celebrate former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon in the belief that forgiveness is the recipe for the positive transformation of mankind and society.

Biztellers  reports that Obi’s attendance of Gen Gowon’s 90th birthday event over the weekend has met with different reactions from several quarters.

Consequently, he took to his verified handle on micro-blogging site, X, to assert that it would be against the spirit of national renaissance which he has been championing to say or do anything that would foster hate, which has held many human societies, including Nigeria back, as against forgiveness, which is a recipe  for healing and progress.

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Obi noted that, “I was under ten years old when the Nigeria/Biafra war started in 1967. Most of my supporters across the country joining me get a new Nigeria were born after the war, and I didn’t feel I should drag them back to the dark side of our history by being unforgiving.”

He pointed to the befitting burial accorded the acclaimed “Biafra leader, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu”, and 87-year-old former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, “super-heading all the moves to see a reconciled and just Nigeria,” as factors in support of his action.

Obi wrote, “Why I Congratulated Gen. Gowon at 90

“My felicitation with Nigeria’s former military Head of state, General Yakubu Gowon, on his 90th birthday anniversary, which was celebrated by a cross-section of Nigerians, has been received with mixed feelings by some Nigerians, and some have expressed their sentiments publicly, and privately to me.

“I share in some of them, and I feel that as a leader in the vanguard of providing direction for our country to shift base away from all our shortcomings, including the issues that caused our avoidable cruel civil war, I needed to show to the World that the ultimate heroism is forgiving the enemy and moving forward.

“Indisputably, the darkest part of our 64-year journey as a nation is the 30 months of civil war from 1967 to 1970 and God almighty whose way is not our way must have a reason why he kept the Chief Prosecutor of the war who is General Gowon alive to be 90 years today and the man who saw the end of the war, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo to be there at 87 years super-heading all the moves to see a reconciled and just Nigeria.

“There was also a developing new spirit why the same country, Nigeria, gave the Biafra leader, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, a heroic national burial on 2 March 2012, when he joined his ancestors, coincidentally under my tenure as Governor of Anambra state.

“The status of the burial given to Dim Ojukwu remains the boldest indication to the World that Nigeria as a country is disposed to moving forward in the spirit of reconciliation.

“There are various ways human beings can respond to acts of evil, especially one that claimed millions of lives.

“One is the tragedy of revenge, and another offers the hope of forgiveness in an attempt to forget. The latter conforms neatly with the template I adopted in greeting Gen Gowon at 90 years old.

“In all my dealings with human beings, I try to be guided by my faith as a Christian in a strong message preached by Jesus Christ himself and underscored in reflections in St Paul’s letter to the Colossians 3:13: “Bear with each other and forgive one another: if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” And to Ephesians 4: 31-32 “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice”

“Whatever reason I will give for joining the rest of Nigerians to greet General Gowon, May never truly conform with some persons, especially direct victims of the war, but anger, hurt, and bitterness are the commonest responses to cruelty.

“It fuels sectarianism, it leads to resistance and avoidable blood feuds that we are witnessing across the globe, and even in our country and it does not abate.

“There is something about forgiveness, it sets the person doing it free. Forgiveness is more a process than an instinct.

“It’s hate that has put our society, blessed by God to be the greatest land in the black World, down, but this hate has to stop.

“I was under ten years old when the Nigeria/Biafra war started in 1967. Most of my supporters across the country joining me get a new Nigeria were born after the war, and I didn’t feel I should drag them back to the dark side of our history by being unforgiving.

“I feel such an act will derail the message of a New Nigeria that we insist is POssible.

“‘Must you greet him? Why didn’t you keep quiet?’ some angrily say to me, but that will still be injurious to our journey to a new Nigeria where all political vices, including but not limited to ethnic, religious, bitterness, and regional segregation, are eliminated.

“Various personal experiences of victims of injustice across the globe who have chosen to put ugly things behind them visibly demonstrate the transformative power of forgiveness in healing personal and collective wounds.”

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New Tax Reforms Will Benefit All Regions Equally – Tinubu

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The Presidency has clarified that the proposed tax reforms, including changes to Nigeria’s Value-Added Tax (VAT) distribution model, are intended to benefit all regions equally.

This response follows opposition from the Northern Governors’ Forum, a coalition of governors from Nigeria’s 19 northern states, who expressed concern over aspects of the reform at a meeting held on October 28.

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Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, disclosed this in a statement released on Thursday.

Led by Governor Muhammed Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State, the governors, supported by traditional rulers like the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, cautioned that the proposed VAT model might disadvantage their states.

The statement reads, “While we commend the Governors and traditional rulers for supporting President Bola Tinubu over the success recorded in addressing the country’s security challenges, we consider it necessary to address the misunderstandings and misgivings around the tax reform already embarked upon by the administration.

“President Tinubu and the Federal Executive Council recently endorsed new policy initiatives aimed at streamlining Nigeria’s tax administration processes, enhancing efficiency and eliminating redundancies across the nation’s tax operations.

“These reforms emerged after an extensive review of existing tax laws. The National Assembly is considering four executive bills designed to transform and modernise Nigeria’s tax landscape.

“First is the Nigeria Tax Bill, which aims to eliminate unintended multiple taxation and make Nigeria’s economy more competitive by simplifying tax obligations for businesses and individuals nationwide.

“Second, the Nigeria Tax Administration Bill (NTAB) proposes new rules governing the administration of all taxes in the country. Its objective is to harmonise tax administrative processes across federal, state and local jurisdictions for ease of compliance for taxpayers in all parts of the country.

“Third, the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill seeks to rename the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) as the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) to better reflect the mandate of the Service as the revenue agency for the entire federation, not just the Federal Government.

“Fourth, the Joint Revenue Board Establishment Bill proposes the creation of a Joint Revenue Board to replace the Joint Tax Board, covering federal and all states’ tax authorities.

“The fourth bill also suggests establishing the Office of Tax Ombudsman under the Joint Revenue Board, which would serve as a complaint resolution body for taxpayers.

“It is instructive to note that these proposed laws will not increase the number of taxes currently in operation. Instead, they are designed to optimise and simplify existing tax frameworks.

“The tax rates or percentages will remain the same under these reforms, as they focus on ensuring a more equitable distribution of tax obligations without adding to the burden on Nigerians.

“The reforms will not lead to job losses. On the contrary, they are structured to stimulate new avenues for job creation by supporting a dynamic, growth-oriented economy.

“Importantly, these laws will not absorb or eliminate the duties of any existing department, agency, or ministry. Instead, they aim to harmonise revenue collection and administration across the federation to ensure efficiency and cooperation.

“At the moment, tax administration lacks coordination among federal, state, and local tax authorities, often resulting in overlapping responsibilities, confusion, and inefficiency. Without reform, this inefficiency will persist.

“The proposed laws aim to coordinate efforts between different tiers of government, resulting in better tax resource management and greater clarity for taxpayers.

“Under existing laws, taxes like Company Income Tax (CIT), Personal Income Tax (PIT), Capital Gains Tax (CGT), Petroleum Profits Tax (PPT), Tertiary Education Tax (TET), Value-Added Tax (VAT), and other taxing provisions in numerous laws are administered separately, with individual legislative frameworks.

“The proposed reforms seek to consolidate these multiple taxes, integrating CIT, PIT, CGT, VAT, PPT, and excise duties into a unified structure to reduce administrative fragmentation.

“On the proposed derivation-based VAT distribution model, which the Northern Governors oppose, it must be stressed that the new proposal, as enunciated in the Bill, is designed to create a fairer system.

“The current model for distributing VAT is based on where the tax is remitted rather than where goods and services are supplied or consumed.

“The ongoing tax reform seeks to correct the inherent inequity in the current derivation model as a basis for distributing VAT revenue.

“The new proposal before the National Assembly outlines a different form of derivation which considers the place of supply or consumption for relevant goods and services.

“This means that states in the Northern region that produce the food we eat should not lose out just because their products are VAT-exempt or consumed in other states.

“These reforms are critical to improving the lives of Nigerians and were not put forward by President Tinubu to undermine any part of the country.

“There is no better time than now for the National Assembly to give due consideration to these bills that will overhaul our tax systems and create the revenue all the tiers of government require to fund the development our country and people urgently need.” It added

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NLC Pondering Fresh Battles Over Minimum Wage

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The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) is contemplating fresh battles with the Federal Government of Nigeria over the minimum wage in light of the increasing cost of living.

Indications have emerged in the media that the NLC might call on the federal government to undertake a new review of the minimum wage in response to the rising cost of living.

President Joe Ajaero shared this information during the 8th Quadrennial Delegates Conference of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM). He emphasized that organized labor will firmly advocate for the government to fulfill its commitment to recommission the Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna refineries.

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He said: “As it is today, our choices are very limited. It is either we find a way to collectively overcome the forces that are bent on keeping us down as a people or we completely surrender to them while wringing our hands in hopelessness.

“The forces of neoliberalism must be challenged and the trade union movement remains the only viable force in Nigeria and in the world that can creatively engage it and mitigate its stranglehold on our nation.

“We must offer strong counterpoise to their prebendal logic and must proffer newer arguments to triumph over their quest for profit at the detriment of the social will. It is only by remaining strong and united that we can hope to achieve that.

“It is sad, but we cannot afford to keep our public refineries shut while still importing refined petroleum products. We demand a review of our salaries in lieu of its eroded values.

‘’We must together demand the re-commissioning of Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna refineries in keeping with the agreement we had with the federal government on the 5th day of October, 2023.

“We therefore counsel the leadership that will emerge today, remember that your role is critical to securing the welfare of our healthcare workers. True leadership transcends titles and positions; it is reflected in the impact you have on the lives of those you serve.

“Advocating for fair working conditions, championing healthcare workers’ rights, and striving for equity are not just duties—they are the marks of meaningful leadership.”

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Technical College Land: Osun Govt Reassures Osogbo People

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Four gang-killed two in Osun, destroy N8M properties

 

The Osun State Government has assured the people of Osogbo land that the dispute over the land belonging to Osogbo Technical College will be resolved in favour of the capital city.

This was contained in a statement on Wednesday issued by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi.

Alimi also clarified that the dispute was inherited from the previous administration.

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The commissioner explained that Governor Ademola Adeleke met a legal dispute over the land when he assumed office in 2022, informing the public that a consent Judgment ceding the land to land owners was on ground as at 2022.

He narrated that the government was surprised that a school land could be returned to land owners when the school is still in existence and in need of such landed properties.

Alimi added that the government in its push to reclaim public land re-acquired the land, noting however that the subject is still in court which even sat on the matter yesterday.

In his words, “The government however wishes to state that only the best interest of Osogbo people must prevail in this matter. The government reassures Osogbo people that only their wishes will be supported and nothing will be done to negatively affect the communal interest of the state capital.”

According to Alimi, the government of Gov Adeleke is always for the interest of Osogbo in particular and Osun people in general, assuring that securing the disputed land for public good is paramount to the state leadership.

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