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Niger: Tinubu Activates Diplomacy, Lobbies Libya, Algeria

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The mood against the coupists who toppled the democratically elected government of President Mohamed Bazoum in Niger Republic, it appears has swung from brutal force to diplomacy.

Biztellers reports that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has deployed the ammunitions of diplomacy in Niger Republic and her northern neighbours, Libya and Algeria, in the hope that lobbying would aid restoration of constitutional governance in Niger.

In Niger Republic, former Nigerian Head of State, Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar, is currently leading a strong delegation in talks with the coupists in the hope of a diplomatic resolution of the political crisis.

While that is ongoing, President Tnubu, on Thursday also dispatched a strong team of diplomats led by Babagana Kingibe, to explore diplomatic avenues of securing the buy-in of the leaders of Libya and Algeria for a timely solution to the constitutional crisis in Niger Republic.

It was gathered that President Tinubu urged the teams to engage all stakeholders robustly and leave no stone unturned, to ensure a conclusive and amicable resolution of the situation in Niger.

He charged the teams to canvass for peace and development the African continent, instead of aligning with the interests of other geopolitical positions.

President Tinubu said, “We don’t want to hold brief for anybody. Our concern is democracy and the peace of the region.”

President Tinubu is also Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and had rallied the sub-regional body on the possibility of applying military force to dislodge the coupists in Niger Republic.

According to Gen Abdulsalami, he would lead the delegation to canvass the demands of the ECOWAS leadership before the the coup leaders in Niger Republic.

“We have just been given our marching orders to go to Niger and convey the feelings of our Heads of State in the region that they are not happy with what happened.

“And then gave them an ultimatum that the coupists should desist from what they are doing and give back power to an elected President.

“We are going there to convey this message to them and hear their response and report back what they have said,” Abubakar explained.

On his part, Kingibe said talking with Libya and Algeria, two countries bordering Niger to the North, would stimulate the solidarity required for peaceful talks.

Kingibe said, “Of course, this kind of situation requires solidarity. It requires coordination with all parties that are relevant to the situation.

“In that regard, Libya and Algeria are also very important neighbours of Niger. So, my mission is to go there with a message from President Tinubu; to brief them on the ECOWAS position and solicit solidarity and cooperation.”

Kingibe is hopeful that the talks would avert a possible military intervention.

“We hope to find a diplomatic solution. Nobody wants to go to war, especially with neighbourly, brotherly people across the border with whom we share a common language, culture and religion,” he said.

Other members of the Abdusalami’s delegation are the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, and President, ECOWAS Commission, Omar Touray.

The delegations are expected back at the State House before the one-week ultimatum given by ECOWAS to the Niger coupists to restore power to the ousted President.

Politics

BREAKING: Conservative Party Elects Badenoch As New Leader

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The influence of Nigeria on the political leadership of the United Kingdom (UK) has attained a new high, with the Conservative Party (CP), electing Kemi Badenoch as its new leader.

In an election by the Tory on Saturday, the Nigerian-born Badenoch won with 53,806 votes, which makes her the first black woman to occupy such position in the UK politics.

Biztellers reports that her election makes her the UK’s opposition leader.

The new leader, who has strong potential of becoming the Prime Minister of the UK was born Olukemi Adegoke. Her parents are Nigerian, though she was born in the UK.

 

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#OndoDecides2024: INEC Ends PVC Collection

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As part of efforts to ensure credible, free and fair conduct of the upcoming Ondo State gubernatorial election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has drawn the curtain on collection of Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs).

This was disclosed by the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu in a statement on its verified handle on micro-blogging site, X, on Friday.

ALSO READ: BREAKING: INEC Consults With CSOs On Ondo Guber

The offseason election is billed for November 16, 2024 and is being greeted with high levels of enthusiasm by political actors.

This has yielded an impressive PVC collection rate of 71.6%.

Prof Yakubu stated, “As part of our preparations for the election, the collection of Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs), mainly from the recent voter registration, ended three days ago.

“I am pleased to announce that a total of 64,273 PVCs were collected by voters out of the 89,777 cards delivered to the State. This represents an impressive collection rate of 71.6%.”

 

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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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