Connect with us

News

FG to Deduct Money from Source for States Engaging in Double Taxation

Published

on

Kindly share this post

Federal Executive Council (FEC) has asked Hajia Zainab Ahmed, minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, to deduct money from source from states engaging in double taxation in the country.

FG to Deduct Money from Source for States Engaging in Double Taxation

This was disclosed by Alhaji Lai Mohammed, minister of Information and Culture,after the FEC meeting held on  Wednesday. Mohammed said Adegbite Olamilekan,minister of Mines and Steel Development, told the council that insecurity had hampered the sector while investors are leaving the country because of double taxation.

The information minister said: “The Honorable Minister of Mines and Steel Development presented a memo today which largely was to ask for council’s approval to address the major challenges the mining industry in facing. Among the challenges the industry is facing according to the Minister is that of insecurity in certain parts of the country.

“Notably, in the North-Western part of the country, mining has been suspended because of the activities of bandits and kidnappers. The industry is also faced with the problem of collision between some stakeholders, sometimes the traditional rulers.

“Also, the minister explained that the issue of double taxation is actually driving a lot of investors out of the country. “He also reported certain decisions of past government in the area of storage of explosives that are used for mining.  Before now, the position is that any miner that wants to use explosives for mining must store them in either the military barracks or police facilities.

“So, he asked for special dispensation to build special facilities at least one in each of the geo-political zones of the country. He also complained about extortion, the position of the community development agreement, and the issue of many illegal miners. “But at the end of the day, what the council approved for him and which we believe will be far-reaching and really reposition the industry is that: the council noted that insecurity and illegal mining had led to a huge loss of money.

“But the council directed that the National Security Adviser (NSA) should set up a special unit domiciled in the Federal  Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, and coordinated by the Office of National Security Adviser (ONSA) to carry out targeted operations at identified and confirmed illegal mining sites nationwide.

“The council also directed the Office of National Security Adviser to facilitate the erection of central magazines (special storage facilities) across the geo-political zones of the country for mining purposes as storage of explosives in military barracks in some parts of the country is grossly unsafe and the establishment of Control and Command Centre for remote monitoring of such explosives.

“The council also directed the Minister of Interior and the Nigerian Content Development Board to work closely with the Honourable Minister of Mines and Steel Development. “On the issue of double taxation, whereby mining companies are taxed by local and state governments. Two decisions were taken. One is that the council directed the  Minister of Finance, Budget, and National Planning to deduct directly from federal accounts allocations of states which have deprived federal government of Nigeria’s revenue due to it by the position of illegal taxes and levies on mining companies in their States.

“In other words, if a particular state engages in double taxation, you are imposing illegal taxes a duly registered mining company, and it is reported to government, the Ministry of Finance will deduct that money your allocation. “The intent is to ensure that we don’t scare away investors, they be local or foreign.

This will go a long way to reassure the investors that Nigeria is a safe place to invest now.


Kindly share this post

Nigeria CommunicationsWeek believes that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. So since 2007, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and how they affect lives.

News

Lawyers Drags NLS to Court for Alleged Election Fraud, Data Violation

Published

on

Kindly share this post

Two Nigerian lawyers have sued promoters of the Nigerian Law Society (NLS) over allegations of electoral fraud and unlawful use of personal data.

Lawyers Drags NLS to Court for Alleged Election Fraud, Data Violation

The legal actions follow the recent election conducted by the NLS, a breakaway association formed as an alternative to the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), to elect its national officers.

In one of the suits, marked FHC/ABJ/05/1506/2025 and filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja, a lawyer, Timothy Tersugh Ahua, is challenging the conduct of the election and the legitimacy of the electoral process.

Ahua named several NLS promoters, including prominent lawyers, as defendants.

They include Senior Advocates, Chief Mela Audu Nunghe, Dr. Ugoji Eze, Secretary of the NLS Electoral Committee, and Chief Bolaji, Chairman of the NLS.

Others named in the suit are Ferguson Chioma Blessing, Chief Emeka Ichoku, and Tejumola Adigun.

Citing provisions of the Federal High Court Civil Procedure Rules, Ahua is asking the court to declare that the NLS electoral process violated its constitution.

He is seeking a declaration that all unopposed candidates, including himself, be declared elected, as published by Dr. Tonye Clinton Jaja, the alternate Chairman of the NLS Electoral Committee.

Ahua claims he was duly nominated for the position of Secretary General but was unjustly excluded, accusing the defendants of hand-picking candidates in breach of the rules.

He further alleged that the exclusion caused him financial loss, reputational damage, and personal hardship, urging the court to correct what he described as a grave injustice.

In a separate suit before the Federal High Court in Abeokuta, another lawyer, Oluwadare Thomas, sued Chief Mela Nunghe, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Dr. Ugoji Eze, the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), and the Nigerian Data Protection Commission (NDPC), over alleged violation of his data privacy rights.

Thomas is asking the court to determine whether the use and publication of his personal data by NLS election officials without his consent amounts to a breach of Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution and the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023.

He also wants the court to consider whether the use of the NLS name for the election, despite a CAC notice and a pending suit, constitutes contempt of court and abuse of legal process.

He is seeking several declaratory and injunctive reliefs, including a court order restraining the continued use of his personal data and an order compelling NITDA and NDPC to investigate and sanction the respondents.

Thomas is also demanding N50m in compensation for the alleged unlawful processing and exposure of his personal information.


Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

News

NASRDA Celebrates Chief Owolabi Salis on His Historic Space Mission

Published

on

Kindly share this post

The National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) has congratulated Chief Owolabi Salis on his successful space flight. He becomes the first person of Nigerian birth to travel to space.

Chief Salis privately funded his space mission, demonstrating the deep interest of Nigerians to participate in scientific, exploratory, tourism and commercial space activities. His achievement highlights new opportunities for private sector engagement in space Program.

This milestone brings significant international attention to Nigeria’s space program, capabilities, while positioning the nation among countries where citizens actively participate in space activities.

In a statement signed by Dr. Felix Ale, director, Media and Corporate Communications, NASRDA, stated that chief Salis’s successful mission represents one pathway for Nigerian space participation. “His achievement complements NASRDA’s ongoing efforts to expand access to space exploration for Nigerian citizens.

“NASRDA received notification of Chief Salis’s mission through our partner organization, Space Research and Exploration Agency (SERA), prior to the flight. His success demonstrates the expanding opportunities now available to Nigerians in the space sector.

“However, it must be emphasized that the NASRDA-SERA collaborative mission, announced in June 2024, remains on course for an upcoming Blue Origin flight. This program represents a different pathway, providing opportunities for broader Nigerian participation through open competition.

“Our collaborative mission will enable Nigerian citizens to participate in astronaut selection and contribute to the development of research proposals. Eligibility extends to all Nigerian citizens aged 18 and above through transparent, merit-based selection criteria.

“Research priorities for the NASRDA-SERA mission will also be determined through public input from Nigerian citizens. This approach ensures the mission addresses national priorities identified by Nigerian citizens,” the statement added.

The application portal for the NASRDA-SERA program will open in the coming weeks. Detailed application procedures will be announced prior to the portal’s activation.

NASRDA celebrates Chief Salis’s contribution to raising awareness about space exploration opportunities for Nigerians. His private investment demonstrates the practical commitment of Nigerian citizens to advancing our national space participation.

Chief Salis’s achievement marks a defining moment for Nigeria’s space ambitions. Nigeria now has both private citizens and government programs actively pursuing space exploration, positioning the nation as an active participant in the global space   economy.

For additional information regarding NASRDA programs or the SERA collaborative mission, contact the agency’s Media and Corporate Communication Department.


Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

News

NIA Questions Legality of Reps’ Financial Probe

Published

on

Kindly share this post

The Nigerian Insurers Association has urged the House Committee on Capital Market and Institutions to respect the constitutional separation of powers as it carries out a probe on over 20 insurance firms.

In a statement on Tuesday night, the Director General/Chief Executive Officer of NIA, Mrs Bola Odukale, said the decision of NIA and the affected firms to approach the court was to seek clarity on the constitutional limits of the House Committee’s probe.

It would be recalled that the House of Representatives on Monday is investigating no fewer than 25 insurance companies operating in the country for various financial infractions spanning financial reporting, claims settlement, premium remittance, and issuance of policies.

The Chairman, House Sub-Committee on Capital Market and Institutions, Kwamoti Laori, during a meeting with the management of the insurance companies at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja, said the meeting was convened following the receipt of a petition on infractions by the insurance companies.

In the statement, Odukale said, “The Association wishes to state unequivocally that all actions taken by the NIA and the affected member companies in response to the Committee’s invitations and pronouncements were based entirely on legal advice by its Solicitors. It was on the firm instruction of legal counsel that recourse was made to the courts.

“The objective of approaching the Court is to seek judicial guidance on the legality, propriety, and constitutional limits of the Committee’s intervention in order to safeguard institutional integrity, uphold regulatory independence, and ensure that legislative oversight remains within the bounds of law.

“The Court action seeks to determine whether the current posture of the Committee reflects an exercise of legislative judgment, which, by constitutional design, is the exclusive province of statutory regulators, such as the National Insurance Commission, Securities and Exchange Commission, Nigerian Exchange, Financial Reporting Council, Nigeria Data Protection Commission, and the National Information Technology Development Agency.

“This raises serious questions about legislative overreach and an erosion of the doctrine of separation of powers, a cornerstone of Nigeria’s constitutional democracy.”

Odukale maintained that the NIA was committed to lawful and constructive engagement with all arms of government, provided that such engagement respects the autonomy of statutory regulators and the boundaries established by the Constitution.

“The NIA will continue to provide its full support to all member companies while upholding the principles of legal compliance and sector-wide integrity,” Odukale concluded.

17 of the companies that went to court were represented by their lawyer, Mr Abimbola Kayode, at the meeting with the committee.


Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

Trending