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Anambra polls, a test of Nigeria’s democracy, says INEC

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The Independent National Electoral Commission has said that the November 6, 2021, governorship election in Anambra State will test the resilience of the nation’s democracy and democratic institutions.

INEC’s Supervising National Commissioner, Barrister Festus Okoye, stated this on Wednesday at stakeholders meeting convened by the National Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu at the Prof. Dora Akunyili Women Development Centre.

He said that despite the difficulties and challenges, the INEC has done everything to mobilise resources for the election.

He said, “The Commission conducted the Edo and Ondo governorship elections under very difficult circumstances, at a time of global uncertainty and fear caused by a pandemic whose unique nuances were still evolving. The Commission conducted elections at a time when advanced countries rescheduled, postponed or abandoned their elections on account of the pandemic.

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“The Anambra governorship election has its own unique features and characteristics. It is being conducted in difficult circumstances. The election will further test the resilience of our democracy and democratic institutions. It will test our determination and resolve to conduct elections in difficult circumstances.

“The fact must be acknowledged that the ongoing agitations in different parts of the country including Anambra State are not new to deeply divided societies like Nigeria challenged by contestations around nationhood and citizenship.

“In these agitations, democracy still offers the best opportunity for addressing them in a peaceful manner and that’s why it is in the interest of Nigeria and those genuinely interested in a stronger Nigeria and the progress of the country’s electoral democracy to create enabling environment for peaceful election on Saturday November 6, 2021.”

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In his speech, the National Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu said that voters who failed smart card accreditation would not be allowed to vote.

He disclosed that the Commission has enough technical staff to attend to problems that could crop up during the conduct of the election.

The State Resident Electoral Commissioner REC, Dr. Nkwachukwu Orji, had earlier confirmed that all the participating candidates and leaders of their respective political parties were invited to the meeting but only a few turned up.

“We invited all the stakeholders to this meeting. We invited all the political parties and their candidates to this meeting, but most of them are not here now,” he said.

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Economy

Budget controversy: Senate attacks PDP, Yar’Adua replaces Ningi

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Budget controversy: Senate attacks PDP, Yar’Adua replaces Ningi

The Spokesman for the Senate, Yemi Adaramodu, has berated the Peoples Democratic Party for calling for the resignation of the Senate President, Senator GodsWill Akpabio, over the unfounded claim ofN3.7tn budget padding.

The budget padding allegation was raised by the PDP senator representing Bauchi Central, Senator Abdul Ningi.

Ningi, in a media interview, claimed that while the budget passed by the National Assembly for the 2024 fiscal year was N25tn, the one being executed by the Presidency was N28.7tn.

However, at the plenary on Tuesday, the Senate took Ningi on to defend the allegation, at the end of which he was slammed with a three-month suspension for damaging the image of the Red Chamber over what senators decided was an unfounded allegation.

On Wednesday, the PDP knocked Ningi’s suspension, calling on Akpabio to resign as Senate President to pave the way for an independent investigation into the budget padding allegation.

“The Peoples Democratic Party demands that the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, immediately step aside and allow for an independent investigation into the allegation that a staggering N3.7tn was discreetly inserted into the 2024 budget for alleged non-existent projects.

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“The party also demands that Senator Akpabio immediately reports to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over the pending case of alleged looting of N108bn belonging to the people of Akwa Ibom State under his watch as the governor of the state,” the PDP said in a statement by its spokesman, Debo Ologunagba.

However, reacting on Thursday, the Chairman of, the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Adaramodu, knocked the PDP.

He said, “The PDP has elevated chicanery to statecraft and fatally failed in their sordid attempt to hoodwink the unsuspecting public, on the ineffectual but spurious allegations of budget padding.

“The party’s ludicrous call for the resignation of Senator Godswill Akpabio as the Senate President is unthinkable and shows the party as a massaging balm for falsehood and immoral legislative outbursts.

Adaramosu stressed that Akpabio would not resign.

Meanwhile, All Progressives Congress Senator Abdulaziz Yar’Adua representing  Katsina Central has replaced Ningi as the Chairman of the Northern Senators’ Forum.

Ningi immediately resigned from the position following his suspension by the Senate.

Yar’Adua ‘s emergence as the new Chairman of the NSF was a sequel to unanimous endorsement to that effect by senators across the three geo-political zones in the North.

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The Northern Senators also appointed Senator Mohammed Monguno (APC, Borno North) as Publicity Secretary of the forum, a position held by Senator Summaila Kawu (NNPP Kano South) when Ningi was the chairman.

It is unclear if Kawu resigned too or if he was impeached following the crisis at the Red Chamber on Tuesday.

Addressing the press after he emerges as the New Chairman of NSF,  Yar’Adua said the major objective of the Northern Forum was to promote the interest of Nigeria first followed by the development of the North through collaboration with their counterparts from the South and cooperating with the executive arm of government to ensure that the challenges of the region were attended to.

Yar’Adua said,

“We Shall, therefore, work in consultation with our distinguished colleagues to preserve the unity and progress of our dear nation.

“In advancing these noble objectives, I am committed to streamlined activities within the Northern Senators Forum.

“We shall operate with transparency, accountability, and integrity, upholding the trust placed on us by the electorate.“

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Taiwo Oyedele Said The Federal Government Can’t recruit area boys to collect taxes

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Taiwo Oyedele Said The Federal Government Can’t recruit area boys to collect taxes

The Chairman, the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Taiwo Oyedele has debunked news making the rounds that the committee would recruit area boys to enforce the payment and collection of taxes.

In an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, Oyedele was quoted to have said that area boys could be trained for tax collection and paid decent salaries for doing so.

“We’re also thinking about how you bring all stakeholders on board because at the end of the day, if you stop the livelihood of anyone, whether they are earning it legitimately or not, you can create crises that would be difficult to manage but once you bring everybody in, maybe we need to train those area boys and touts, give them uniforms and then they’ll be the ones to ask you to show the evidence on your phone, right?

“And then they get paid a decent salary. And if you give them the skills, some of them will on their own, move on from that job to something else, right? So, our strategy is let’s think about what’s best for our country and get all stakeholders to align. We do think that all the stakeholders including the government want the best for their country and we just need to make them see that big picture and then come along with us. That’s the plan that we have”, Oyedele was quoted to have said in the interview with Channels TV.

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However, in a statement on his X account on Saturday, Oyedele said he was quoted out of context.

According to him, the area boys in question were already doing the job of enforcing tax payment and collection, so they could not be recruited to do a job they were already engaged in.

He said, “You cannot recruit a person to do the job they are already doing, whether they are legally engaged or otherwise. We have over 40 taxes and levies which States and Local Governments are authorised by law to collect across Nigeria including road taxes on trucks, buses and bicycles, wheelbarrows, kiosks and shop levies.

“In many cases, area boys are engaged to collect these taxes which they often do through crude, unorthodox means and harassment.”

He added that despite the enforcement, the taxes paid yield a meagre revenue as against what is expected.

“Painfully, these taxes yield very little revenue to the government despite the huge burden they place on small businesses, artisans and transporters. We propose to eliminate many of these taxes and harmonise a few of them that may be appropriate and devise a civil means of collection using mobile phones”, he noted.

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Setting the records straight, he explained what he meant about the area boys being engaged in tax collection and enforcement.

“The issue I addressed during my interview on Channels TV, which has been sensationalised and taken out of context, was how to get the buy-in of those who currently collect these taxes (and benefit from doing so beyond whatever they are being paid officially). I did not mention any words like recruit or employ. You can watch the extract here https://youtu.be/PeM4bf-N3DI?si=0fYY8u04L_35aMzk…

“My thought on it beyond the legal aspect was to consider the social dimension and find a practical solution that has a high chance of success. The idea being that the government could train the collectors to behave in a civilised manner and pay them decently so that it is comparable to what they currently make.

“Their new role will be to drive and monitor compliance. The payers will pay less and be treated with dignity. Government will earn more, and society will benefit – a win-win outcome for everyone”, he submitted.

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‘What else do senators do aside padding budgets’ – Basketmouth queries lawmakers

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‘What else do senators do aside padding budgets’ – Basketmouth queries lawmakers

Famous comedian, Bright Okpocha, popularly known as Basketmouth, has queried the accomplishments of Nigerian senators.

This is coming amid the current controversies trailing the alleged N3.7 trillion padded into the country’s 2024 budget.

The senator representing Bauchi Central, Abdul Ningi had during an interview a week ago alleged that the sum of N3.7 trillion in the 2024 budget could not be traced to projects.

Following the allegation, the Senate under the leadership of its president, Godswill Akpabio, during Tuesday’s plenary, suspended Ningi for three months.

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Reacting to the development in a post on his Instagram story, Basketmouth questioned if the Nigerian Senate had ever done anything in favour of the masses besides padding budgets.

He wrote: “I have got a question, aside padding budgets, what else do our senators do?

“Like, what have they done in the past 50 years that favored the average Nigerian?”

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