Friends of Trump in Nigeria seek US President’s intervention on the current face off between the US Treasury Secretary and the President, African Development Bank (AFDB)

Friends of President Donald Trump in Nigeria named ‘MAGA Group’ has written a strongly worded letter to President Donald Trump describing in detail how the recent position of the US Secretary of State ,Robert Munichin is damaging American interest across Africa at a time of Chinese inisistent resurgence on the continent. The letter noted that the current American position calling for further probe of the AFDB President amounts to Washington shooting itself in the foot as the crisis is painting America in bad light among a cross section of Africans from South to North and from West to East.

The letter signed by three leaders of the group , Dr Robert John, Chief Arowosaye Enitan, and Abdulahi Usman reads in part: ” It is with deep anxiety and shock that we write to seek Mr President’s intervention on the seeming lingering dispute over the leadership of the African Development Bank. We are not by any means disputing the rights of the United States government to have a say as to how the bank is run and managed . We also acknowledge the correctness of US policy of enforcing good governance and accountability in the management of multilateral institutions. This is even more critical as the US is a major shareholder in the bank.

“We however wish to note that in the current face off over AFDB probe of Dr Adesina, the United States is picking a wrong target. Mr President may want to know that the AFDB President is a western American trained scholar with years of international service before assuming the AFDB presidency. His tenure is not in anyway anti-West and if anything he has advanced the course of African development in a way that reduces the old burden on Washington. The philosophy of regions taking serious charge of their lives while America rebuilds is perfectly in line with Mr President’s outlook.

“Mr President should also note that the bank has its rules and regulations which were complied with by the Ethics committee and the Board of Governors in their exoneration of Dr Adesina of spurious charged levelled against him. To insist on bypassing the rules has the potential to hurt American goodwill and undermine its leverage in the ongoing geo-political and geo-economic warfare. Washington cannot afford to be fighting her friends across Africa who have unanimously endorsed Adesina as the best of Africa since assuming the presidency of AFDB.

” It should also be emphasised that Adesina’s records of performance in the last four years has been unprecedented. He increased the capitalisation of the bank and ensured that funds are channeled to genuine intractable challenges facing the continent. Whatever grouse anybody within your administration may have against Adesina, it will be too heavy a price to pay if the goal is to deny him a second term in office.

“The consequences may be too damaging to contain in term of American reputation on the continent. We urge you to direct the Treasury Secretary to engage Dr Adesina and dialogue on how to continue to accommodate American interest as a major shareholder. Washington will achieve a lot through such productive engagement than attempting to pull down the house”, the group concluded in the letter.

Chairman North Central Governors Forum and Governor of Niger State, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello has received with rude shock the passing away of immediate past Group Managing Director (GMD) of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Maikanti Kachalla Baru.

Governor Sani Bello said that the demise of late Baru was coming at a time where his expertise, experience and professionalism was still needed especially in the downstream sector of the country.

He said that the state will dearly miss his services especially the state-owned university, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University (IBBU), Lapai as he gave all the support through the institution in the ongoing exploration of the possible availability of hydrocarbon in the Bida Basin.

The Governor commiserated with his family Government and people of Bauchi State, and all his close associate and friends.

He described the former NNPC GMD as gentle, pious and religious person who was transparent in his actions during his lifetime.

Late Dr. Baru, who died at the age of 60, was bestowed with a fellowship award of the IBB University Lapai in 2018 and served as NNPC GMD from 2016 to 2019.

The Governor prayed that the Almighty Allah forgives his shortcomings, grant him paradise and give his family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.

“Any electronic receipt for, or electronic transfer of, money deposited with any bank or with any banker in any type of account of an amount from N10,000 upwards shall attract a singular or one-off duty of the sum of N50.” –FIRS

Nigerians will now pay stamp duties on all forms of electronic notifications acknowledging receipts of funds.

This includes SMS and messages on any electronic platform such as emails and Whatsapp messages.

This is according to a circular that was signed by FIRS’ Executive Chairman, Muhammad Nami, as seen on the tax agency’s website. Part of the circular said:

“Any electronic receipt for, or electronic transfer of, money deposited with any bank or with any banker in any type of account of an amount from N10,000 upwards shall attract a singular or one-off duty of the sum of N50.

“Stamp duty upon receipt (written, printed or in electronic form) for transactions between corporate bodies or between a corporate body and an individual, group or body of individuals, which amounts to N10,000 and above, shall be denoted by payment of N50 per receipt to the service.”

The FIRS circular also stated that stamp duties will be paid on “POS receipts, fiscalised device receipts, Automated Teller Machine (ATM) print-outs.”

The circular went further to categorically state that all receipts, either printed or electronically generated, or any form of electronic acknowledgement of money transactions, will attract the stamp duty of N50.

The agency also clarified that it is the only body authorised to collect such duties because “the Federal Inland Revenue Service is the only competent authority to impose, charge, and collect duties upon instruments specified in the schedule to this act if such instrument relates to matters executed between a company and an individual, group or body of individuals.”

The instruments subject to charge, as listed in the circular, include; fixed duty instruments such as Power of Attorney, Certificate of Attorney, Proxy forms, Appointment of receivers, Memorandum of Understanding, Joint Venture Agreements, Guarantors form, Ordinary agreements and Receipts; and Ad-valorem instruments such as Tenancy or lease agreements, legal mortgage or debentures, Sales agreements and Deed of assignments

Nasarawa State Governor, Engineer Abdullahi Sule, has restated the commitment of his administration to complete all ongoing projects initiated by the previous administrations.

Engineer Sule stated this while delivering a state-wide broadcast, in commemoration of the first anniversary of his administration, on Friday.

The Governor maintained that this course of action, was aimed at turning around the fortunes of the state, even as he stressed the resolve of his administration to diligently and selflessly serve the people, through deliberate policies by executing programmes that will bring development to all the nook and cranny of the state.

Accordingly, Engineer Sule said his administration is committed to the continuous upgrade of physical structure, particularly, roads, upliftment of educational standard, enhancing agriculture, upgrading of health sector and market facilities, as well as other social services.

The Governor, while pointing out that as a responsive administration that has imbibed the culture and principles of transparency, accountability and due process in the management of the resources of the state, said it has become necessary for the administration to present to the people of the state its score card during the past year.

Engineer Sule however noted that the journey has not been all rosy as the administration has had its own share of daunting challenges.

“As you are aware, Nasarawa State is among the least in the revenue allocation chart.

“This state of affairs was further worsened by the recent global pandemic of coronavirus and its attendant toll on the scarce resources not only in Nasarawa State but the country at large,” the Governor stated.

He stressed however that his administration remains resilient and focused on meeting the development aspirations of the people, in spite of the challenges.

Thereafter, Engineer Sule reeled out the sectoral achievements recorded by the administration during the past year, to include among several others, security, youth and women empowerment, public service restructuring, provision of healthcare facilities, educational, infrastructures/facilities and provision of rural/urban roads.

Others are, Lafia Cargo Airport, provision of 2km solar powered street lights, agriculture/water supply, prompt payment of pension to retirees and the constitution of the state economic management and investment advisory council.

The Governor used the opportunity of the broadcast to urge the people of the state to continue to comply with the directives of government in its determination to contain and control the further spread of COVID-19, adding that government will continue to provide palliatives to cushion the hardships.

On the journey ahead, Engineer Sule cautioned the people that there is yet a long way to go, in the collective task to build a Nasarawa State in line with the dreams of the founding fathers of the state.

“We have no other state than Nasarawa State. It is for this reason that the need for us to unite and secure the future and that of our children becomes sacrosanct,” he said.

The Governor then congratulated the people of the state, as well as Nigerians, on the attainment of 20 years of the return to democracy and the first anniversary of his administration.

…. Assures of completion of all ongoing projects

The Government of Abubakar Sani Bello speaks tough as it clocks Five years, saying it is no longer going to be business as usual in the State as the Government is set to withstand any one and anything that poses as a clog in the wheel of progress for his administration in a bid to complete all ongoing projects in the
State.

In this regards, the first sledgehammer of the Governor has hit the Contractors handling the Zariyawa area road construction in Suleja as the Governor is considering probable revocation of the contract with the company, after following due process.

The Governor’s decision was propelled by the height of incompetency displayed by the Contractor during the inspection of ongoing road rehabilitation projects by the Governor in Suleja
in continuation of his projects inspection tour across the State.

He said with over 70 per cent fund accessed by the “Ja Joves Solutions Services (JSS) for the Zariyawa road, the contractor could not attain 30 per cent of work, an indication that the company is not capable of handling such projects negating the Spirit of a new era.

The Governor who also faulted the Ministry of Works and Infrastructural Development for giving out a contract to a company that has no capability says the ministry should go back to the drawing board with the company and evaluate the work done so far with a view to re-awarding it to a more competent company as soon as possible.

He pointed out that the road is of immense importance to the people of the area as it links villages with the larger society.

The road which is about 10km has experienced a lot of setbacks as it was first awarded in 2016 hence the need to complete it before the end of the year.

The Maje-Suleja Road project however received commendation of the Governor who expressed satisfaction, saying that the company has proven its competency as within two weeks on site, they have already covered 1km out of 5kilometres.

He said with the pace of work by the company, the project could be completed within few weeks.

The Maje-Suleja Road has been in a dilapidated state for years but has now received the attention of the Government.

Another road the governor said would be visited in Suleja as soon as the contractor is mobilized to site is the Jubilee road.

Acknowledging the need to make life easy for the citizenry, the Governor re- assured the people of the State that his administration will not relent in building infrastructure, pointing out that they are Panacea for development as well as part of the basic dividends of Democracy.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Works, Engineer Ibrahim Mohammed Panti expressed concern over the pace of work with the Zariyawa Road construction, saying despite the amount accessed by the company the work carried out obviously indicates that something is wrong and that they will get to the bottom of the matter.

…….Says exigencies responsible for office withdrawal from NiDCOM

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has, again, clarified that the Hon. Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, was never involved in the process of offer of office allocation to the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) at the NCC’s Communications and Digital Economy Complex located at Mbora District, Abuja, as the public is being made to believe.

The Commission reiterated this position in a press statement signed by its Director Public Affairs, Dr. Henry Nkemadu, in which it made further clarifications to the members of public and other stakeholders on the situation.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, was never involved in the offer to the office space, nor in the withdrawal of the offer for same office space. the Minister should not, therefore, be brought into the issue,” he said.

According to Dr. Nkemadu, the decision to withdraw the offer of office space from NiDCOM was purely of the NCC, the custodian of the office complex.

“It should, however, be made abundantly clear that the withdrawal of the offer of the office space, which was unconditionally given, in the first instance, to NiDCOM, was informed by exigencies and change in priorities within the NCC, which led to the taking back of the office space earlier allocated with intention of finding a suitable replacement for NiDCOM,” he said.

The Commission, therefore, reiterates its confidence in the leadership, person and office of the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami.