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Protesters urge Gov. Sani to invite EFCC to arrest predecessor

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They began trekking  from UTC  Bus stop that leads to the Government House, singing solidarity songs for Sani and displayed several placards with different inscription.
They condemned  the alleged financial mismanagement, abuse of power and a growing debt burden incurred for eight years by the last  administration.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that sme of the inscriptions read, “We will occupy all MDAs to chase out all indicted persons in the report’.
Others were: ‘Stop servicing all loans that did not follow due process before they were obtained. Jimi Lawal almost killed Kaduna State the way he killed a bank some years ago’.
NAN further recalled that on March 30, 2024, Sani had revealed during a town hall meeting that the state was facing  a substantial debt burden of $587 million, N85 billion, and 115 contractual liabilities inherited from the previous administration.
He lamented ,”This has led to over 70 per cent of the state’s allocation being used to service the inherited debts.”
NAN also reports that, in response, the Kaduna State House of Assembly formed an ad-hoc committee to investigate the state’s financial transactions from May 29, 2015 to May 29, 2023.
The committee, led by Henry  Magaji, submitted its findings on June 5, 2024, revealing significant unaccounted funds and alleged irregularities in financial transactions.
The report highlighted the alleged mismanagement of funds, diversion of loans, over-payment of contractors, and lack of transparency in the usage of state funds.
Addressing journalists shortly after arriving Government House, the Chairman of the protesting group,Victor Duniya said, “We, the Kaduna Citizens Watch for Good Governance , appreciate your presence as we express our grievances today.
”Our state has endured financial mismanagement, abuse of power, and a growing debt burden for the past eight years.”
He further explained that the most troubling finding was the alleged diversion of N10.5billion meant for pastoral nomadism and the construction of the Milk Industry at Damau, Kubau LGA and that of Galaxy Mall, Kaduna
Duniya added that the report uncovered over-payments to contractors, payments to unregistered companies, and funds disbursed for work not completed, amounting to over N36.3 billion.
“The report also revealed large sums of money withdrawn from the state treasury without proper documentation of its usage.
”Furthermore, an expenditure of over N11 billion on a non-existent MRT transportation scheme was documented with no evidence to support it,” he said.
He added that as concerned citizens, they condemn in the strongest terms possible, the alleged outright and merciless looting of the state.
The group also commended Sani for holding on to the ideals of the democracy he worked for by not interfering in the activities of assembly as widely expected.
Duniya added, “We commend  Sani for running an open government, where regular consultations are carried out with the various stakeholders, especially during town hall meetings.
“We commend the Kaduna State House of Assembly for the thorough work done in unraveling the financial atrocities committed against our state, in spite of blackmails and threats from the beneficiaries of the alleged financial heist.”
The group further called on Sani to implement relevant sections of the report that fell under his purview.
“We call on him to officially forward the findings of the committee report to the  relevant anti-corruption agencies to enable them to swing into action and recover our resources at their disposal,” he said.
The chairman of the group was later received by the Deputy Governor, Hajiya Hadiza Balarabe,  Secretary to the State Government, Abdulkadir Meyere, Deputy Chief of Staff, Umar Hassan-Waziri, Private Personal Secretary (PPS) and Prof. Bello Ayuba, among others.
The government officials appreciated the group’s peaceful protest and assured them that their message would be forwarded to the governor who was unavoidably absent at the time the protesters arrived government house.(NAN)
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Dr. Suberu Applauds Nigeria For Kofi Annan Road Safety Award Win

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By Abubakar Yunusa

Dr Yusuf John Suberu, founder of the Dr Yusuf John Suberu Foundation, has congratulated Nigeria on being honoured with the prestigious Kofi Annan Road Safety Award at a ceremony in Eswatini.

The award recognises the country’s significant progress in reducing road crashes and improving safety..

The accolade, celebrated by stakeholders across the continent, highlights Nigeria’s dedication to improving road safety standards.

Dr. Yusuf John Suberu, founder of the Dr. Yusuf John Suberu Foundation, attended the event and engaged with prominent figures, including the Ministers of Transportation from Cameroon and Eswatini, as well as Mr. John Todd, the United Nations Envoy on Road Safety.

The foundation, which focuses on poverty alleviation, education, and health, praised the Federal Government’s achievement as a milestone in fostering safer communities.

“This award reflects Nigeria’s unwavering commitment to road safety, a cause that resonates deeply with our mission to empower and uplift communities,” Dr. Suberu said in a statement.

“We commend the government and reaffirm our support for initiatives promoting sustainable development and safety.”

The Dr. Yusuf John Suberu Foundation has impacted over 5,000 individuals in the past year through its programmes and aims to train 500 youths in the Federal Capital Territory with skills for financial independence and self-employment.

The organisation views the award as a testament to the power of collective action in driving meaningful change.

The foundation expressed its eagerness to deepen collaboration with government bodies, international organisations, and local stakeholders to advance road safety and community development across Nigeria.

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JUST IN: Nigerian Army names Lt. Col. Anele as first female spokesperson

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The Nigerian Army has appointed Lieutenant Colonel Anele Onyinyechi Appolonia as the Acting Director, Army Public Relations — the first woman to hold the position.

Anele, a member of Direct Regular Course 15 and the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), takes over from Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, who has been posted to the Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre. Her appointment takes effect from April 22, 2025.

Before this elevation, Lt. Col. Anele completed a six-month strategic course at the Nigerian Army Resource Centre and was subsequently posted to the Department of Civil-Military Relations.

She has previously served as Public Relations Officer in the Office of the Chief of Army Staff. Until her new role, she was with the Department of Civil-Military Relations.

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Tax reform bill will curb poverty, empower Nigerians— Presidency

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Chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, Taiwo Oyedele
Chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reform Committee, Mr Taiwo Oyedele

The Chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, Taiwo Oyedele, has said the Tax Reform Bill would curb poverty and empower ordinary Nigerians.

Oyedele made this known at the Spokespersons’ Summit, organised by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) in Abuja.

He expressed strong optimism about the sweeping changes the bill would bring, especially for the low-income earners and small businesses across the country.

The chairman said that key highlights of the reform included the exemption of low-income earners from paying the Personal Income Tax (PAYE) and the removal of VAT from basic essentials such as food, education, and healthcare.

Oyedele added that it included a zero per cent Corporate Income Tax (CIT) rate for small businesses, adding that the bill had great benefits, especially for the masses, although it was welcomed with misconceptions and attacks.

He said, “This is because the issues of tax and taxation are not the most attractive to the ordinary persons because it is hard to part with your money.

“It is even harder when you part with your money and you cannot tell what exactly government is using it for that benefits you.”

Oyedele said the approach for the reform was to try and understand what the issues were and where the problems were coming from.

He added, “Then we will use data to engage with the people and design a solution for Nigeria that is made by Nigerians for the Nigerian people.

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“That is exactly what we have done with the tax reform bill which is now nearing passage for the President to sign.”

According to Oyedele, the government is positive that as soon as implementation begins, Nigerians will see the real positive impact on their day-to-day living including low income earners being exempted from taxes.

“This is because, we want Nigerians to be able to create wealth and become successful, when they make it big time, then they will pay taxes, not the other way round.

“So, we believe that this message is resonating with the Nigerian people, it is still a long way to go but we are happy to continue with the journey,” he said.

Oyedele commended NIPR for putting the summit together and for discussing issues of government policies for the clearer understanding of Nigerians.

The President and Chairman of Council, NIPR, Dr Ike Neliaku, said the communication ecosystem should always be considered when formulating any government policy.

Neliaku said this was because the communicators have the gift of communicating even the most difficult policies to the people.

He added that they would look at such policies and guide strategic communication, adding, “which is the when,what,how where which it answers all those questions.

“So, when you say this is what we want to do,how best should we do it?it is the work of the experts and not quacks, those trained to come up with the strategies to communicate that.

“The tax reform is what this nation needs at this point but it was essentially misunderstood because of the way it was introduced and the mischief makers took advantage of that to do what they want.”

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Neliaku said that was why NIPR and its partners in the communication ecosystem had promised to work with the government to develop a tax communication framework.

He said that it was also being done in the areas of climate action, Science communication and across many sectors to communicate reforms so that the child is not killed even before it is birthed.

He encouraged spokespersons to acquire knowledge, understand trends and issues in order to be effective and to speak well and informed.

Dr Nkechi Ali-Balogu, a Fellow of NIPR, said that there was need to view taxation with the gender lens, adding that there was need to make exemptions for women.

Ali-Balogun said that most women were bread winners these days as well as single mothers should enjoy tax exemption to empower them to provide for their families.

She commended NIPR for organising the summit, adding that it had broadened her horizon on national issues.(NAN)

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