Govs Want President to Honour Agreement on Stamp Duties

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The 36 state governors have resolved to demand for the payment of stamp duties from President Bola Tinubu’s administration in line with their agreement with former President Muhammadu Buhari, THISDAY has learnt.THISDAY gathered from sources close to the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) that barring any unforeseen circumstances, the governors will, in their next meeting, make a formal request to President Tinubu’s administration for the payment of the stamp duties said to have accumulated to trillions of naira.The governors argued that the trillions of naira that have accumulated from the payment of stamp duties would cushion the effects of petrol subsidy removal better than the “token” being given to the states by the federal government as palliatives.

Some of the governors, it was learnt, have also threatened to reopen the case at the Supreme Court, if the federal government fails to honour the commitment of the immediate past administration.The Attorneys-General of the 36 states of the federation had in September 2021 dragged the then Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), before the Supreme Court over the failure of the federal government to remit the funds generated from stamp duties into state accounts.

Nigeria has capacity to be global power – Akinyemi

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A former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, has said Nigeria has what it takes to be a global power.

Speaking on Saturday during a zoom meeting with the theme, ‘Opportunity and Challenges of BRICS’, organised by the Academy of International Affairs, the ex-minister stated that Nigerians must change the negative perception and stop de-marketing the country.

He said, “Nigeria has the capability to be a global power and the ideas of how to get there are all on the table; they are obvious. Whatever we need to do to get there; I don’t believe our economy is bankrupt. I know what J.P. Morgan said. That is what they said about India and Turkey. That xyz is the sick man of Europe and the sick man of Europe all of a sudden becomes the big man of Europe. People will try to run us down, but we must accept that the fault, when it is ours, must be corrected.

“We should probably go after three things: leadership, discipline, and a reformation of ourselves to believe in Nigeria and not to find reasons why we should continue to de-market Nigeria.”

Tinubu shouldn’t spare non-performing ministers – AYCF chief

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The Federal Government should have looked at the issue of the refineries. The refineries should have been functional first. The last administration came up with this agenda of declaring a state of emergency to put up the refineries but that never came to fruition. That is step one. Step two; they should look into the issue of minimum wage of the workers. Critically, I do not think a reasonable person would have imagined that N50,000 would be enough to cater to the needs of any worker in this country today. They should have done better than that. The government should have begun to think of ways to put up a policy that would be of benefit to Nigerian workers.

Thirdly, whether you like it or not, it’s understood that this is a global problem that everybody should have to make sacrifices. But the problem I have recently is that if you are talking about sacrifice, why should Nigerians alone make the sacrifice without those in government? From all indications, you can see that even the National Assembly members are demanding more and more on a daily basis. None of them are making any effort within the levels of the legislature and executive arms of government. There is no sign of them making sacrifices about anything. Why should the masses be the only ones to make sacrifices? So, let the legislative and executive arms begin to lead by example.

Tinubu’s ministers are an extension of the mind of the President—Adebayo, ex-SDP presidential candidate

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Presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the 2023 elections, Prince Adewole Adebayo, speaks on the gaps in the federal cabinet, noting that some strategic mandates appear to in purgatory, not being under specified ministry in terms of designation.

Adebayo also speaks on what Nigerians expect of the ministers and the gains in switching from premium motor spirit (PMS) to compressed natural gas (CNG) for power source among other issues. Excerpts:

President Bola Tinubu has charged his ministers to meet the expectations of Nigerians and work for the interest of Nigeria and not their sections of the country. What do you say to that?

There is nothing unique in that because that is what the oath of office the ministers swore to says. The President could have simply charged the ministers to take their oath of office seriously, and this has to start from the President himself, the Vice President, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), the principal officers and every other person in public office taking their oath of office seriously.

I will recommend that the oath of office is printed out and posted on the wall of the office of public officials so that they will see it daily, if public officials keep to their oath of office the country will be in a better place.

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