…Assents To Four Tax Bills Today…Mourns Ex-Governor Adebayo
President Bola Ahmed Tinu-bu has called on opposition political parties to regroup and offer constructive engage-ment in the national interest, warning that the current disarray among opposition ranks undermines Nigeria’s democracy.
Speaking through Senate President Godswill Akpabio on Wednesday at the official commissioning of the Wole Soyinka Interchange Bridge in Abuja, President Tinubu said he remained committed to a strong and effective oppo-sition as a pillar of democratic development.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, is very in-terested in seeing a vibrant opposition. It seldom seems when he sees the way the op-position in Nigeria is in disar-ray,” Akpabio said. “As a true democrat, he would like to see a very vibrant opposition in the country.”
He referenced recent defec-tions from opposition parties to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), including that of Senator Neda Imasuen from the Labour Party, describ-ing the move as a symbolic reflection of the growing frac-tures within the opposition.
“So it’s not only the PDP that is in disarray. Even the Labour Party is cracked. And people who are strong mem-bers of the Labour Party are angling to run Nigeria when they cannot put a small polit-ical party like that in order,” Akpabio said.
He congratulated Imasuen on his defection to the APC and reaffirmed that the ruling party remains open to all Ni-gerians committed to national progress.
He lauded the Federal Cap-ital Territory (FCT) Adminis-tration for executing transfor-mative infrastructure projects under the leadership of FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.
“This interchange is a mag-nificent piece of engineering a testament to our unwavering commitment to progress and a beacon of our collective aspira-tion for a more connected and prosperous Federal Capital Territory,” he said.
The interchange, he noted, is a strategic response to rising traffic congestion, aimed at im-proving safety and daily com-mute for residents of Abuja. “This bridge will unlock new opportunities for commerce, reduce travel time, and con-tribute directly to increased productivity and a better qual-ity of life for all who traverse these routes.”
President Tinubu praised the dedication of contractors, engineers, and labourers for delivering the project on time and to high standards.
“Our Renewed Hope Agen-da is built on the bedrock of ro-bust infrastructure. A nation’s arteries must be strong, clear, and efficient to pump life into its economy,” the president’s statement read.
He commended the FCT minister’s pace and volume of developmental projects, de-scribing it as unprecedented. “It is very rare to see a minis-try invite the president for 17 good days not just to flag-off but to commission quality projects,” he said, adding that the FCT has experienced a visible transformation under Wike.
“What is happening in the FCT is what people would say even the blind can see. But the blind would notice potholes on the road. FCT has turned around. We are proud,” he stated.
Earlier, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, howev-er, challenged anyone to prove that the roads and bridges commissioned so far were completed by past govern-ments.
“Let anybody challenge the FCT Administration that any of these roads or bridges we are commissioning were completed by any past admin-istration,” he said. “From 2010 to 2023, if anyone can say, ‘We started and finished this project,’ let them speak up. But I know nobody will say that.” –
Wike also thanked the Na-tional Assembly for approving budget allocations that are be-ing fully implemented in the FCT.
With six days of inaugu-rations still to go, Wike said the momentum would not slow. “Tomorrow, you Senate President Akpabio are repre-senting Mr. President again. Incidentally, you flagged off the Kugbo Bus Terminal. Now it’s ready.”
He concluded by reaffirm-ing that the transformation of the FCT was a collective achievement involving the executive, the National As-sembly, and hardworking Ni-gerians.
Tinubu To Assent To Four Tax Bills Today
Meanwhile, barring any unforeseen circumstances, President Bola Tinubu will put pen to paper, appending his signature to four tax bills already passed by the National Assembly.
Among the bills slated for presidential assent include: the Nigeria Tax Bill, the Nige-ria Tax Administration Bill, the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, and the Joint Revenue Board (Estab-lishment) Bill.
A statement signed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to the President, revealed the in-tent on Wednesday.
“President Bola Tinubu will, on Thursday, sign into law four groundbreaking tax reform bills that will trans-form Nigeria’s fiscal and rev-enue framework,” Onanuga said in the statement.
It added that the four bills, were passed by the National Assembly after extensive con-sultations with various inter-est groups and stakeholders.
The presidential media aide also explained that when the new tax laws become op-erational, they are expected to significantly transform tax administration in the country, leading to increased revenue generation, improved business environment, and a boost in domestic and foreign investments.
He said, “The historic pres-idential assent to the bills at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, will be witnessed by the Sen-ate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Senate Majority Leader, House Majority Leader, chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, and his House coun-terpart.
“The Chairman of the Gov-ernors Forum, the Chairman of the Progressives Gover-nors Forum, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, and the Attorney General of the Federation will also attend the ceremony.
“One of the four bills is the Nigeria Tax Bill (Ease of Doing Business), which aims to consolidate Nigeria’s frag-mented tax laws into a har-monised statute.
“By reducing the multi-plicity of taxes and eliminat-ing duplication, the bill will enhance the ease of doing business, reduce taxpayer compliance burdens, and cre-ate a more predictable fiscal environment.
“The second bill, the Nige-ria Tax Administration Bill, will establish a uniform legal and operational framework for tax administration across federal, state, and local govern-ments.
“The Nigeria Revenue Ser-vice (Establishment) Bill, the third bill, repeals the current Federal Inland Revenue Ser-vice Act and creates a more autonomous and perfor-mance-driven national reve-nue agency— the Nigeria Rev-enue Service (NRS). It defines the NRS’s expanded mandate, including non-tax revenue collection, and lays out trans-parency, accountability, and efficiency mechanisms.
“The fourth bill is the Joint Revenue Board (Establish-ment) Bill. It provides for a formal governance structure to facilitate cooperation be-tween revenue authorities at all levels of government. It introduces essential over-sight mechanisms, including establishing a Tax Appeal Tri-bunal and an Office of the Tax Ombudsman”.
Tinubu Mourns Ex-Gov Adebayo, Describes Him As True Statesman
President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday mourned the passing of former governor of Kwara State, Chief Cornelius Adebayo, describing him as a true statesman.
The president in a tribute to the late governor, said, “I re-ceived the news of the passing of Chief Cornelius Olatunji Adebayo, a former academ-ic and former governor of Kwara State, with profound sadness.
“During his extraordinary lifetime of 84 years, which was marked by an unyielding commitment to public service and progressive politics, C.O., as political associates fondly called him, was a strong voice and a leading light in Nigeria’s political firmament.
“As a senator in the Second Republic, he held aloft the ban-ner of the Unity Party of Nige-ria, led by the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
“In the 1983 general elec-tions, his pedigree as a pro-gressive politician shone brightly when he caused an electoral upset to win the gov-ernorship election in the old Kwara State as the second elected civilian governor.”
He added, “During the dark days of military dictatorship that followed the annulment of June 12, 1993 presidential election won by the late Chief MKO Abiola, Chief Adebayo was one of our leaders who cast aside every comfort and stood firmly in defence of de-mocracy and the ideals of jus-tice, fairness and equity.
“He spent several years in exile in Canada, a period that tested his resilience and com-mitment to his beliefs. Later, he returned to the country to join the politics of the 4th Re-public.
“I worked closely with him during our years in exile. He demonstrated rare courage, integrity, and perseverance during these difficult times.
“Within the Pan-Yoruba group, Afenifere, he was a voice of reason and a stabilis-ing influence.
“Chief Adebayo, who later served as the Minister of Com-munications and Transporta-tion between 2003 and 2007, will be remembered for his patriotism and commitment to the progress of Kwara State and the Yoruba race.
“May the immediate fami-ly he left behind, his political associates, the government, and the people of Kwara State find consolation in his legacy of impeccable service.”