Sahara Reporters Latest News Thursday 5th September 2019
Sahara Reporters Latest News Today and headlines on some of the happenings and news trend in the Country, today 05/09/19
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target=_blank>Ten Companies Have Applied For 50 Per cent Tax Cuts To Build Infrastructures, Fowler Reveals
Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, Tunde Fowler, told Reuters on Wednesday that over 10 indigenous firms have applied to have their taxes halfed in order to help the country bridge its infrastructure deficit.
Fowler said this would initially cause cuts in revenue collection but the tax collector’s improved biometric database will sure-up its coffers.
He noted that one other unnamed firm besides Dangote group, has so far successfully registered for the tax credit scheme.
He said, “It may reduce the amount of my collections initially, but as I expand my tax net, I would make up for that reduction.
“We believe we would generate more revenues from the additional infrastructure that would be created.”
President Muhammadu Buhari had on January 25 2019, signed Executive order 007, paving the path for Dangote’s 30 per cent tax rebate for building sections of the abandoned Apapa port road, to become law.
FIRS said it raised N5.32tn in revenues in 2018, its highest collection till date.
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target=_blank>US Judge Saves Nigeria From Paying Another Hefty Fine
A District Judge in New York, United States, has decided against enforcing a $1.8bn 2011 arbitration against the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.
Nigeria is faced with a $9bn arbitration award, which accumulates $1m in interests daily, on a breached gas sales purchasing agreement with a controversial British Virgin Island registered company, Process and Industrial Development.
William Pauley of the district court, said enforcing the October 2011 ruling will be ‘a bridge too far,’ Reuters reports.
“While this court may have inherent authority to fashion appropriate relief in certain circumstances, exercising that authority to create a $1.8bn judgment is a bridge too far,” the judge said.
The award, which was set aside by courts in Nigeria, has risen to $2.67bn in interests.
Court papers revealed that Exxon and Shell affiliates in Nigeria signed a contract with NNPC in 1993 to explore for oil in the Erha field, 97km off the Nigerian coast.
Under the agreement, ESSO and SNEPCO were to invest in the exploration and share the profit with the NNPC, in a deal which is similar to a production sharing contract.
The subsidiaries of the oil multinationals accused NNPC of lifting more oil than was agreed in the terms, depriving them of billions of dollars worth of investment.
Legal
United States of America
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target=_blank>Ex-Ondo Commissioner Accuses Akeredolu Of Mismanagement
A former Commissioner for Information in Ondo State, Banji Ayiloge, has attacked the government of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, accusing him of mismanaging the state.
Ayiloge, who spoke with SaharaReporters on Wednesday, noted that Akeredolu had ruined all resources of the state within three years in government.
According to him, assignments that should have been carried out by commissioners were now being hijacked by the governor’s immediate family members.
He further alleged that various projects across the state under Akeredolu’s government are soaked in secrecy.
Ayiloge said, “It is an open secret that the first family (Akeredolu) in Ondo State have their hook on every resources of the state.
“We have commissioners who are there as figure heads while cronies of the governor from Ibadan report directly to the first family.
“Also, it is an open secret in the state that roads projects are serious sources of capital flight out of the state.”
But debunking the allegations, spokesperson for the Ondo State Government, Donald Ojogo, said Ayiloge was merely seeking cheap attention by making spurious claims.
He said, “Responding to the puerile issues raised by the former commissioner (Mr. Ayilogo) automatically translates to an undesirable exercise of attaching importance to him.
“Similarly, lack of ideas, knowledge and indeed unbridled display of ignorance on the part of an individual cannot bother the government.
“Our focus is to continue to do what we believe is in the best interest of our people and not to run after unchained individuals and their uncanny utterances.”
Politics
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target=_blank>Shoprite Will Suffer From Xenophobic Attacks, Says Analyst
An analyst at Mergence Investment Managers in Cape Town, South Africa, Nolwandle Mthombeni, has said that consumer retail chain, Shoprite, will be hard hit by recent reprisal attacks on South African businesses across several countries on the continent.
The multinational has seen its shops attacked in Nigeria and also fell on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, along with telecoms firm, MTN.
He told Bloomberg South Africa that, “From footage I’ve seen, it most definitely will hit Shoprite hard because it goes beyond lost sales, but also cost of repairs and restoring the damage.”
Leaders of Congo DR, Rwanda, Zambia, Nigeria and a few others boycotted the World Economic Forum summit holding in South Africa.
The Nigerian Government has also asked the South African Government to pay compensation for damages done to Nigerian businesses in the country.
Over 50 shops owned by nationals of other African countries including Nigerians were broken into and looted by South Africans in a spate of attacks that started on Sunday.
Several Nigerians had been murdered before those attacks started.
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South Africa
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E2%80%93osinbajo target=_blank>Digital Technology Will Improve Agriculture In Africa –Osinbajo
Vice President of Nigeria, Yemi Osinbajo, has said that digital technology and its application will change the face of agriculture in Africa.
Osinbajo made this submission on Wednesday while featuring at the panel discussion session of the African Green Revolution held at the International Conference Centre, Accra, Ghana.
Osinbajo participated in the panel alongside President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, Prime Minister of Rwanda, Edouard Ngirente, and African Union Commissioner for Agriculture, Josefa Sacko.
The panel was moderated by former United Kingdom Prime Minister, Tony Blair.
Osinbajo said that there were many companies interested in agriculture as a lot of them had already keyed into the sector.
He said, “What we found is that there is far more collaboration than before and there is far more transparency; you can see practically everything and anyone who is connected one way or the other and people learn faster because of a lot of collaboration.
“People can get online; find out what this company is doing; some companies are linking investors to farmers and it is so easy to find out what they are doing by simply going to their website.
“Some of the Fintech companies are also in that space helping to make payments; helping to do transactions and a lot of them are doing well just by building the sector.
“The way it is going; frankly, I can’t see how it will not completely revolutionalise agriculture because practically everywhere that digital technology has touched; it completely revolutionalised.
“What we are going to see is that digital technology will change the face of agriculture in Africa.”
Agriculture
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target=_blank>Xenophobia: Nigerian Police Ordered To Tighten Security Around Embassies, Others
Frank Mbah, Police PRO.
Frank Mbah, Police PRO.
The Nigeria Police Force has been ordered to provide water-tight security around embassies, foreign missions, foreigners and their businesses across the country.
The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, gave the order on Wednesday in a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Frank Mba.
The order follows angry protests by Nigerians on Tuesday and Wednesday targeting South African businesses in retaliation to xenophobic attacks on Nigerians and other African migrants in the former apartheid nation.
The statement reads, “Some miscreants attacked and looted the malls under the pretext of protesting against the xenophobic attacks in South Africa.
“To this end, all Zonal Assistant Inspectors-General of Police and Commissioners of Police across the Federation have been placed on red alert to ensure no similar violence is replicated within the country.
“Miscreants and criminally-minded people who masquerade as genuine protesters are therefore warned to stay-off the streets of Nigeria.
“The Force will not hesitate to bring to bear the full weight of the law on any such law breaker.
“Parents and guardians are therefore enjoined to prevail on their children and wards to desist from acts capable of causing breakdown of law and order in the country.”
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target=_blank>Ondo Government To Send Relief Materials To Communities Hit By Flood
The Ondo State Government has said that it would send relief materials to communities affected by a recent flood in the state.
Deputy Governor of the state, Agboola Ajayi, made the disclosure on Wednesday in Idanre during an inspection of the damage caused by heavy rainfall in many parts of Ondo.
Ajayi revealed that the state government would soon demolish structures built on water channels and affecting the free flow of water.
He said, “We have inspected all the houses (buildings) in the area and advised our people to evacuate the areas in order to prevent another disaster.
“The state government would try its best in terms of bringing relief to the affected victims soon.
“I noticed that some persons built houses along the river course and water ways but we shall ensure that no matter highly placed they are, we will demolish those buildings.
“This would make us have free flow of water and we shall be deploying the amphibious excavator to help channel these waterways.”
Environment
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E2%80%93who target=_blank>Right Investment In Nutrition Could Save 3.7 Million Lives By 2025 –WHO
A new report by the World Health Organisation has showed that improvement in nutrition could save the lives of 3.7 million people by 2025.
WHO posited that health services must integrate a stronger focus on ensuring optimum nutrition at each stage of a person’s life.
According to the report, healthier populations are achieved through multi-sectoral actions that are not limited to health systems alone, though often using the stewardship, advocacy and regulatory functions of health ministries.
Assistant Director-General at WHO, Dr. Naoko Yamamoto, noted that nutrition must be positioned as one of the cornerstones of essential health packages in order to provide quality health services and achieve Universal Health Coverage.
She said, “Essential health packages in all settings need to contain robust nutrition components but countries will need to decide which interventions best support their national health policies, strategies and plans.
“Investment in nutrition actions will help countries get closer to their goal of achieving universal health coverage and the Sustainable Development Goals.”
PUBLIC HEALTH
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target=_blank>Xenophobia: Bring Perpetrators Of Violence To Book, Reps Tell Buhari
The House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure that all perpetrators of violence against Nigerians in South Africa are brought to book.
In a statement on Wednesday, Chairman of the committee, Yusuf Yakub, said the lower legislative arm of government was working to ensure that Nigerians get justice.
The statement reads, “The growing xenophobic attacks on innocent and law-abiding Nigerians in some parts of South Africa is not acceptable to us as legislators in Nigeria.
“These barbaric attacks have become one too many in recent years and, therefore stand condemnable by all men and countries of goodwill.
“We reiterate our call on other nations of the world to join us and raise their voices against this senseless action of humans against their kind.”
Politics
South Africa
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Xenophobia: UN Chief Condemns ‘Acts Of Violence’ Against Foreigners
United Nations Secretary-General, António ?Guterres, has “strongly condemned” the renewed wave of “acts of violence” against foreigners and their property in parts of South Africa.
Guterres’ message was conveyed by his spokesperson, Mr Stéphane Dujarric, at a news briefing at the UN headquarters in New York, United States, on Wednesday.
He was responding to a News Agency of Nigeria’s question that sought his reaction to the situation.
He said, “We strongly condemn the acts of violence that have been reported in different provinces in South Africa, including attacks against foreigners and the destruction of their property.
“The Secretary-General has also very much noted President Cyril Ramaphosa’s unequivocal condemnation of that violence.
“He has also noted Ramaphosa’s call for strengthening accountability in line with democratic values enshrined in South Africa’s constitution.
“The Secretary-General urges all political leaders to clearly and openly reject the use of violence.”
International
South Africa
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