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FG, N’Delta Talks Begin, Today …Osinbajo Leads Team To Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta …Group Lists 32-Point Demand
At last, the Federal Government talks with Niger Delta stakeholders, including militants, who have been bombing oil assets to draw attention to challenges in the oil region, begin today.
The talks would see Vice President Yemi Osinbajo leading a high-powered delegation of the Federal Government to visit some states in the Niger Delta.
States to be visited are Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers.
A statement from the Office of the Vice President, yesterday, stated that government was committed to an effective dialogue with Niger Delta leaders.
“In further demonstration of President Muhammadu Buhari’s readiness and determination to comprehensively address the Niger Delta situation, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, will be visiting a number of oil communities across some Niger Delta states starting on Monday, January 16, 2017, when he travels to Delta State”, the statement said.
“At a later date to be announced soon, the Vice President, Prof. Osinbajo would also be visiting Bayelsa and Rivers states.
“At these visits, the vice president will lead high-level delegations of the Federal Government that will interact with leaders and representatives of the oil-producing communities in continuation of ongoing outreach efforts of the Buhari administration towards a long lasting and permanent resolution of the Niger Delta crisis.
“The Buhari Presidency is fully committed to having an effective dialogue and positive engagement that will end the crisis in the oil-producing areas, and believes that these visits would further boost the confidence necessary for the attainment of peace and prosperity in the areas and the Nigerian nation in general”.
But in reaction to the visit, yesterday, leader of the Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Chief Edwin Clark, said the visit was not a substitute for dialogue.
Clark said the PANDEF was not against the decision of President Muhammdu Buhari to send Osinbajo to the Niger Delta to meet with the people and explore ways of resolving the crisis in the region.
The Niger Delta leader, said: “The visit is not a substitute for dialogue, and it is not a question of personality conflict because there is no conflict between the Federal Government and PANDEF.”
He urged militants, who listened to the leaders of the region and suspended hostilities, to maintain the ceasefire, adding, “Nothing should be done to cause any distraction during the visit of the vice president to the Niger Delta. There should be no bombing by any militant group, that is the plea of PANDEF.
“Few individuals may have made statements, which so many people found intolerable.
“Muhammadu Buhari is the president of the whole country and he made it clear in his New Year message that his government was going to embrace dialogue in the resolution of the crisis.
“We, PANDEF, stand on dialogue too, and have been waiting for him since we met him on November 1, 2016. We have no reason to believe that he is not open to dialogue and, moreover, dialogue is not one month or one year affair, it can be continuous.
“We cannot say that because one person made one statement, it, therefore, means that the president is against dialogue, but if after his New Year message, he is sending his vice president to Niger Delta to visit the hot spots, we welcome it.”
Clark, who cancelled his trip to Abuja, last weekend, because of Osinbajo’s visit to the region, added: “I cannot be going to Abuja when he is coming here. I have cancelled my trip to wait and be around during his visit. I am in touch with Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, and the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr Ibe Kachikwu.
“PANDEF is well prepared for the VP’s visit. We have asked our people to receive him. PANDEF is a body of monarchs, leaders and stakeholders of the coastal states of the Niger Delta. We have the youth, women, politicians, and entrepreneurs, name them in the body, it is not an APC or PDP group.
“PANDEF is going to play a leading role in the vice president’s visit to Niger Delta, we are in support of the visit. It will enable us have further discussion with him on our request for dialogue with the Federal Government.
“What is more important is that the Federal Government and the people are dialoguing on the way out with sincerity on both sides. Our youth are willing to listen to us, and we have told them to let peace reign, while we pursue dialogue with the Federal Government.
“No one should have the impression that the vice president is coming to visit the youth that are bombing oil installations. He is coming to Gbaramatu Kingdom and going to other parts of the region, where he will meet with everybody.”
Meanwhile, the Urhobo ethnic nationality in Delta State, has urged the Federal Government to dialogue with PANDEF.
The position of the ethnic group is contained in a statement, entitled: “Urhobo position on Niger Delta Development Issues Versus Federal Government of Nigeria,” signed by the Urhobo Youth Leaders Association (UYLA), National President and Secretary, Messrs. Francis Arhiyor and Vincent Oyibode, respectively.
The group, which proposed a 23-point demand and 10-point dialogue issues, which it planned to hand over to PANDEF, stated: “Urhobo youth are in full support of PANDEF to negotiate with Federal Government to ensure sustainable peace in the region.”
It called for the immediate restructuring of the Amnesty Office to give equal opportunity to all ethnic nations in the Niger-Delta, adding: “We wish to quickly recommend that the security of the oil and gas facilities should be given to the youth of various ethnic nationalities in the Niger Delta.”
The 10-point dialogue issues suggested by the group include graduated increase in derivation from 13 per cent to 50 per cent over a five-year period; repeal and abrogation of all unjust and oppressive legislation, laws, policies that vest ownership and control of oil and gas resources in the Exclusive List in the 1999 Constitution as amended; and repeal and abrogation of all anti-federal and inequitable laws and policies related to the oil and gas industry such as pipelines, etc.
Others are repeal of the Land Use Act and return of all lands to communities, families, and individuals; repeal of the 1997 Inland Waterways Act that vests in the Federal Government the ownership of all rivers and waterways and their banks; review of oil bloc licenses to ensure majority equity ownership by Urhobo investors; the next review is due in 2017; passage of Petroleum Industry Bill into law by 2017; and minimum of 75 per cent of workforce in all oil and gas businesses in Urhobo land to be reserved for Urhobo indigenes and professionals.
UYLA also called for “relocation to Urhobo land of the head offices of all oil and gas companies doing business in Urhobo area, especially NPDC now in Benin to be relocated to Ughelli and Pan-Ocean Petroleum Corporation to be relocated to Oghara; compensation and rehabilitation via affirmative action of the families of all the 1,000 persons, who perished in the October, 1998, pipeline fire in Idjerhe (Jesse) near Sapele.
Other demands are as follows: “An MoU to guarantee the step down of adequate energy/electricity generated in the gas turbines in Delta Power Station (Ughelli) and Ogorode Power Station (Sapele) to supply subsidized electricity for all communities and Local Government Areas in Urhobo Land. This type of Affirmation Action is to transform the economic, environment and make it juicy and attractive to investors in small- medium- and large-scale enterprises. Similar policies have been run by Shell and other MNOs in places like Shetland (Scotland)”
They also are asking for MoU with Utorogu Gas Plant, the biggest in West Africa, for supply of subsidized and uninterrupted electricity to all communities in Ughelli South and Udu Local Government Areas, which jointly host the facility.
“It is cruel and oppressive on the part of the Nigeria Gas Company that the gas processed in Utorogu is piped through the Escravos-Lagos gas grid to industries in Ogun and Lagos State in Nigeria and thence to the Republic of Benin, Togo, and Ghana yet the immediate host communities have not had steady electricity supply since 1989 when the facility was opened. This injustice has to stop.
They further asked for “Construction of Okwagbe Inland Port approved by the Federal Ministry of Transport several years ago; return of Sapele Port to civil use by taking it over from the Navy, development of Warri Port to boost maritime business; dredging of Escravos Bar to admit larger ocean liners to Delta ports of Warri, Burutu, Sapele and Koko”, among others.
President Bola Tinubu yesterday signed into law four tax reform bills aimed at transforming Nigeria’s fiscal and revenue framework.
The four bills include: the Nigeria Tax Bill, the Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Bill.
They were passed by the National Assembly after months of consultations with various interest groups and stakeholders.
The ceremony took place at the Presidential Villa, yesterday.
The ceremony was witnessed by the leadership of the National Assembly and some legislators, governors, ministers, and aides of the President.
The presidency had earlier stated that the laws would transform tax administration in the country, increase revenue generation, improve the business environment, and give a boost to domestic and foreign investments.
“When the new tax laws become operational, 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,” Special Adviser to the President on Media, Bayo Onanuga said on Wednesday.
Before the signing of the four bills, President Tinubu had earlier yesterday, said the tax reform bills will reset Nigeria’s economic trajectory and simplify its complex fiscal landscape.
Announcing the development via his official X handle, yesterday, the President declared, “In a few hours, I will sign four landmark tax reform bills into law, ushering in a bold new era of economic governance in our country.”
Tinubu made a call to investors and citizens alike, saying, “Let the world know that Nigeria is open for business, and this time, everyone has a fair shot.”
He described the bills as not just technical adjustments but a direct intervention to ease burdens on struggling Nigerians.
“These reforms go beyond streamlining tax codes. They deliver the first major, pro-people tax cuts in a generation, targeted relief for low-income earners, small businesses, and families working hard to make ends meet,” Tinubu wrote.
According to the President, “They will unify our fragmented tax system, eliminate wasteful duplications, cut red tape, restore investor confidence, and entrench transparency and coordination at every level.”
He added that the long-standing burden of Nigeria’s tax structure had unfairly weighed down the vulnerable while enabling inefficiency.
The tax reforms, first introduced in October 2024, were part of Tinubu’s post-subsidy-removal recovery plan, aimed at expanding revenue without stifling productivity.
However, the bills faced turbulence at the National Assembly and amongst some state governors who rejected its passing in 2024.
At the NASS, the bills sparked heated debate, particularly around the revenue-sharing structure, which governors from the North opposed.
They warned that a shift toward derivation-based allocations, especially with VAT, could tilt fiscal balance in favour of southern states with stronger consumption bases.
After prolonged dialogue, the VAT rate remained at 7.5 per cent, and a new exemption was introduced to shield minimum wage earners from personal income tax.
By May 2025, the National Assembly passed the harmonised versions with broad support, driven in part by pressure from economic stakeholders and international observers who welcomed the clarity and efficiency the reforms promised.
In his tweet, Tinubu stressed that this is just the beginning of Nigeria’s tax evolution.
“We are laying the foundation for a tax regime that is fair, transparent, and fit for a modern, ambitious Nigeria.
“A tax regime that rewards enterprise, protects the vulnerable, and mobilises revenue without punishing productivity,” he stated.
He further acknowledged the contributions of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reform Committee, the National Assembly, and Nigeria’s subnational governments.
The President added, “We are not just signing tax bills but rewriting the social contract.
“We are not there yet, but we are firmly on the road.”
The Senate has issued a 10-day ultimatum to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) over its failure to appear before the Senate Committee on Public Accounts probing alleged financial discrepancies amounting to over ?210 trillion in its audited reports from 2017 to 2023.
Despite being summoned, no officials or external auditors from NNPCL showed up yesterday.
However, representatives from the representatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission and Department of State Services were present.
Angered by the NNPCL’s absence, the committee, yesterday, issued a 10-day ultimatum, demanding the company’s top executives to appear before the panel by July 10 or face constitutional sanctions.
A letter from NNPCL’s Chief Financial Officer, Dapo Segun, dated June 25, was read at the session.
It cited an ongoing management retreat and requested a two-month extension to prepare necessary documents and responses.
The letter partly read, “Having carefully reviewed your request, we hereby request your kind consideration to reschedule the engagement for a period of two months from now to enable us to collate the requested information and documentation.
“Furthermore, members of the Board and the senior management team of NNPC Limited are currently out of the office for a retreat, which makes it difficult to attend the rescheduled session on Thursday, 26th June, 2025.
“While appreciating the opportunity provided and the importance of this engagement, we reassure you of our commitment to the success of this exercise. Please accept the assurances of our highest regards.”
But lawmakers rejected the request.
The Committee Chairman, Senator Aliyu Wadada, said NNPCL was not expected to submit documents, but rather provide verbal responses to 11 key questions previously sent.
“For an institution like NNPCL to ask for two months to respond to questions from its own audited records is unacceptable,” Wadada stated.
“If they fail to show up by July 10, we will invoke our constitutional powers. The Nigerian people deserve answers,” he warned.
Other lawmakers echoed similar frustrations.
Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central) insisted that NNPCL’s Group CEO, Bayo Ojulari, must personally lead the delegation at the next hearing.
The Tide reports that Ojulari took over from Mele Kyari on April 2, 2025.
Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi (Ebonyi North) said the two-month request suggested the company had no answers, but the committee would still grant a fair hearing by reconvening on July 10.
Senator Victor Umeh (Anambra Central) warned the NNPCL against undermining the Senate, saying, “If they fail to appear again, Nigerians will know the Senate is not a toothless bulldog.”
Last week, the Senate panel grilled Segun and other top executives over what they described as “mind-boggling” irregularities in NNPCL’s financial statements.
The Senate flagged ?103 trillion in accrued expenses, including ?600 billion in retention fees, legal, and auditing costs—without supporting documentation.
Also questioned was another ?103 trillion listed under receivables. Just before the hearing, NNPCL submitted a revised report contradicting the previously published figures, raising more concerns.
The committee has demanded detailed answers to 11 specific queries and warned that failure to comply could trigger legislative consequences.
The National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies (NANTA) said over 17 million Nigerians travelled out between 2023 and 2024.
This is as the association announced that it would be organising a maiden edition of Eastern Travel Market 2025 in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital from 27th to 30th August, 2025.
Vice Chairman of NANTA, Eastern Zone, Hope Ehiogie, disclosed this during a news briefing in Port Harcourt.
Ehiogie explained that the event aims to bring together over 1,000 travel professionals to discuss the future of the industry in the nation and give visibility to airlines, hospitality firms, hospitals and institutions in the South-South and South-East, tagged Eastern Zone.
He stated that the 17 million number marks a significant increase in overseas travel and tours.
According to him, “Nigerian travel industry has seen significant growth, with 17 million people traveling out of the country in 2023”.
Ehiogie further said the potential of tourism and travel would bring in over $12 million into the nation’s economy by 2026, saying it would be a major spike in the sector, as 2024 recorded about $4 million.
“The potential of tourism and travel is that it can generate about $12 million for the nation’s economy by 2026. Last year it was $4 million.
“In the area of travels, over 17 million Nigerians traveled out of the country two years ago for different purposes. This included, health, religious purposes, visit, education and others,” Ehiogie said.
While highlighting the potential of Nigeria’s tourism, he said the hospitality industry in Nigeria has come of age, saying it is now second to none.
The Vice Chairman of NANTA, Eastern Zone further said, “We are not creating an enabling environment for business to thrive. We need to support the industry and provide the necessary infrastructure for growth.”
He said the country has a lot of tourism potential, especially as the government is now showing interest in and supporting the sector.
Ehiogie emphasized that NANTA has been working to support the industry with initiatives such as training schools and platforms for airlines and hotels to sell their products.
He added, “We now have about four to five training schools in the region, and within two years, the first set of students will graduate. We are helping airlines sell tickets and hotels sell their rooms.”
Also speaking, former Chairman of the Board of Trustees of NANTA, Stephen Isokariari of Dial Travels, called for more support from the industry.
Isokariari stated, “We need to work together to grow the industry and contribute to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product.
“With the right support and infrastructure, the Nigerian travel industry has the potential to make a significant contribution to the nation’s economy.”