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Mainagate: NANS Gives Buhari Seven Days To Sack Officials …I Will Open Can Of Worms Against Cabal – Maina
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has called for the immediate suspension of those suspected of complicity in reinstating the former Chairman of the Presidential Task Team on Pension Reforms, Abdulrasheed Maina, back to the civil service.
In a statement, yesterday in Abuja, NANS’s President, Chinonso Obasi said that such action would ensure a credible probe of all alleged parties in the scandal.
Maina had been a suspect over allegations of misappropriating N100billion in the administration of the pension funds while he presided over the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms.
According to Obasi, revelations emanating from government circles particularly in respect to breaches of service rules, insubordination, allegations and counter allegations are embarrassing.
He said that President Muhammadu Buhari was elected to clear Nigeria of corruption and impunity; hence a case of such magnitude should be taken seriously.
“Just recently, a mind boggling revelation was made of how Maina was smuggled back to the civil service after almost five years of abscondment.
“The elevation of Maina from deputy director to a director at the Interior Ministry with evidence of official exchange of correspondence amongst many government officials is nothing but an attempt to ridicule the public image and psyche of Nigerians and the civil service system.
“As advocates of sane and corrupt free Nigeria, we make bold to ask President Muhammadu Buhari to swiftly suspend all heads of commission, extra ministerial departments and ministries involved in this sour saga.’’
The NANS president said it had become imperative for Buhari to rid his administration of those who were making mockery of his commitment to fight corruption.
He said the police and the anti-graft agencies should do all they could to bring Maina to answer to the allegations and to shed light on how and why he returned to the civil service he absconded from over four years ago.
“We insist that same measures taken by the Presidency in the cases involving the suspended secretary to the government of the federation and the director-general of the National Intelligence Agency be meted out to everyone involved in the Mainagate.
“This case should be diligently probed and prosecuted and the report should not be swept under the carpet.
“To this end, we hereby issue a 7-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to act and do so with highest sense of sincerity regardless of those involved and their closeness to the corridor of power,’’ he said.
Obasi said that if no action was taken at the expiration of the ultimatum, Nigerian students would be left with no option than to organise a nationwide mass action.
Meanwhile, the former Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Pension Reforms, Abdulrasheed Maina, threatened yesterday to open a can of worms and implicate what he called a cabal in the government of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Disclosing Maina’s position in a statement, his family said that he was invited to join the Buhari government.
“It is on record that Abdulrasheed Maina ‘s reform put a stop to fraudulent withdrawal of huge sums from both the Nigerian Pension Board and the Nigerian Police Pension Board. Perhaps it is his noble effort that made him enviable to the present administration when they came into power to convince him to come back and assist in its change agenda,” the family said.
Maina was sacked in 2013 for his involvement in a N100 billion pension scam. He later turned down summonses from authorities before fleeing the country.
But Maina reappeared in the country as a deputy director in the Ministry of Interior.
Following public outcry, Buhari recently ordered Maina’s sacking and probe into how he returned into the country and was posted to the ministry.
But yesterday, the family of Maina came to his defence, saying he was in possession of facts capable of exposing the cabal after him.
In a statement by a member of the family, Aliyu Maina, he stated that Maina was not a fraudster, but a messiah who brought remarkable reforms into the Nigerian pension scheme, as the reform under him averted fraudulent withdrawal and syphoning of pension funds.
The statement reads: “You must have noticed the recent attempt by some cabal to ridicule and tarnish the image of the Maina family in both social, electronic and print media . where our brother, father and uncle have been blackmailed as a fraudster. The cabal has gone to the extent of marking our house in red paints with an inscription of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
“The entire family of Abdullahi Maina hereby categorically states that our son is not in any way a fraudster, rather he is a messiah whose effort saw the disappearance of pensioners roaming the streets of F.C.T and other state capitals.
“We are aware that all this act of calumny is not targeted against Abdulrasheed Maina but the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Office of the Attorney General.”
The family said it had contacted its solicitors and instructed them to act. “We equally know that Abdulrasheed Maina is in possession of so many facts that is against the cabal and interesting to the Nigeria populace, which he will disclose soonest. One must ask whether it is an offence for somebody to serve his father’s land faithfully,” the statement concluded.
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.”