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Ugwuanyi Tasks MDAs On Revenue Generation

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Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in Enugu State have been enjoined to  raise their performance bar and re-strategise on meeting their revenue targets as contained in the approved 2022 budget of the state.
The State Governor, Hon. IfeanyiUgwuanyi who made the call in his speech while declaring open a one day Summit on “Achieving Enugu State Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) target for 2022 Fiscal year,” held at the Base Event Centre, Enugu, yesterday  also canvassed the establishment of an annual revenue index of every MDA in the state.
Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Simon UchennaOrtuanya, Gov. Ugwuanyi stressed the importance of the Summit to identify the challenges faced by poorly performing MDAs and deliberate on ways to improve on their activities with a view to meeting the 2022 revenue target for funding of the budget.
While stressing the state government’s determination towards growing its IGR to create a socio-economic system not so dependent on federal allocation, Gov. Ugwuanyi disclosed that his administration has grown the state’s IGR by 50 percent without any increased tax burden on the people or businesses operating in the state.
His words: “Furthermore, a 2019 Report showed Enugu State as 3rd in the Federation after Lagos and River states in terms of fiscal sustainability. Also, a report by Ernst and Young, a globally acclaimed auditing firm, rated Enugu State first in the Federation on grounds of fiscal discipline, prudence and accountability”, he added.
The governor therefore commended the Chairman of Enugu State Internal Revenue Service (ESIRS), Prince EmekaOdo, and his team for the timely Summit, expressing confidence that, at the end of the strategic event, the challenges faced by major revenue generating MDAs will be analyzed and solutions proffered to enhance revenue generation for delivery of more democratic dividends to the people of the state.
In his welcome address, the Chairman of ESIRS, Prince Odo explained that the Summit was organized by the agency in collaboration with Enugu State Economic Planning Commission to review the performance of the MDAs in the past three years, inform each revenue generating MDA of its revenue target for 2022, and formulate and agree on strategies for achieving the targets as well as harmonize their revenue heads.
Prince Odo who applauded Gov. Ugwuanyi for the impressive performance of ESIRS last year, revealed that the agency collected a total IGR of N26,700,000.00 as against a target of N29,000,000.00 as contribution of IGR to the funding of the 2021 budget, representing a 92 percent budget performance and a 13 percent improvement over that of the 2020 fiscal year.
According to the Chairman, “This performance is commendable and all of us in this room have every reason to be proud of this achievement.

By: Canice Amadi, Enugu

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Nasarawa Varsity Student Commits Suicide

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A 23-year-old student of Nasarawa State University identified as Jatau Rilokwah, has been reportedly found dead in the university’s senior staff quarters.
A counter-insurgency expert, focused on the Lake Chad region, Zagazola Makama, disclosed this on his X handle on Tuesday.
According to him, the discovery was made on April 27, 2025, by a security officer at the university, Emmanuel Gyawo.
He stated that Gwayo was directed by Prof. Shedrack Jatau to check on his son upon arriving at the residence, and he found Rilokwah hanging from the ceiling.
“Professor Jatau, who was reportedly out of the State at the time, was informed of the incident. A team of police detectives, led by the Divisional Crime Officer of Angwan Lambu, was dispatched to the scene.
“The body showed no signs of violence, and no suicide note was found. Rilokwah was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre in Keffi, where he was confirmed dead by a medical doctor,” he further stated.
He added that the student’s corpse had been deposited in the hospital morgue.
He also quoted police sources as saying that investigations were ongoing to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.

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Ogun, Nike Art Gallery Set To Transform Olumo Rock

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The Ogun State Government has partnered with Nike Art Gallery to establish a new exhibition space at the Olumo Rock Tourist Centre in Abeokuta, a move Governor Dapo Abiodun says is aimed at boosting annual tourist visits from 20,000 to over 100,000.
Abiodun disclosed the plan on Wednesday while receiving the founder of the Nike Art Gallery, Chief (Mrs) Nike Davies-Okundaye, at his office in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
“I went to Olumo Rock about a month ago and I decided that we needed to do something about restoring Olumo Rock to its old glory. From statistics, Olumo Rock hosts about 20,000 people a year in its current state, and I felt that we could increase that to at least ten times,” the governor said.
As part of the plan, an events hall within the tourist centre will be repurposed as a permanent gallery operated by Nike Art Gallery.
“I told them to shut it down. Practically, we want to bring it down and turn it into a gallery for you to use as an exhibition gallery,” he told Davies-Okundaye.
He added that the gallery will be ready before the National Sports Festival in May, when the State will host about 15,000 visitors.
“I want them to be able to see our tourist sites,” he said, listing attractions such as the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, the Ransome-Kuti family home, and the Adire market among key heritage spots to be showcased.
Highlighting Ogun’s improved infrastructure, the governor said, “Now that we’ve succeeded in having the intra and inter-state roads in place, you can come to Ogun State by rail; you can come by air. We’ve constructed one of the best airports in Nigeria, and very soon, you will be able to come by sea.”
Davies-Okundaye, in her remarks, praised the state’s efforts to promote tourism and pledged to use the new gallery to attract global attention.
“This gallery will bring many Heads of State. The one I opened in Abuja already has more than 10 Heads of State, including those from South Korea and the Czech Republic. The same will happen here,” she said.
She also applauded the Governor for his commitment to the Adire fabric industry.
“Adire is all over Nigeria, but Ogun has been promoting Adire for over 50 years. Today, the only cloth we can call our own is called Adire. This is what we can sell to the Europeans,” she said.
Abiodun reaffirmed his administration’s backing of the Adire industry, citing policies such as the Adire Ogun Digital Marketplace, compulsory wearing of Adire in the state, and provision of solar-powered production equipment to support artisans.
He also revealed plans to open a creative arts and entertainment village in partnership with Bolanle Austen-Peters, expected to be completed within two months.

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CBEX Resumes Operations Despite SEC Ban, N1.2trn EFCC Probe

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Despite the alleged N1.2 trillion digital trading fraud that reportedly affected over 600,000 Nigerians, the embattled Crypto Bridge Exchange trading platform, accused of these acts, has resumed operations, announcing fresh withdrawal options in a move to restore investor confidence.
Two traders on the CBEX platform confirmed to The Tide’s source that the digital trading firm has quietly resumed operations, allowing new users to register, trade, and withdraw profits, despite ongoing investigations by regulatory agencies.
According to the sources, an insurance verification process and an external audit of the company’s financial records are currently underway to ascertain the actual amount lost in the scheme, which collapsed in April.
They added that existing investors, many of whom have been unable to access their funds for weeks, will be able to take out their funds starting from June 25, 2025, when the audit is expected to be concluded by an insurance firm based in the United Kingdom.
This development comes barely weeks after the Securities and Exchange Commission declared the platform illegal, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission confirmed an ongoing investigation into the firm’s operations.
CBEX, a digital investment platform, offered investors 100 per cent profit after 30 days of purported AI trading. The trading platform started operations in 2024 after receiving registration approval from the Corporate Affairs Commission on September 25, 2024, and the EFCC’s Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering on January 16, 2025.
No fewer than 600,000 Nigerians reportedly invested in the scheme and lost N1.2tn after it collapsed on April 14, 2025.
Miffed by the development, the EFCC declared eight persons wanted for promoting the programme. They include Johnson Oteno, Israel Mbaluka, Joseph Michiro, Serah Michiro, Adefowora Olanipekun, Adefowora Oluwanisola, Emmanuel Uko, and Seyi Oloyede.

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