News
Reps In Rowdy Session Over Tinubu’s Tax Reform Bills
It was a rowdy session in the House of Representatives plenary, yesterday, following the declaration of support for President Bola Tinubu’s tax reform bills by the spokesman of the Green Chamber, Mr Akin Rotimi.
Rotimi, a member of the All Progressives Congress, incurred the wrath of his colleagues when he stood up to present two reports on behalf of the Chairman, Committee on Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring, Boma Goodhead, who was absent at yesterday’s plenary.
The Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, who presided over the plenary, recognised Rotimi as conducting the brief exercise.
Rotimi chose to inform his colleagues about the stand of Ekiti federal lawmakers on the controversial four tax bills transmitted to the parliament on September 3, 2024.
He said, “Mr Speaker, I am from Ekiti State, the first state whose National Assembly caucus has unanimously endorsed the tax bills.”
Members present at plenary did not allow him to complete his sentence as shouts of “No, no thereafter”, rented the air.
Repeated appeals by the speaker to restore order failed, as members vowed that the report would not be laid.
The Speaker waded in, saying “He is expressing his personal opinion”, just as the Ekiti lawmaker reminded his colleagues that he had the protection of the presiding officer.
Abbas’ remark that “He (Rotimi) was just talking on a lighter note. Let’s not take it seriously,” failed to calm frayed nerves.
Rotimi continued, “My introduction does not affect the substantive matter,” just as the speaker urged him to be restricted “to the person you are representing here. We are not talking about tax bills.”
With barely any way out for him, Rotimi said, “Hon colleagues, I withdraw the introduction. Mr Speaker, I withdraw the introduction. I will introduce myself properly. Mr Speaker, can I have the opportunity to speak?”
Abbas thereafter took over, saying “Mr Rotimi, you know this (tax bill) is a controversial issue. I don’t want you to be mentioning things that are not relevant to the subject matter. On your behalf, I withdraw that statement that you have made.”
With a semblance of order in place, Rotimi again stood up, saying, “Hon, colleagues, I would like to withdraw that introduction and restrict myself to the Order Paper.”
He later introduced himself without a word on the tax bills and laid a background of the report he was to present on behalf of Goodhead.
That said, the speaker asked for a seconder only for members to revert to the shouting mode, forcing the Speaker to again call for caution.
“I beg you. This has nothing to do with the tax bills,” Abbas pleaded repeatedly, all to no avail.
With all options exhausted, Rotimi took to the floor once again.
“I seek the leave of the Speaker and Hon members to step down the report,” he said.
Like Rotimi, the deputy spokesman of the House of Representatives, Philip Agbese also had his dose of trouble when Kano lawmaker, Tijjani Ghali, standing on a matter of personal explanation (Order 6 rule 5), called on the former to resign from his position.
He said, “I woke up this morning to see an online publication from the deputy spokesman, saying that those opposed to tax reform bills are seeking speedy passage. I am one of the first persons that opposed these bills vehemently but the deputy spokesperson did not contact me as a stakeholder and did not seek my opinion on this.
“The heading is insinuating that for those who opposed these tax bills, there is an inducement somewhere. Therefore, I am calling for the withdrawal of this statement and an investigation and apology in print media because this is injurious to me, my people, my religion and the region where I come from.
“Mr Speaker, this is a breach of privilege and is unprofessional, unethical and immoral. Therefore, I am personally calling (chorus, we are calling) for this matter to be investigated to find out those people opposed to the bills that are now asking for their speedy passage.”
The member representing Jibia/Kaita Federal Constituency, Katsina State, Sada Soli, moved that the matter be referred to the Ethics and Privileges Committee for investigation.
Ruling on the matter, Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, promised action, stating “Once a point of privilege is moved, it is not debated. You have asked for this to be investigated. But you did not tell whether to move it to ethics and privileges and that is why Sada Soli came with his own. It is not in your prayer. There are many ways to investigate this.”
News
Ibas Inaugurates RSIEC, Service Commissions, Healthcare Board In Rivers …Charges Appointees To Embrace Principles Of Service
The Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral (Rtd) Ibok-Ete Ibas, has charged newly appointed Board members to uphold the highest standards of discipline, competence, integrity, and unwavering dedication in their service to the State.
He emphasized that such commitment is critical to stabilizing governance, restoring democratic institutions, and advancing the principles of good governance in the State.
This was contained in a statement by the Administrator’s Senior Special Adviser on Media, Hector Igbikiowubo on Monday.
Ibas issued the charge on Monday while inaugurating the reconstituted Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), Rivers State Civil Service Commission, Rivers State Local Government Service Commission, and the Rivers State Primary Health Care Management Board at Government House, Port Harcourt.
The Administrator urged the new appointees to embrace their roles with diligence, patriotism, and a commitment to transforming Rivers State through excellent service.
Addressing the Chairman and members of RSIEC, Ibas underscored their pivotal role in ensuring credible local government elections that reflect the will of the people.
“Your task is clear but demanding: to conduct free, fair, transparent, and credible elections at the grassroots level. You must resist bias, favoritism, and external interference while restoring public confidence in the electoral process,” he stated.
“The independence of your actions is crucial to sustaining peace, stability, and grassroots governance. I urge you to act with fairness, impartiality, and professionalism—even in the face of difficult choices,” Ibas added.
The Sole Administrator also charged the Rivers State Civil Service Commission on the need to eliminate mediocrity and foster a culture of excellence through merit-based recruitment, training, and promotions.
“The civil service must transition from favoritism to competence, integrity, and accountability. Your commission will lead reforms, including digital transformation and standardized practices across ministries, departments, and agencies,” he said.
He disclosed that extensive training programmes are underway, with a committee set up to overhaul the public service framework for greater efficiency.
Meanwhile, Ibas urged the Rivers State Local Government Service Commission to ensure professionalism and discipline in local government administration.
“As the closest tier of government to the people, you must drive reforms that insulate the system from politics and mediocrity. Your mandate includes merit-based recruitment, training, and enforcing standards for effective service delivery,” he stated.
In the same vein, the Administrator charged the Rivers State Primary Health Care Management Board with revitalizing healthcare delivery across the state’s 23 local government areas.
“Primary healthcare is the foundation of a sustainable health system. Your board must ensure facilities are adequately staffed, equipped, and operational focusing on maternal health, immunization, malaria control, and community health services,” he said.
He emphasized data-driven operations, incentives for rural health workers, and restoring the referral system to improve healthcare access.
He also assured the Board of sustained government support, including funding, for the effective discharge of their mandates but warned that board members would be held accountable for their performance.
The newly inaugurated members include: RSIEC: Dr. Michael Ekpai Odey (Chairman) with Prof. Arthur Nwafor, Prof. Joyce Akaninwor, and others as members.
Civil Service Commission: Dr. Livinus Bariki (Chairman), Amb. Lot Egopija, Mrs. Maeve Bestman, and others.
Local Govt. Service Commission: Mr. Isreal Amadi (Chairman), Rear Adm. Emmanuel Ofik (Rtd), Dr. Tonye Pepple, and others.
Primary Health Care Board: Dr. Dawari George (Chairman), Dr. Chituru Adiele (Executive Director), Prof. Kaladada Korubo, and representatives from key ministries.
The Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State, Dr. Kenneth Yowika, has debunked claims that the party has commenced sale of forms for chairmanship and councillorship elections across the 23 local government areas of the state.
Yowika made the rebuttal in a statement made available to newsmen on Wednesday, describing the publication on the social media as baseless and untrue.
He urged members of the PDP to disregard the claim, saying that official communication regarding the sale of forms would be disclosed through the appropriate channels.
“With reference to information trending on social media, it has been falsely claimed that the sale of forms for Chairmanship and Councillorship elections in the 23 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Rivers State will begin soon.
“However, the party has firmly denied these rumours, stating that they are baseless and untrue.
“The party has its own established methods of reaching out to its numerous supporters.
“The People’s Democratic Party, a law-abiding organisation, will patiently await the release of guidelines from the recently inaugurated Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) before considering any sale of election forms.
“The PDP is urging its members to remain calm as official communication regarding the sale of forms will be disclosed through appropriate channels,” the statement read.
Enoch Epelle
Prof. Pius Olanrewaju, President of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), has stated that the South-South region contributes N34 trillion to country’s economy in 2024.
He made the remark at the South-South Zonal Banking and Finance Conference in Calabar, yesterday.
He spoke on the theme, ‘’Building An Inclusive South-South: Economic Diversification as a Catalyst For Development.’’
Olanrewaju, who quoted the data from the Cable Data Index, said the feat was more than 21 per cent of Nigeria’s real Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The president described the growth as ‘’ impressive,’’ saying that it was not driven by oil alone but significant expansions in trade, services, and the creative industries.
According to him, to fully harness this potential, coordinated financial, technological, and policy support is essential.
“As we work to reposition the South-South for broad-based prosperity, the financial system must play a central role, not merely as a source of capital, but as a catalyst for innovation, ideas incubation, and inclusive economic growth.
“This conference, therefore, provides a strategic opportunity for stakeholders to reimagine the South-South economy, not merely as a resource belt, but as a region of diverse capabilities and resilient enterprises.”
Olanrewaju added that Nigeria must move beyond old models and chart a new course for the development of the South-South region, where financial institutions and stakeholder collaborate to diversify the economy for shared prosperity.
He, however, commended Gov. Bassey Otu for his pledge of land for CIBN Secretariat in Cross River and being the first sitting governor to willingly undergo and complete the Chartered Bankers Programme.
On his part, Gov. Otu said that the conference discussion on the economic diversification in South-South region was timely against the backdrop of global trade and economic volatility that was affecting the nation’s economy.
Represented by his deputy, Mr Peter Odey, Otu said the South-South region must now act with urgency to diversify its economy while leveraging its shared natural endowment in agriculture and extractive resources.
“This conference must help develop tailored financial solutions that reflect the unique strengths and realities of states like Cross River in the south-south.
“Diversification should be evidence-based and must be backed not just by financial advice but project focused financing and real investment support,” he noted.
He said that Cross River had taken the bold step to invest in its agricultural sector by launching an Agro processing hub.
Otu further said that the state had invested in aviation by acquiring more aircrafts for Cally Air, construction of the Bakassi Deep Seaport and injecting N18 billion in its tourism sector.
Similarly, Mr Tolefe Jibunoh, Cross River Branch Controller of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said that the region was blessed with natural resources, cultural diversities and immense human potentials.
Jibunoh, who was represented by Mr Segun Shittu, Head, Currency Control Office, CBN, Calabar, noted that strategic diversification could unlock unprecedented opportunities for growth in the region.
He added that the CBN remained steadfast to maintain monetary possibilities and promote a sound financial system as a catalyst for sustainable economic development for the benefit of all.
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