Television Nigerian

Vice President Kashim Shettima has reaffirmed the administration of President Bola Tinubu’s dedication to reducing poverty in order to revitalise the economy.

During the opening of the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria’s (SMEDAN) corporate offices in Abuja on Wednesday, the Vice President made this declaration.

In order to revive the economy, he claims that the Tinubu administration is deliberately concentrating on economic growth, capital accessibility, job creation, and the eradication of poverty.

Shettima declared that the federal government would never waver in its resolve to defend the nation’s industries while operating under President Tinubu’s direction.

In addition to serving as a society’s cornerstone, businesses also serve as a window into the direction and rate of change in government policy, according to the vice president.

Permit me to underline how important this time is: there has never been a better opportunity to strengthen Nigerian business protection than it is right now. These businesses not only serve as the cornerstone of our society, but they also serve as a reflection of the speed and direction at which government is moving.

“This occasion confirms President Bola Tinubu’s pledge to safeguard our businesses. It strikes a deep chord with our aim for economic revitalization. Our plan to stimulate the economy is based mostly on his emphasis on job creation, capital accessibility, economic growth, and the eradication of poverty. Tough decisions are inevitably required along this journey, but they are necessary for our success, he stated.

According to the Federal Capital Territory Internal Revenue Service, it brought in almost N203 billion in 2023, a 63% rise over the N124 billion it brought in the previous year.

The FCT-IRS’s acting chairman, Haruna Abdullahi, made the announcement on Wednesday at a press conference in Abuja. He also mentioned the service’s goal of generating roughly N250 billion by 2024.

The Service produced N98.5 billion in seven months between January and July 2023, according to a previous report, compared to N65.7 billion in the same period in 2022.

With the backing of FCTA employees, the National Assembly, and other important stakeholders, Abdullahi stated that the revenue tax collection of the Federal Capital Territory had increased from a meagre N46 billion in 2017 to a staggering N124 billion in 2022—a 270% increase. The service expressed optimism that it could generate N250 billion.

In 2022, the FCT-IRS’s Tax Revenue Collection exceeded N124 billion, a rise of almost 270% from just N46 billion in 2017.” Right now, I would want to let the public know that as of December 19, 2023, the FCT-IRS has generated N203,147,090,410.5 in income for the year 2023—beyond the N200 billion threshold for the first time since its founding in 2015. This is a significant achievement for the service and an approximate 63.34% rise in collection over the previous year.

The FCT-IRS has set a target of N250 billion (two hundred and fifty billion naira) for the year 2024. With the help of the service’s devoted and committed staff, the National Assembly, the FCT Administration, and other important stakeholders, including our esteemed taxpayers, we are confident that we will surpass this goal. The task at hand is manageable.

According to the acting chairman, in 2015 there were 543,969 individuals and 284,746 non-individuals in the FCT; by 2023, however, there were 1,108,162 individuals and 389,981 non-individuals.

The FCT-IRS, he continued, would start enforcing Section 31 of the FCT IRS Act 2015 and Section 85 of the Personal Income Tax Act, 2011 (as amended), which mandated that Tax Compliance Certificates be demanded and verified by commercial banks, other corporate bodies, departments, and agencies before any services could be rendered in the FCT.

“As part of its efforts to ensure compliance with return filing, the Service will impose penalties for failure to file annual returns by the 31st of January for employers and the 31st of March for individuals, in accordance with tax legislation. There will be an increased emphasis on a thorough reevaluation of returns, along with ongoing compliance checks and monitoring.

For the avoidance of dispute, the Chairman of the Service may, by virtue of Section 32 of the FCT-IRS Act, 2015, grant any Officer of the Service unrestricted access to the assets and documents of taxpayers in order to ensure that the laws are followed. In addition to using legal means to pursue tax offenders, the Service would make sure that all taxes owed to FCT are collected, the speaker declared.

A village near the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja is to be demolished, per an order from Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Wike gave the Director of the Department of Development Control instructions to make sure the presidential fleet plot takes precedence over the Nuwalege community.

The Nigerian Air Force, which plans to use the region for the Presidential Fleet Project, requested that he issue this order.

During a Tuesday community and citizen interaction, Wike spoke through Director Mukhtar Galadima.

This village is part of the presidential fleet plots, thus the Nigerian Air Force authority wrote to the honourable minister about their demands and wish to have it removed about a month ago.

As a result, the minister wisely asked that the FCT administration take care of it as it is their obligation.

The Department of Development Control was approached by the Nigerian Air Force over their requests, he stated.

At Lagos Road Stead, the motor tanker UOG Constantine had 14 stowaways on board, according to the Nigerian Navy Ship Beecroft.

This was revealed in a statement on Tuesday that was signed by Sub-Lieutenant H. A. Collins, the base information officer at NNS Beecroft, and Commodore Kolawole Oguntuga, the commander of the maritime component of Operation Awatse.

Osas Nusakare, Victor Egoma, Stephen Mmuta, Ibrahim Hassan, Ebuka Onura, Okonkwo Gift, and Okechi Chika are among the suspects.

The others are Oluwatosin Sunday, Godspower Moses, Ayefuwe Collins, Alfred Ese, Abubakar Ibrahim, Godbless Emmanuel, and Aki Opeoluwa.

The stowaways were apprehended on December 15, 2023, according to Oguntuga’s statement.

He also mentioned that a month prior, two of them had been arrested for a comparable conduct.

“The Nigerian Navy Ship Beecroft’s patrol team successfully intercepted and extracted 14 stowaways from a motor tanker to UOG Constantine at Lagos Road Stead on Friday, December 15, 2023, in a proactive and resolute demonstration to sustain maritime security,” the statement reads.

“Intelligence from the Falcon Eye Alignment, a Maritime Domain Awareness Facility, prompted the prompt action.” Combat troops climbed aboard the ship quickly and found activity in the rudder compartment.

The fact that two of the stowaways who were caught had been arrested for a related crime just one month prior highlights how persistent these kinds of illegal activity are.

“The Nigerian Navy’s dedication to maritime safety is highlighted by the patrol team’s courageous efforts, which prevented the people imprisoned in the vessel’s compartment from facing a life-threatening situation,”

Additionally, Oguntuga revealed that the stowaways had been turned over to the Nigeria Immigration Service for all appropriate procedures.

The detained stowaways were quickly turned over to the Nigeria Immigration Service in accordance with established procedures so that they may take any additional required action.

“The incident highlights the Nigerian Navy’s steadfast dedication to its constitutional role, under the direction of Vice Admiral EI Ogalla, the Chief of the Naval Staff, bolstering the commitment to establishing a secure maritime environment for the country’s economic prosperity,” he continued.