Nigerian champions Rangers will host their CAF Champions League home matches at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo.
The Flying Antelopes, chose the “Nest of Champions” after failing to secure CAF approval for their usual venue, Nnamdi Azikwe Stadium in Enugu, which was deemed unsuitable for international matches.
Rangers, led by coach Fidelis Ilechukwu, will face Union Sportive Zilimadjou from Comoros in the first preliminary round of the competition, scheduled for August 2024.
Read Also: Finidi to beef up Enyimba squad ahead of Champions League football
Meanwhile, Remo Stars, Nigeria’s other representatives in the CAF Champions League, will play their home games at the Remo Stars International Stadium in Ikenne, which has been approved by CAF.
Remo will compete against Morocco’s AS FAR in the first preliminary round.
In the CAF Confederation Cup, Enyimba has received approval to use the Enyimba International Stadium in Aba for their home games.
El-Kanemi Warriors will host their matches at the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja.
The post Enugu Rangers to play Champions League games in Uyo appeared first on Latest Nigeria News | Top Stories from TVN.
Enugu Rangers to play Champions League games in Uyo
South East lost a gem – Doguwa mourns Senator Ifeanyi Ubah
The chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream), Alhassan Ado Doguwa, has mourned Senator Ifeanyi Ubah (APC, Anambra South), who passed away this morning in the United Kingdom.
Ubah, a business tycoon, football administrator-turned-politician, died at 53 on Saturday.
Doguwa, who represents the Doguwa-Tudun Wada federal constituency of Kano State, said the Chief Executive Officer of Capital Oil was a patriotic Nigerian who promoted unity, progress and the development of the country throughout his lifetime.
In a statement he signed and issued in Abuja, the leader of the Northern Caucus of the House of Representatives, said: “With profound sadness, I mourn the passing of Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, a visionary leader, astute businessman, and dedicated public servant. His untimely departure leaves a void in the hearts of his loved ones, colleagues, and the nation at large.
” As Chairman of the Senate Committee on Petroleum Downstream, Senator Ubah demonstrated unwavering commitment to Nigeria’s economic growth and development. His contributions to the petroleum sector and beyond will be deeply missed. As a businessman, he inspired countless entrepreneurs with his innovative spirit and resilience. His legacy will continue to inspire and motivate future generations. The people of the South East have lost a gem; Nigeria has lost a true leader, but his legacy will endure.”
South East lost a gem – Doguwa mourns Senator Ifeanyi Ubah
Three PDP lawmakers, supporters defect to APC in Kebbi
Three out of the four House of Assembly members elected under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party in Kebbi State have defected, along with their supporters, to the All Progressives Congress.
While announcing their defection during the APC flag-off campaign for the Local Government Elections at Koko Besse Local Government Area of the state on Saturday, the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Usman Yankwai said the three lawmakers decided to defect to the APC because of the able leadership and performance of Governor Nasir Idris.
He said the three opposition lawmakers are from the Argungu, Bunza, and Yauri constituencies.
“It’s a testimony to the decision of the assembly members to support Governor Idris’s mission and vision for the development and progress of Kebbi and its people,” the Speaker said.
While receiving the defectors and their supporters at the campaign rally, the state chairman of the APC, Alhaji Abubakar Kana Zuru, assured them of the party’s support and fairness.
He said Governor Idris’s decision to develop the state within a year was aimed at transforming the lives of the people of Kebbi State.
In his remarks, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning and former state governor, Atiku Bagudu, expressed happiness over the achievements so far recorded by the present administration under Governor Idris within the last year.
“The only thing we can do to repay him is to support the party’s policies and programmes,” he said.
Also, the former governor and Director General of the party’s campaign committee for the last governorship election in the state, Saidu Dakingari, urged the electorate to come out en masse and vote for the APC in the local government elections.
He also appreciated the efforts of the governor in delivering the dividends of democracy to the people of Kebbi State.
The former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, said he was excited about the developments that have been recorded in the state under the APC-led administration.
“Let us rally around and support him for the progress and development of our state and its people,” he said.
While delivering his speech at the campaign rally, Governor Idris thanked the party supporters and people of the state for the support they are giving his administration.
He said, “I’m overwhelmed by the huge crowd at this campaign rally. I want you to vote for the APC in the local government elections.
“I assure you of my administration’s commitment towards promoting the economic development of the state and unity of its people.”
Lagos govt revokes building permits, orders revalidation
The Lagos State government has revoked all existing building permits and ordered builders to reapply for validation to continue operation in the state.
The Special Adviser on e-GIS and Urban Development to the Governor, Dr. Olajide Babatunde, stated this during a visit to the site of the collapsed building in the Maryland area of the state on Saturday.
Babatunde was accompanied to the site by the General Manager, Lagos State Building Collapse Agency (LASBCA), Mr. Gbolahun Oki, and some members of the state executive council.
At least five people were killed when a building under construction collapsed at No. 13, Wilson Mba Street, Arowojobe Estate, Maryland, Lagos, on Thursday.
He said: “All commencement certifications in Lagos are revoked effective immediately. This applies to everyone with a construction site, including those in the “Big Five” category.
“Return to the LASBCA office to revalidate that document. If you decide not to go for the revalidation of that documentation, we are going to seal that site.’’
He expressed sorrow over the incident and stressed that such occurrences should not happen.
Babatunde, who acknowledged the government’s responsibility in preventing building collapse, blamed property owners and developers for negligence and for violating building regulations.
He stressed the importance of obtaining a Certificate of Completion or Fitness for Habitation before occupying a building.
He added that the government would prosecute anyone found violating the rule.
The governor’s aide noted that the government had strict regulations regarding building construction and occupancy.
The post Lagos govt revokes building permits, orders revalidation appeared first on Latest Nigeria News | Top Stories from TVN.
IED Explosion: We will not compromise security in Yobe – Gov Buni
Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State has said the government under his watch will not compromise peace and security across the state.
Buni gave this assurance while responding to the incident of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) planted at Buni Yadi on a market day, adding that the security operatives were on high alert and ontop of the situation.
This is according to a press statement signed by his Director General of Press and Media Affairs to the Governor, Mohammed Mamman.
The statement said there was a casualty of a young girl hawking water at the cattle market who stepped on the concealed IEDs and survived with an injury to her leg.
The Governor directed the State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, to evacuate the lone casualty to the State University Teaching Hospital for treatment.
According to him, the security operatives are carefully working on the details, including the suspects and their entry route.
Buni said there is huge progress in the ongoing investigation, urging the people to remain vigilant and report suspicious persons and movements in their areas.
“We will not relent; we will not allow anyone or group to reverse the progress made in the security of our state.
“Together, we will always win the battle of good over evil,” he said.
IED Explosion: We will not compromise security in Yobe – Gov Buni
S’Africa to expel 95 Libyans detained at military-style camp
South Africa said Saturday it would deport as soon as possible 95 Libyans arrested at a camp being investigated for running military-style training in violation of regulations.
The men were arrested on Friday in a raid at the remote camp in the northeastern province of Mpumalanga that borders Mozambique and Eswatini.
Police said the Libyans entered South Africa in April on visas issued for instruuction as security guards. However, police suspected they were receiving military training.
The Home Affairs department said the visas had been “irregularly acquired” in the Tunisian capital, Tunis, and based on “misrepresentation”. They had been cancelled and the men faced deportation.
“It’s clear to us that their being here is illegal…We would want them to be out if the country as soon as possible but we will follow due process,” national police minister Senzo Mchunu told reporters.
A sign leading to the facility outside of White River, about 360 kilometres (220 miles) east of Johannesburg, describes it as an academy offering “specialised security training”.
It was registered with the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSIRA) but appeared to have gone beyond the brief of training for security guards, Mchunu said.
“All indications are pointing to this being more of a military training facility than an ordinary security training centre,” he said.
“If you like, (it is) wholly military and less, or partially, security.”
Television footage of the camp showed military-style tents but the arrested men were in civilian clothes.
Weapons found at the camp were all legal, national police commissioner General Fannie Masemola told reporters.
However, questions had to be answered about training “which appears to be basically and fundamentally military,” Mchunu said.
– Large security industry –
South Africa has a huge private security industry that includes training.
There are more than 15,000 security firms employing about 2.8 million guards, providing armed response and training services, according to PSIRA.
Police have said the owner of the security company that runs the facility is a South African national. He was not under arrest Saturday but was under investigation, they said.
Most of the detained Libyans did not speak English and it was not immediately clear whether they were affiliated to any group.
Libya has struggled with years of unrest since the 2011 overthrow of longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi. It is split between a UN-recognised government in Tripoli and the rival administration backed by strongman Khalifa Haftar in the east.
Rival factions are known to have sought security training with private companies abroad to create elite military units, Jalel Harchaoui, an associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in Britain, told AFP.
He pointed to a recent The Irish Times report saying an Irish firm was paid to train Haftar’s forces.
The UN-recognised Libyan government said in a statement it “formally and clearly denies” any affiliation with the men in South Africa.
People living around the camp told AFP that the men had been in the area since around April.
“They would come and sell their clothes… they would come buy alcohol and try to talk to us,” said Ayanda Shabangu, 20.
The men were always in large groups and their presence had worried locals, said Muzi Bulunge.
“They would speak a language we don’t understand… out of 10, only one
would speak English,” he said. “We are scared because we didn’t know what they were here for.”
AFP.
Police arrest 5 for alleged involvement in sale of two-month-old baby
Police operatives in Lagos have arrested five persons, including a couple, over their alleged involvement in the sale of a two-month-old baby in the state.
The spokesman for the state police command, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the arrests in a statement on Saturday in Lagos.
Hundeyin said detectives from the Oko-oba Police Division arrested the suspects following a report from the mother of the baby boy.
He added that the mother of the child reported that one of the suspects absconded with her son to an unknown destination on July 11.
”Detectives swung into action, which led to the arrest of one Gloria, who during interrogation confessed to selling the baby for ₦500,000 to one Pastor Peter.
”Pastor Peter, who was subsequently arrested in Ikene Town, Ogun State, admitted to reselling the child for N1.4 million to one Loretta.
”Loretta was then arrested in Festac Town, Lagos. She confessed to selling the baby for N2.3 million.
“Further investigations led to the arrest of the final buyers of the baby, one couple simply identified as Mr. and Mrs. James, during the naming ceremony of the stolen child.
”All suspects will be arraigned in court after investigation,” the spokesman said.
The post Police arrest 5 for alleged involvement in sale of two-month-old baby appeared first on Latest Nigeria News | Top Stories from TVN.
He’s acting as devil’s advocate – Abalagha knocks Ibori for opposing LG autonomy
A Niger Delta leader, Chief Goodnews Abalagha, has criticised James Ibori for opposing the Supreme Court judgement granting financial autonomy to the 774 local government councils.
The former Delta State Governor stated that asking the federal government to pay local government allocations to their respective accounts “is utter madness”.
“The Supreme Court has dealt a severe setback to the principle of federalism as defined by Section 162(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended),” he stressed.
In an interview with TVN on Saturday, Abalagba declared support for the decision of the apex court, saying it was a good development, though overdue.
Abalagha, who chaired a meeting of Niger Delta elders this week in Bayelsa State, noted that direct crediting of funds to local government will fast-track development.
Speaking in an interview with TVN, he said: “Ibori, as it stands, is a statesman and statesmen should be seen to be so in utterance and in action.
“A lot of us from the Niger Delta, over the years, have been championing and agitating for the financial autonomy of the local government councils in the country.
“You and I know that what we have here, local government elections conducted by the state governors, are not a true representation of the people.
“One of the best ways to ensure that development is brought to the people at the grassroots is through the LGAs. But over the years, LGAs and state governments’ joint allocations have become a scam.
“Governors now use the LGAs as their ATMs. So we’re very delighted that our president, who was a governor himself, understood how these things work. So for a personality like Ibori to come out and start criticising what the entire people are rejoicing over, we’re taken aback by his outburst. And we’re beginning to imagine: What does Ibori stand to gain if the local government system continues to be strangulated? Ibori is not a careless talker. For him to speak against this landmark judgement, shows that there is more to it. So that’s why we’re alerting the public and also calling him, as an elder statesman, to support the popular opinion of Nigerians.”
He said further: “We do know that Atiku is his very good friend. He has so many friends in PDP and he’s a PDP man. So, whether he’s speaking as an opposition or has assumed the position of the opposition, we don’t know.
“We don’t really know his motivation factor to be the one now acting as the devil’s advocate being used by powerful northern interests to propagate the agenda and also see how they can demarket the Tinubu presidency for their own political interests.”
He’s acting as devil’s advocate – Abalagha knocks Ibori for opposing LG autonomy
Kalu seeks pardon for suspended Abia APC members
The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has called for the immediate lifting of the suspension placed on All Progressives Congress members in Abia State, stating that the party must come together for its good.
Kalu who represents Bende Federal Constituency made the plea at the party’s caucus/stakeholders’ meeting held in Umuahia, the Abia State capital on Saturday.
A statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Deputy Speaker, Levinus Nwabughiogu, noted that the meeting was attended by the party’s governorship candidate in 2023, Ikechi Emenike; the party’s State Chairman, Kingsley Ononogbu; former speaker of Abia State House of Assembly and federal commissioner representing South East in FCT Civil Service Commission, Martins Azubuike; former Minister of Labour and Productivity Emeka Wogu and the Speaker of Abia State House of Assembly, Chinedum Orji.
Kalu who moved the motion for the lifting of suspension slammed on some members and also emphasised the need to reintroduce monthly levies in the party.
He added that the financial commitment of members was needed to run the affairs of the party at all times.
The deputy speaker added that APC has achieved a lot.
He further disclosed that an appeal is ongoing to the President to release the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Mr Nnamdi Kalu.
He said, “Let’s embrace each other. In that kind of atmosphere, you achieve a lot. Many people are coming to the party. They can’t come in to meet a divided house.
“A house divided against itself cannot stand. Let’s strengthen our foundation, and respect the leadership of the party. No matter how familiar you might be with the executive, respect them.
“The law has put them in charge. Give honour to whom honour is due. I am encouraging you to be proud of our party. We are achieving a lot. Be bold!”
He also commended the ruling party for its imprints in the South East, saying, “APC broke the jinx of 54 years and gave us the South East Development Commission.
“It couldn’t fly in the 8th and 9th Assemblies but in this 10th assembly, I dusted and expanded it, lobbied and it passed.
“President Bola Tinubu graciously signed into law, thereby giving us what we couldn’t get from 54 years of civil war policy of Reconciliation, Reconstruction and Rehabilitation. It is huge and will give your children jobs and build roads.
“We are still appealing to Mr. President to release our brother, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to us and it’s still APC that will do that. So, be proud of APC.
“Please, open your hands. Don’t discriminate. Shun factions. Factions are old-fashioned. It doesn’t work. If you have tried a particular thing many times and it didn’t work, you have to change. I don’t do factions in APC”, he assured.
Windfall tax patriotic call on banks to contribute to national development – OAU don
A Professor of Economic History at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Adetunji Ogunyemi, speaks on the amendment of the Finance Act 2020 by the National Assembly to accommodate windfall levy on banks’ profits on foreign exchange transactions. The lawyer, public finance expert submits that the policy is perfectly in order, asking banks to see it as contribution to national development. Excerpts:
The windfall levy generated some debate in the polity with government justifying it as the right thing to do in order to strike a balance in the key sectors of the economy. How justified is this levy on banks’ foreign exchange gains?
Nigeria is currently in dire straits financially and generally speaking economically. It is within the power of the government of the Federation going by its stated exclusive jurisdiction in the First Schedule Part I of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to make such laws and to direct such policies and actions as to ensure peace, good order and good government in Nigeria. Therefore, if Nigeria is in dire straits and some Nigerians, whether persons or bodies or corporate organisations, that have been feeding fat on the system, especially when that feeding fat is not directly a function of their own productive energies, then it behoves the Federal Government to ensure a balancing of duties and responsibilities within the system such that a resource-deficient sector of the economy can benefit from the resource-surplus part through what is called economic stabilisation. So, to me, it is perfectly in order to amend the Finance Act 2020 in order to accommodate the collection of this one-off levy on the windfall that the banks in the financial system have benefited from on foreign exchange transactions in the last one year. To me, it is perfectly in order and it is part of the duties of the government to stabilise the economy and also redistribute wealth.
Part of the arguments of those kicking against the policy is that allowing the windfall levy on banks may create uncertainty about the future as government may come with another windfall tax in some other sectors. Is this fear justified?
A situation of paralysis needs a shock therapy to bring it to normalcy. In 1929 up to 1932, there were decisions made in the United States under Herbert Hoover to stabilise the economy by ensuring that government deliberately pumps into the economy huge expenditure financed under public-private partnership arrangement. Nigeria is in such a situation now as the United States was under Hoover. So, it is not out of place to request that that banks that have made unplanned, spontaneous, unpredicted, sudden income to donate to the system a portion of their profits. This levy is actually on their windfall which is not part of their projections in their respective budgets. So, there is nothing that is malicious about this levy. After all, the levy is not for the benefit of persons. It is for the benefit of the public and it is in order.
Naturally, the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) has risen in defence of the banks to say asking them to pay a windfall levy amounts to double taxation because banks have already paid Companies Income Tax. What do you make of this argument?
I disagree absolutely with such stance from CIBN. What of the progressive deductions that the banks have been making with respect to ATM withdrawals by both the depositors and the withdrawers? Banks charge N20 per transaction and at times N50. Many of these deductions are actually illegal and the CBN should have asked them to return the money to their customers.These deductions run into billions of naira. But it would seem that the CBN did not want to rock the boat and has allowed the banks to earn some income for their stabilisation so that when a request for re-capitalisation would come, they would have something to use for that purpose. So, the banks can’t approbate and reprobate at the same time. They can’t be placing unlimited charges on their customers and expect government not to come in with a decision to stabilise the system. The windfall levy is a patriotic call made on the banks to contribute to the system. The banks should not see it as a tax. After all, it is a one-off levy. At any rate, why are the banks trying to shy away from their responsibility of contributing to the system? Their wealth comes from the commonwealth of Nigeria. Is that not? If your wealth comes from the commonwealth of a country and that country is in dire straits and it calls upon you to pay a levy on profits arising from your unpredicted income, I don’t think that it is out of place for them to obey such call to help fatherland.
Are there special benefits from a windfall tax?
The benefits are many. One, insofar as the government will not pump the revenue arising from this windfall levy on banks into the general budget, then there is no problem. But if government puts the revenue into the general budget and uses it to fund recurrent expenditure, that is going to be unacceptable. However, if government pumps the money fromthe windfall tax specifically into certain projects, for example, the Sokoto-Badagry Highway, the coastal road, the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri railway, etc, it is going to be absolutely correct. It can also be used for industrial development through the Bank of Industry or specifically into some agricultural projects such as dam development and so on. These are the specific areas the money can be channelled into. But I would advise that the government uses the revenue to fund critical projects such as the Lagos-Calabar Coastal road, the Sokoto-Badagry Highway, Port Harcourt-Maiduguri rail line, expansion of the standard gauge from Ibadan to Abuja and then onward to Kaduna. These are the critical projects that will create a trickle-down effect on the economy to jumpstart it from its doldrums and provoke productive enterprises among business concerns.
The three tiers of government have been smiling to the banks every month on account of huge revenue collected by the FederaI Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) for the Federation. Shouldn’t focus shift to the other two tiers of government who have been getting more money since the removal of petrol subsidy by President Bola Tinubu?
That is what we call financial injustice in the system. Actually, many governors in Nigeria, maybe for political correctness, did not say much about the issue of workers conflicting with the Federal Government on the issue of minimum wage neither did they support the Federal Government to do at least some defence within the realm so that citizens will not be unnecessarily agitated and then begin disturbances. But the truth of the matter is that the respective governments of the states of the federation today are now earning at least 40 per cent more than what they were earning before. It behoves them to come forward to explain to Nigerians why some A, and B, C policies have been done in their favour by the Federal Government. For example, the removal of subsidy from petrol has helped states that were previously in debts like Osun State to begin to successfully and significantly exit those debts and be able to pay workers. But do they give the credit to the Federal Government? The answer is No. The states have been giving the credit to themselves as if they conjured up the fat allocations they are now getting. Whereas, we know it is directly as a result of the fact that the FAAC has been to get more money through removal of subsidy and the efficient revenue collection by FIRS. This is why the states have now been financially strong to do their capital projects. Some of these states are even doing a kind of subtle blackmail to give a dog a bad name in order to hang it. Otherwise, if your income has increased as a result of government policy, why can’t the states explain to their citizens and spend the money to make things better for the citizens in their respective states? They have put all the burden on the Federal Government. It is a shame.
Do you think the recent Supreme Court judgment which states that allocations should be paid directly into the accounts of local government areas will also help bring down tension and enhance development at the grassroots?
I support the Federal Government’s view, position and policy on this and for the Attorney General of the Federation to approach the Supreme Court for interpretation of the constitution and to make declarative orders. This is perfectly in order. This is actually how to govern a country. Do not forget that the local government councils in Nigeria are 768 and not 774. This is provided in Section 3 subsection 6 of the 1999 Constitution as amended. There six area councils in Abuja and if you add this number, you will get 774. But the area councils in Abuja are not local government councils. The Supreme Court ruled on this in 2002 in the Attorney General of the Federation versus Attorney General of Abia State and 35 others. But let us not go there. The truth of the matter is that the 768 local government councils in Nigeria will now directly benefit from their allocations pursuant to Section 162 of the Constitution. The Supreme Court judgment is just half of the battle won. The other half of the battle to be won is to ensure that election into local government councils is not conducted by State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs). There should be an amendment to the Electoral Act for that purpose so that the same election will be conducted by INEC in order that there will be a level-playing field. The SIECs are actually not independent of the governors who appoint their officers. But it is a good thing that local governments are now going to get their allocations directly from FAAC beginning from this month, that is July.
Quote “The windfall levy is a patriotic call made on the banks to contribute to the system. The banks should not see it as a tax. After all, it is a one-off levy.
Windfall tax patriotic call on banks to contribute to national development – OAU don