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FIRS Boss Reveals Multiple Revenue Collection Agencies Responsible For leakages

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By Gloria Ikibah
The Executive Chairman of Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Zach Adedeji, has said that the collection of revenue by over 60 government agencies is the major cause of leakage of funds.
Adedeji who disclosed this when he appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on Finance, chaired by Rep. for bugdet hearing, said this duty should solely be the responsibility of the Service to ensure greater accountability in the system.
He asserted that other revenue collection agencies of government should focus on their various core mandates; and further advocated for a single window method of tax collection to make the process less cumbersome and check the loss of government funds.
According to the FIRS boss, one of the challenges facing this was lack of verifiable data in the country.
He said a bill would be sent to the National Assembly to ensure all Nigerians have one single number of identification.
He said, “We are doing a lot of reforms including the single window because if you look at FIRS, what we collect mainly is company income tax. The problem we have is that we do not have verifiable data in the country. So one of the major things we are doing which hopefully in the next two weeks or one month maximum, a law would be sent to the House to change so that all Nigerians must have one single number of identification which by law today is NIN. The plan is to make sure everything we do as citizens is linked directly to this NIN. This would also help address issue of tax leakage.”
Adedeji said the Services was given a mandate to collect the sum of N10 trillion based on the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) that was passed in 2023 which was reviewed upward to N11 trillion during the year.
He noted that the Service was able to deliver N12.3 trillion as the revenue collected for the year 2023 which was 11 percent above the target set by government.
Adedeji said the performance was as a result of the internal reform that they embarked upon and the favourable economic policy decision by the President.
The FIRS Boss said the mandate of the Service for 2024 through the MTEF is to collect N19 trillion which is an additional N7 trillion compared to what was collected in 2023.
He said the bulk of it is coming from positive projection from oil and gas revenue.
He however said if this ambitious target of N19 trillion is to be met there is need to restructure the service to be more focused.
Adedeji said, “So instead of having types of taxes, what we do now is to categorise by the turn over which is customer focused. Now we have large tax if your turnover is above N5 billion. Between N1 and N5 billion is medium and anything less than N1 billion is a small tax payer.
“The reason for this is simple. We want to provide a one stop shop for tax payers. Where one can do all forms of taxes. This would reduce multiple audits and distraction to the businesses. It is our intention that 80 percent of core service job is done by the service.
“The tax to GDP is very low compared to our peers and that is why we have to come up with those reforms that Mr President has approved. One of it is the setting up of that tax reform committee. What we see is that in other climes, you have single revenue collecting agents. But here in Nigeria we have more than 62 agencies collecting one way or the other on behalf of Federal Government.
“And when you see people focussing on revenue instead of going to their area of strength, when everybody tries to collect, the leakage is all there. Two is the law that we have. Most of them are obsolete. For example the digital tax that we are talking about there is no law in Nigeria that empowers us to effectively tax all these digital businesses which we know is on the rise.
“Also our processes, Mr Presidnent approved that going forward we should pay our contractor’s directly instead of moving money to MDAs, most especially capital funding. What that would do is that we can deduct tax and also help us in cash management.
“We are also doing a lot of reforms including the single window. Because if you look at FIRS what we collect mainly is company income tax which is result of the difference between cost of sales and gross sales. But cost of sales if inflated means you would have less profits and less taxes.
“Today we don’t have anywhere to confirm the major cost of sales of all these companies because when they do the valuation sometimes, they do not have verifiable value to do that”, he noted.
Chairman, House Committee on Finance,, Rep. James Faleke, queried if the proposed single window revenue would mean whether Customs, NIMASA, NPA and all the major revenue collectors would be subject to the FIRS or the Service would be collecting revenue on their behalf.
In response, Adedeji said these agencies should rather concentrate on their individual primary mandates and leave the revenue collection to the FIRS.
He said, “This is the way. If you look at the basis of collection like you mentioned, I use NIMASA as example, the basis of collection for NIMASA is 3 percern of FOB. That has nothing to do with Marine. FOB, if you have the single window, you know the total number of vessels coming into the country and going out and the fee is just 3 percent, so what does NIMASA need to do about that.
“What we are saying is that these agencies were set up to do core duties. When you talk about Customs, they are border and trade facilitation. Revenue is not core mandate of Customs. Customs is about border and trade facilitation. So when you have single window, all what you say Customs collects because the real principle of single window is that everything coming to the country is in advance notified, so you know the number of containers coming, the volume, what is there and you know the amount and they pay you once.
“When you do that, the Customs collecting this and that or the NPA collecting also, this would go. When we talk about single that is why they say revenue service. If you go to UK or South Africa, you don’t see Customs Customs collecting revenue. They are merged.
“I am not saying it is bad but it is not the duty of FIRS to be approving payment for roads. I don’t have people who would monitor whether that road is done or not. So my duty is to access, collect and account for all revenue due to Federation. So any other  job may be good and laudable but that is not my core duty. So the same things happens when you see a lot of other agencies collecting revenue. And that is when you see leakages,” he added.
The Chairman commended the initiative to ensure payments are made directly to the contractors and not the MDAs.
He reiterated the commitment of the Committee to ensure that leakages are addressed and revenue increased to make life better for the ordinary Nigerian.
He said, “No one here will doubt your capability, it’s just the political will. Thank God that we have a president who has given you the authority and of course back you with that political will to reform our tax system. What you have to do is to look inward and ensure that you have directors and staffers who will not and negotiate you out.
“We have document to show that we have operators of our revenue collection who also negotiate and say you can pay this, we will do this. That is exactly what we are facing.
“With all the things you have enumerated, only you cannot do the job. You also have to delegate. So what this means is that every one of your staff who are on oath will ensure that they do the right thing.”
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Davido vows not to apologize posting Okpebolo’s ‘fine’ WAEC results

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Afrobeats singer David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has explained why he would not apologise to Edo Governor, Monday Okpebholo, over his social media post displaying the governor’s alleged West African Examinations Council result.

According to him, he did nothing wrong by sharing the result, insisting that he was only informing Edo residents about what he described as their governor’s academic record.

The singer stated this in an exclusive interview with News Central on Tuesday in Osun.

He said, “I’m not going to apologise. I didn’t do anything wrong. I was just telling people of the state the results their governor has.”

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The controversy followed comments by Okpebholo during political activities ahead of the August 15 Osun State governorship election, in which he criticised Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke.

Okpebholo had mocked Adeleke over his dancing, questioning his leadership style while campaigning for the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, popularly known as AMBO.

He said, “Before somebody signs paper, he will dance. Are you not tired? For four years, this man has been dancing. Before he takes breakfast, before he drinks tea, he will dance.”

In response, Davido, who is Adeleke’s nephew and had actively campaigned for his uncle, shared what appeared to be Okpebholo’s WAEC result on his Instagram Story on Friday.

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The post, which had no caption, generated reactions on social media, with a commentator, Tugbiyele, describing the publication as inappropriate and disrespectful and calling on Davido to apologise.

However, reacting to the call, Davido defended his action and criticised Okpebholo for travelling to Osun to comment on his uncle.

He said, “Yes, and you came, you left your state, you came to another state. You came in and then started talking that my uncle is a dancer; he is not serious.

“The road to your Government House is not done. My uncle is not serious. First of all, you were not even elected; you were selected.”

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Davido further questioned Okpebholo’s understanding of electoral victory, saying, “You don’t know what it means to win an election. That’s why you could go there and talk.”

The singer also criticised the governor over his comments about Adeleke and said he sympathised with Okpebholo’s children.

He said, “I feel so bad for his kids. Because you see what my dad is doing. Do you understand? Yeah, you’re abusing a sitting governor in his own state.”

Davido also mocked Okpebholo over his alleged stay in a hotel, saying, “A whole governor staying in a hotel, walking around like…”

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He warned the Edo governor that Adeleke would respond politically when the time came.

He said, “In fact, finish your three years, we’ll visit you when it’s time for you to get re-elected.”

Tugbiyele, in a video originally posted on Facebook, had appealed to Davido to apologise to Okpebholo, arguing that the singer should not have personally responded to the governor’s comments about Adeleke.

He said, “I watched a video when Governor Okpebholo called the governor of my state, Adeleke, the dancing governor. And the governor’s relation, David Adeleke, replied by publishing the WAEC Secondary School leaving result of Governor Okpebholo, the governor of Edo State.”

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Tugbiyele said that although the alleged result might not have been impressive, it should not have been used to ridicule the governor.

He said, “The result is not good enough, but it’s possible. The governor did a resit. We are not aware of that, but I think Davido, David Adeleke’s publication is inappropriate.”

He argued that Adeleke could have responded to his Edo counterpart through official channels rather than allowing Davido to engage in the exchange.

Tugbiyele concluded with a direct appeal to Davido, saying, “Davido, David Adeleke, please, as a proper Yoruba, please apologise to Governor Okpebholo. God bless you, David. God bless Nigeria.”

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UK Parents Accuse Cyprus IVF Clinics Of Using Wrong Sperm, Egg Donors

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At least 30 children, most of them British, are feared to have been conceived through IVF treatment in northern Cyprus using sperm or egg donors different from those selected by their parents.

The cases were uncovered by a BBC investigation involving families who say they carefully chose anonymous donors based on factors including medical history, appearance, personality, education and interests.

However, the parents later became concerned that the donors they had selected were not used during their fertility treatment.

Half of the 30 children were born following treatment at the Dogus IVF Centre, where several members of staff were involved in the care of affected patients.

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The families’ concerns have raised questions about the regulation of fertility clinics in northern Cyprus, a territory recognised internationally only by Turkey and outside the European Union’s regulatory framework.

Clinics in the territory have become popular among British patients seeking IVF treatment because of lower costs, high advertised success rates and access to a wide range of sperm and egg donors.

One mother, identified as Rachel, said she was “absolutely scandalised” after discovering that the sperm donor she had selected for her treatment at Dogus may not have been used.

Rachel underwent treatment at the clinic in 2012 and selected an anonymous Danish sperm donor through Cryos International, the world’s largest sperm bank.

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She said she chose the donor because his profile indicated that he would be willing for any biological children to contact him once they turned 18.

But after her son Jonah was born, Rachel became concerned that he did not resemble the donor described in the profile.

She said she repeatedly asked the clinic for medical documentation confirming that the donor’s sperm had been used, but never received the information she wanted.

Thirteen years later, DNA testing carried out by Rachel and Jonah indicated that he was biologically related to her but did not have the genetic ancestry expected from the Danish donor she had selected.

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The BBC contacted Cryos International, which said it had no record of supplying sperm to Dogus for Rachel’s treatment.

The revelation has left Rachel concerned that her son may have been deprived of the opportunity to identify and contact his biological donor in the future.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if there are genetic siblings out there,” she said.

At least 11 of the 30 children identified by the BBC have undergone commercial DNA testing. The results indicate that they have genetic ancestry from Turkey or surrounding regions, raising further questions about whether the donors selected by their parents were used.

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Most of the children who have taken DNA tests were conceived through IVF at Dogus between 2012 and 2024.

Fertility experts consulted by the BBC said the number of cases was highly unusual.

The British Fertility Society said the apparent use of incorrect donors on multiple occasions could indicate “negligence” or “deception” and suggested that the issue could reflect a systemic problem rather than the actions of a single doctor or clinic.

Several staff members have been linked to the cases at Dogus.

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Dr Sevket Alpturk, the clinic’s owner and responsible manager, treated the parents of six children whose families have told the BBC they suspect the wrong donors were used.

The BBC approached Alpturk with the allegations, but he did not respond.

Dr Firdevs Uguz Tip treated nine of the other children linked to Dogus. She has denied misleading patients and said Alpturk was responsible for signing off procedures at the clinic.

Firdevs later worked at other clinics, including Miracle IVF, which she currently runs. Nine additional cases identified by the BBC involved patients treated by her after she left Dogus in 2015.

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She said her clinic has complied with the law and that patients sign consent forms explaining how donors are selected.

However, several parents told the BBC they were not properly informed about the donor arrangements.

Patient co-ordinator Julie Hodson, who was a main point of contact for many British patients at Dogus, has also been linked to several of the cases.

Emails seen by the BBC show Hodson telling patients that Firdevs would arrange orders for sperm from Cryos.

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Firdevs disputes this, saying the procurement of sperm was not part of her responsibilities and that she did not know patients were being told otherwise.

The BBC contacted Hodson about the allegations, including claims that she failed to place or pass on donor requests, but she did not respond.

Cryos International said it was shocked by the number of families who could have been affected.

The sperm bank told the BBC that it had blacklisted Dogus in 2016 after concerns that the clinic had failed to order Cryos sperm for a patient despite telling the patient that it would.

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Cryos has since suspended its relationship with Firdevs and Miracle IVF while an investigation by the northern Cyprus authorities continues.

The territory’s Ministry of Health said earlier this year that it had launched an official investigation into the allegations. However, the ministry has not responded to repeated requests from the BBC for an update.

Firdevs has said she was cleared of breaking any laws, although the BBC has been unable to independently verify that claim with the Ministry of Health.

The UK Foreign Office has also updated its travel advice, warning that fertility treatment in northern Cyprus carries risks because of the lack of regulation and advising people seeking treatment there to conduct thorough research.

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The allegations have left affected families facing uncertainty over their children’s biological origins and potential genetic medical histories.

Laura Bridgens, founder of Donor Conceived UK, described the reports as deeply troubling and said donor-conceived people have a fundamental right to know the truth about their origins.

For families such as Rachel’s, the issue goes beyond the circumstances of their children’s conception.

Rachel said she loves her son and that the discovery does not change their relationship, but she remains upset that Jonah may have lost the opportunity to know his biological donor.

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“Even so, what happened is not OK,” she said. “It’s a huge deal and could have been absolutely traumatising for him.”

The investigation has raised questions about how many other families could have been affected and whether authorities will be able to establish how the alleged donor mix-ups occurred.

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Pastor queries Tonto Dikeh for setting up church

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Nigerian pastor, Pastor Andrew Emajere of COGA Ministries has questioned former Nollywood actress and evangelist Tonto Dikeh’s decision to establish a new prayer ministry in Abuja.

The pastor raised concerns about the growing number of people venturing into christian ministry, questioning the process through which individuals become church leaders.

Reacting to Tonto Dikeh’s new prayer ministry, Emajere asked, “What does Tonto Dikeh know in the spiritual world that convinced her to open a prayer ministry? She built a church worth of 300 million, how did we arrive here?”

He argued that there should be stricter screening for people who want to establish churches.

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“If I become president, before you can open a church you must pass through screening. Christianity has now turned [into] something else.”

Emajere also compared the situation with Islam, questioning whether similar developments would be accepted within the religion.

“Have you seen a woman open mosque and call herself a female Imam or Alfa? People don’t take Christianity serious in this country,” he said.

The pastor further questioned Tonto Dikeh’s transition from entertainment to Christian ministry, asking.

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“Which day did she repent in Pastor Jerry Eze’s church that she is already a General Overseer? How did we arrive here?”

He also expressed concern about the role of public figures in Christian ministry.

“A woman that has not handled her kitchen duties finish, you went ahead to put them in Christianity, why won’t confusion come in?” He asked.

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