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FG can retain VAT as it is – Oyedele
The Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Taiwo Oyedele, has said it is possible for the current Value Added Tax structure to be kept as it is given the controversies it had stirred.
Oyedele said this on Sunday when he appeared on a live television programme on Arise TV to discuss the tax reforms proposed by President Bola Tinubu.
In October 2024, Tinubu introduced four Tax Reform Bills to the National Assembly to overhaul Nigeria’s tax system. The Bills – the Nigeria Tax Bill 2024, the Tax Administration Bill, the Nigeria Revenue Service Establishment Bill, and the Joint Revenue Board Establishment Bill – were to consolidate existing tax laws, streamline tax administration, and enhance revenue generation.
The proposed legislation has faced stiff resistance from various players in the country, as people argue that it would favour one section of Nigeria at the expense of others. Proposed reforms to the Value Added Tax were one of the main grief points.
Speaking on Sunday, Oyedele said what his committee proposed regarding Value Added Tax would benefit every part of the country.
He, however, noted that if the preference was for the current state, then his team was willing to oblige.
“There were two comments that Mr President made. His first point is that we have to do tax reforms. We cannot continue with the laws of the colonial era and hope that Nigeria will become a developed country. This tax system is holding us back. Then after a few other questions, someone asked a question again about whether he was willing to move and make a compromise, and he said, ‘Yes’. So his point is that we have to carry out tax reform.
“That is what is non-negotiable, otherwise, we will be missing out on a significant opportunity to move Nigeria forward. But in terms of the details of those bills, everything is up for grabs. I can tell you, as we speak today, if they want us to keep the current VAT formula, we’ll keep it 100 per cent. So, the fact that people keep using the problem we are trying to solve against us, is what I need to understand.
“We are saying today that Lagos State is getting the benefit for calls made in Kano, Kwara, in Ekiti. We say, let’s change that. And then you come out and say they want to take what we are doing in Kano to Lagos,” he said.
The tax reforms committee boss tracing the history of the VAT in Nigeria said, “It seems to me that the more we explain it, the more people try not to understand because a lot of people don’t even understand the current position of the law.
“Let me quickly explain what the problem is, the value-added tax was introduced in 1993 by the military. Implementation started in 1994 and that was to replace the sales tax that was being done by states.”
Oyedele stated that in 1999 when Nigeria got into the Fourth Republic, the country needed a constitution.
“The people that put the Constitution together pretty much replicated 1979’s. In 1979 there wasn’t VAT. So in 1999 when they introduced the constitution, VAT was missing, but the government continued to collect VAT. Some states like Rivers State and Lagos State are in court saying that VAT should be collected by the state because they feel that they are not getting enough for the contribution they are making into the VAT pot, and therefore if they collect it as a state tax, they will be better off.
“That is the equivalent of 100 per cent derivation. For us, as we’re working on these tax reforms. We said if we get states to start collecting VAT in Nigeria, it will be chaotic for business because we know for a fact that states in Nigeria will not respect input-output.
“So we said, how can we make everybody at least comfortable and address inequity? What did we identify? As of today, when companies remit their VAT, they tend to remit from their head office because that’s where they have the finance department. So MTN, BUA, Dangote, Airtel, all the banks, most of them are headquartered in Lagos. Some of the oil companies are headquartered in Rivers State,” he stated.
Oyedele affirmed that the tax reforms became important seeing that there was no VAT in the Nigerian constitution.
He went on to warn that if the tax reform bills were withdrawn from the National Assembly, it would be hard to represent them as he feared that consultations would be frustrated.
South Africa’s Police Chief Charged Over Controversial Health Contract
South Africa’s national police commissioner has been formally charged over alleged irregularities tied to a controversial health services contract awarded within the police service.
According to reports, the case relates to a multi-million rand contract intended to provide health and wellness services for police officers, which later came under scrutiny over procurement concerns.
The contract is said to have been cancelled after questions were raised about how it was awarded and whether proper procedures were followed.
The police chief, identified as Fannie Masemola, is accused of failing in his responsibilities as accounting officer during the approval process of the deal.
He is expected to face multiple charges as investigations continue into the circumstances surrounding the agreement.
Reports indicate that other senior officials within the police service, as well as a businessman linked to the contract, are also facing charges in connection with the case.
The matter has sparked widespread debate in South Africa over accountability, governance and transparency in public procurement processes.
Critics say the case highlights ongoing concerns about corruption risks in state institutions and the need for stricter oversight of government tenders.
Civil society groups have also called for stronger enforcement of anti-corruption measures, especially in sectors involving public safety and essential services.
The case has drawn national attention due to the senior position held by the accused and the importance of trust in law enforcement leadership.
Analysts suggest the outcome of the proceedings could have wider implications for confidence in policing structures and reform efforts.
The police commissioner has reportedly indicated his intention to continue in office unless otherwise directed by the country’s leadership.
Court proceedings have been postponed as the legal process continues and further investigations are carried out.
The case remains one of the most closely followed legal and governance developments in South Africa at present.
Source: Thepressradio.com
Troops of Operation HADIN KAI have repelled a coordinated terrorist attack on Kukareta in Yobe State, wasting 24 insurgents and recovering a ‘large cache of arms and ammunition in the process’.
According to an official statement issued on Thursday, the troops of the Joint Task Force (North East) under Sector 2 engaged the attackers in the early hours of the day, after they launched what was described as a “determined terrorist attack” on the Kukareta location.
The statement was signed by Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, Media Information Officer at Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI.
The statement noted that “the attack, which commenced shortly after midnight and lasted until about 0300 hours, was met with a swift and coordinated response by vigilant troops who executed a deliberate offensive-defensive action, effectively containing the assault and forcing the terrorists into a disorderly withdrawal.”
Military authorities disclosed that the fierce engagement resulted in significant losses for the insurgents, with “24 terrorists neutralised so far,” while troops continue to comb the area for additional casualties and fleeing fighters.
In the aftermath of the confrontation, troops reportedly recovered a substantial stockpile of weapons and ammunition abandoned by the retreating terrorists.
Items recovered include “18 AK-47 rifles, 3 General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMG), 2 PKT automatic anti-aircraft guns, 3 RPG tubes, 2 mortar tubes, 4 hand grenades, 18 AK-47 magazines, and large quantities of belted 7.62mm ammunition for PKT systems.”
The military also confirmed casualties on the side of government forces.
“Troops recorded 2 personnel wounded in action, who have been stabilised,” the statement said, adding that “one reinforcing armoured tank sustained damage with all tyres blown out during the engagement,” the statement said.
Further details indicated that exploitation operations are ongoing across the battlefield, particularly along the withdrawal routes of the insurgents. These areas were described as being “littered with blood trails and medical consumables,” suggesting that more casualties may have been inflicted on the fleeing fighters.
Kukareta, located within the broader conflict-affected areas of Yobe State, has witnessed periodic insurgent incursions, making sustained military vigilance critical to preventing territorial breaches and protecting civilian populations in surrounding communities.
The Army emphasized that the successful defence of Kukareta underscores the operational strength of its forces in the North East theatre.
It stated that “this successful operations highlights the resilience, combat readiness and fire superiority of OPHK troops in denying terrorists freedom of action.”
Reaffirming its commitment to sustaining pressure on insurgent groups, the military assured that “operations will continue with sustained offensive pressure to consolidate gains and decisively defeat all terrorist elements across the Joint Operations Area.”
The Presidency has clarified that former Finance Minister Wale Edun and former Housing Minister Ahmed Musa Dangiwa voluntarily resigned their positions before President Bola Tinubu announced their replacements on Tuesday, dismissing insinuations that the two ministers were fired.
Edun, who turned 70 on Monday, submitted his resignation letter on his birthday, citing health reasons.
He paid a valedictory visit to the President at the Villa on Tuesday, holding an hour-long discussion before departing to focus on his private businesses.
“It has been a pleasure and privilege to serve your administration and the Renewed Hope Agenda,” Edun wrote in his resignation letter, adding that Nigeria had emerged stronger and more internationally respected under Tinubu’s leadership.
Dangiwa similarly tendered his resignation and thanked the President for the opportunity to serve in the Federal Executive Council.
Edun, an economist and investment banker, served as Lagos State Commissioner for Finance between 1999 and 2004 under then Governor Tinubu.
He co-founded Investment Banking and Trust Company Limited, now Stanbic IBTC, in 1989, and later founded the Chapelhill Denham Group in 1994.
Dangiwa, an architect, previously served as Managing Director of the Federal Mortgage Bank between 2015 and 2022 and as Secretary to the Katsina State Government before his ministerial appointment in August 2023.
Tinubu expressed appreciation to both men for their contributions to his administration’s economic reform programme and urged the incoming Finance Minister, Taiwo Oyedele, to consolidate ongoing reforms with renewed focus and discipline.
The President is expected to shortly transmit the name of Muttaqha Rabe Darma, also from Katsina, to the Senate for confirmation as the new Housing Minister.
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