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Tax Reform: Gov Sule dismisses claims of rift with President Tinubu
The governor of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Sule, has faulted the efforts to create a wedge between President Bola Tinubu and governors of the North over the controversial tax reform bills currently at the National Assembly, saying the governors who worked for his emergence have never and are not working against him.
Governor Sule made the disclosure on Friday while receiving a delegation from the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, who visited him at the Government House in Lafia. He explained that what the northern governors called for was the need for further consultation on the tax reform bill before the National Assembly, which encompasses the Value Added Tax.
He accused some vested interests of spreading false information with the intent to cause political tension through unfounded insinuations that the northern governors were opposed to the president.
According to Sule, people who were opposed to Tinubu’s presidency are now pretending to be his better supporters more than those who fought for his victory.
For some people making noise and saying the Northern governors are fighting the President, nobody is fighting the President. How could you fight a President who has made you look good? This is the truth. All we are saying is that some aspects of it, we need to look into it,” he said.
Sule thanked President Tinubu for enacting policies that have made governance and development easy in Nasarawa State without going into debt, saying he could not kick against a leader who has made meaningful contributions to the state’s progress.
The governor said there was a need for better understanding of some of the provisions in the tax reform bills. “We called for the withdrawal of the bills to review some aspects. They said it’s a wrong language, that amendments can be made without withdrawing the bills. I said that’s fine. I’m not looking for any trouble,” he explained.
On Value Added Tax, Governor Sule leaned on his private sector experience to impress upon its necessity for state finances.
He explained that Nasarawa State receives over N4 billion monthly from VAT, which has been very critical for its capital projects. He expressed apprehension over possible changes in the formula for sharing VAT due to the implication for states like Nasarawa, which rely so much on such revenue with their very meager IGR.
I know more about VAT than most of those arguing about it. Having been a chief executive, I know how it is generated and used. Today, it is the lifeblood of many states. Take away VAT from FAAC and you will see how we will all be struggling to fund projects, and I must speak for my people.”.
Governor Sule thanked the CAN Chairman, Very Reverend Dr. Sunday Emma, and his team for calling on the government to create more awareness on the tax reforms. He aligned himself with the call for comprehensive sensitization to be given to Nigerians on the proposed changes.
If they do proper sensitization and address the VAT issue, I will be fully supportive of the tax reforms. But it will be difficult without that, especially for states with low IGR,” he concluded.
Earlier, Dr. Emma had urged both federal and state governments to prioritize awareness campaigns about the tax reforms to foster greater public understanding and inclusion.
Monthly disbursements to the federal, states and local government areas dropped for the third consecutive time yesterday. The Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) shared N1.58 trillion to the three tiers for March
The committee announced N2. 411 trillion as the total revenue generated in March at its April meeting in Abuja yesterday.
The total distributable revenue comprised N931.325 billion from statutory sources, N593.750 billion from Value Added Tax (VAT), N24.971 billion from the Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL) and N28.711 billion from Exchange Difference revenue.
According to the communiqué issued by FAAC, the gross revenue available for March stood at N2.411 trillion. The deductions for cost of collection stood N85.376 billion, while N747.180 billion went to transfers, interventions and refunds accounted consumed.
Despite the lower net revenue available for distribution, the March statutory revenue of N1.718 trillion showed an increase of N65.422 billion over the N1.653 trillion received in February.
However, revenue from Value Added Tax (VAT) dropped to N637.618 billion last month from the February figure of N654.456 billion – a decrease of N16.838 billion.
From the total distributable sum of N1.578 trillion, the federal government received N528.696 billion; states collectively got N530.448 billion, while the 774 local government areas received N387.002 billion. Additionally, N132.611 billion – representing 13 per cent of mineral revenue – was allocated to oil-producing states as derivation revenue.
The breakdown of the N931.325 billion statutory revenue shows that the federal government took N422.485 billion, the states got N214.290 billion and N165.209 billion shared to the councils. The oil-producing states received N129.341 billion from this component as derivation revenue.
From the VAT pool of N593.750 billion, the federal government got N89.063 billion, states got N296.875 billion and the local government areas got N207.813 billion.
For the EMTL revenue of N24.971 billion, the federal government took N3.746 billion, states received N12.485 billion and local government areas went home with N8.740 billion.
In the case of Exchange Difference revenue of N28.711 billion, the federal government received N13.402 billion, states N6.798 billion and local government areas was allocated N5.241 billion. A further N3.270 billion from this revenue was distributed as 13 per cent derivation to oil-producing states.
A deeper look into the revenue trends shows that while Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT) and Companies Income Tax (CIT) increased significantly during the month under review, several other key sources witnessed declines.
These include Oil and Gas royalty, EMTL, VAT, Excise Duty, Import Duty, and Common External Tariff (CET) Levies.
A viral video showing several Nigerian police officers allegedly receiving N5,000 each from a Chinese man and his family has sparked widespread outrage and renewed concerns over corruption and ethics in the Nigeria Police Force.
The footage, which surfaced online, shows uniformed officers lining up as a Chinese man hands them cash gifts.
The incident has drawn sharp condemnation from the public and human rights advocates, who described it as disgraceful and damaging to the image of the police.
When contacted by Vanguard, Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said he was unaware of the viral video or the incident.
Similarly, the Lagos State Police Command distanced itself from the footage. Its spokesperson, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, clarified that the incident did not occur in Lagos, contrary to claims circulating online.
Public figures have also weighed in. Omoyele Sowore, former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), described the video as “shameful” and called for the removal of the IGP.
“This is why I keep saying illegal IGP Kayode Egbetokun must leave the police force. It is the shame of the nation,” he wrote in a Facebook post.
Popular social commentator and human rights activist Martins Victor Otse, also known as VeryDarkBlackMan, called the act “disgraceful, disrespectful, and degrading,” urging the police leadership to address the matter transparently.
The incident has intensified calls for accountability, with many Nigerians demanding disciplinary action and systemic reforms to restore public confidence in the police force.
The Federal Government has declared Friday, April 18, and Monday, April 21, 2025, as public holidays to mark Good Friday and Easter Monday.
This was disclosed by the Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, on Tuesday.
He emphasised the importance of embodying the virtues of the sacrifice and love displayed by Jesus Christ, who had to die for the redemption of man, while greeting Christians on the joyous occasion.
In a statement by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr Magdalene Ajani, the minister called on Nigerians to use the holiday period to pray for the peace, unity, and stability of the nation.
He reassured citizens of President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to the Renewed Hope Agenda, which seeks to foster national growth and development.
“Furthermore, he encouraged Nigerians to extend love and goodwill to their neighbours through acts of kindness and generosity.
“The minister wished all Christians a blissful Easter celebration and extended warm holiday greetings to all Nigerians,” the statement added.
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