The Chairman, Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, Taiwo Oyedele, has stated that some Nigerians rain curses on him and his family over the tax reform bills.

Oyedele spoke during an event for the presentation of the report of a technical committee set up by the League of Northern Democrats (LND) to review the controversial tax reform bills on Thursday in Abuja.

He however said he was not deterred by the vitriol as his assignment was a public service to bring economic change to the country.

Daily Trust reports that the tax reform bills have generated heated debates across the country, with the majority of the push backs coming from the North.

Many governors and some leaders from the region contested that the tax reform bills, which also led to open confrontations in both chambers of the National Assembly, were meant to favour Lagos State and other narrow interests, as well as to shortchange the North.

Oyedele stated that the recommendations made by his committee on tax reform were not influenced by anyone as it came through robust discussions and engagements to revolutionise the tax system in the country.

“Even on social media, you need to see the number of people cursing me and my family. I don’t take it personally. I just go through and say is there any useful comment that we can work on? We pick it and we work on it. It’s public service. You’re not meant to be appreciated and praised every time. It doesn’t happen anywhere in the world.

“Public service is public service. You are accountable to the people and you must take that very seriously. So our approach to this is that some Nigerians were asked to do this for our country and I had the privilege of leading that team and we did our best but we’re not in any way suggesting that our best is the best for Nigeria.

“You cannot have more than 200 million people and you then assume that about 100 people are the smartest. You know that that would be arrogance at a different level. So this engagement helped us to even improve the quality of what we have done.

“I’ve said this in a number of fora and I’ll say it again. There’s not a single person in the world, not World Bank, not IMF, not United Nations, not Mr President, not any governor, not any minister, past or present, not president, past or present, no one dictated anything to us. Every single thing you see in all those bills were the outcome of debates by the committee that is representative nationally.

“We have people from all the geo-political zones. We have more than 20 government institutions. We have all manner of engagement, including with people with disability. But we know that engagements will never end. In fact, if the bills are passed, it doesn’t mean that we should stop engaging. We should continue.”

While reiterating that there are no perfect laws even when they have been enacted, he said engagements would give feedback on how it’s been implemented and the areas needed to further improve on.

“So, I’m eagerly looking forward to the outcome of this event today and I can give you one assurance. Every single point you send to us will be carefully considered and we’ll get back to you with our own explanations. So once we have superior reasoning and superior arguments, we bow to it very quickly because we have no agenda other than the agenda for Nigeria,” he added.

President Bola Tinubu has approved the redeployment of several Federal Permanent Secretaries.

The directive was made by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack, stating that all handing and taking over processes are to be completed by December 31, 2024.

Director of Information and Public Relations, Eno Olotu, in a statement, said this timeline is intended to ensure a smooth transition and continuity in governance.

The redeployment, which takes effect immediately, involves the following key appointments:

– Gabriel Aduda has been reassigned from the Ministry of Women Affairs to the Ministry of Defence.

– Olumuyiwa Abel will transition from the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction to the Ministry of Education, where he will understudy the Permanent Secretary.

– Temitope Fashedemi is moved from the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to the State House.

– Shuaib Belgore is shifting from the Ministry of Regional Development to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development.

– Marcus Ogunbiyi is to take over at the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security after serving in the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development.

– Adebiyi Olufunso has been moved from the State House to the Ministry of Works.

– Ibrahim Kana has been moved from the Ministry of Defence to the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development.

– Yakubu Kofarmata will now serve in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction after his tenure at the Ministry of Works.

– Raymond Omachi has been reassigned from the Common Services Office in OHCSF to the Ministry of Finance (Special Duties).

– Tinuke Watti, previously with the former Ministry of Sports Development, will now oversee operations in the Ministry of Regional Development.

– Maryam Keshinro will transition from the Ministry of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs to lead in the Ministry of Women Affairs.

Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal has signed the 2025 appropriation bill of Zamfara Gov Lawal Signs ₦546bn 2025 budget into law.

The 2025 budget, titled “Rescue Budget 2.0,” was presented to the governor by the Zamfara State House of Assembly Speaker on Thursday at the Council Chamber, government house, Gusau.

During the signing of the 2025 appropriation bill, Governor Lawal committed to completing all ongoing legacy projects and building on the successes achieved in his administration’s past 18 months.

The governor highlighted the importance of the 2025 budget, saying that “we must not only look at where we are or where we are going, but where we’ve been.”

“The situation last year was concerning. A decade of poor governance led to economic collapse, unpaid wages for civil servants, and liabilities that hindered children’s education. Infrastructure was damaged, hospitals were abandoned, and public services became bloated,” he said.

“Additionally, there was a lack of accountability, ongoing electricity bill issues, inadequate water supply, insecurity, and the rise of communicable diseases like cholera, along with declining internal revenue.

“If we had not acted swiftly to all the challenges, Zamfara State would not be a place we all could live in today.

“The 2025 Rescue Budget 2.0 is driven by our commitment to continue the work we’ve started for our people, reflecting strong policies and enthusiasm. This budget also accounts for the increase in the minimum wage for civil servants, rising from N30,000 to N70,000.

“The 2025 budget upholds the best practice of allocating 28% of recurrent expenditure compared to 72% for capital expenditure. The rescue agenda also focuses on key areas for the 2025 budget, including security, education, health, infrastructure, and agriculture.”

Governor Lawal revealed that it is time for Zamfara State to overcome its infrastructure decay and commit to quality architectural development.

The 2025 budget allocated resources to fund the ongoing projects at Gusau International Airport and the construction of the Gusau-Magami to Dansadau Road.