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ASUU Urges FG To Stop Tax Waivers, as Reps Summon First Bank, Others over Non Remittances of Education Tax

Published

10 months ago

May 28, 2024

By Gloria Ikibah

This President Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Professor Victor Osodeke has called on the federal government to immediately stop tax waivers meant to fund tertiary institutions in the country.

Prof. Osodeke who said this during a public hearing on Monitoring of Collection, utilization and other associated services relating to Education Tax from 2011 – 2022, organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), on Tuesday, blamed the poor funding of tertiary institutions and incessant industrial actions to waivers granted to banks and other private institutions.

Chairman of the Committee, Rep. Miriam Odinaka Onuoha also directed First Bank of Nigeria and other Banks to appear before it alongside its Tax Consultant to reconcile the Education Tax Computation not remitted to TETFund by the banks between 2011 and 2022.

Rep. Onuoha who gave the directive when some commercial banks appeared before the committee to defend their non-remittance of Education Taxes over the years, said there were disparities between the figures that was in the Bank’s Financial Statements as Provisions for that purpose and what the Bank actually remitted to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).

Upon their admittances of such discrepancies, without any substantial explanation, the Committee therefore summoned the Banks to come along with details of their Tax computations, External Auditors and Tax Consultant along with proofs of remittances by 20th June, 2024.

‘The Banks disregarded their own Financial Statement liabilities on Education Tax and made under remittances’.

This followed a motion by Rep. Oluwole Oke who prayed that the banks appeared before the committee with the tax consultants with details of that tax computation on a yearly basis.

The Chairman said out of the 15 banks invited, about seven were supposed to appear before the committee on Tuesday, while only three of them showed up with three other writing to seek a new date to appear.

Full list of Banks summoned to appear on the 20th June with the aforementioned documents and persons include, Zenith Bank, Access Bank, First Bank, United Bank for Africa ( UBA), Sterling Bank, Keystone Bank, FBN Quest Merchant Bank, First Bank, Guarantee Trust Bank, Stanbic Bank , Wema Bank, Eco Bank, Fidelity Bank, Jaiz Bank and Unity Bank.

Deputy Chairman of the Committee, Rep. Bappa Aliyu Misau had observed that First Bank under remitted its education tax deductions to TETFund, an action which he said was punishable under the law.

Misau said: “unfortunately, you do not have the year-by-year breakdown but the available records you submitted in 2011 was N603,801. Then, in 2012, you are owing N301,263,135, in 2013, you have a credit balance of N102,713,615.

“Again, in 2014, you had a credit of N2.933, 659, then if you go to 2015, you have N25 million as outstanding, in 2017, N169, 852,600 outstanding, in 2018 you have N98 million outstanding, in 2012, you paid N7.877,451 then in 2020 N148 million credit, in 2021, N269,618,626.6 debit.

“Therefore, in 2022, you had N3.748,984, 654.64. Then you add it up, you sum the credit and the debit, you ended up with N3.749,353,260 outstanding. You know there is penalty for Non-Remittance”.

An Executive Director with First Bank, Bashir Yusuf who represented the bank at the meeting told the lawmakers that between 2011 and 2022, the Bank posted a Profit Before Tax (PBT) of N795,123 billion.

When asked to take the figure year by year, the FBN Executive Director said, it was a summary of the presentation, he said, “unfortunately Madam Chair what I have is the summary of the presentation.

“I crave the indulgence of the committee to take what we shared with the Committee. I prepared the summary for the presentation, so that if there are issues, we can take those issues, especially if there are matters that we need to settle outside the Committee room, our consultants.

“So, I am very sorry, I don’t have the breakdown by year, but I have the summary over the period. We had the net accessible profits of N28 billion, which is the difference between the allowable and the disallowable expenses on the PBT we posted over the period.

“In terms of tax liability over the period, we have a tax liability of N5.498 billion. Then, over the periods of the audit by the Committee, that is 2011 to 2022, we had additional assessments. It was on the basis of those assessments conducted between 2014 and 2021 that we had an additional liability of N852 million.

“So, in terms of total TETFUND Tertiary Education Tax Fund liability and payment, we made a payment of N5.493 billion.

“And in terms of outstanding liability over the period, we have Nil liability over the period and other subsequent items associated with outstanding liability are also ready”.

He further stated that there were issues that cannot be resolved at the committee hearing, adding that “what you have are items that are classified as taxable.

“We have some differences based on the provision of exemption order that was issued by the President in 2011. That’s why I said some of these issues we will not be able to resolve at this sitting.

“When the Committee asked the Bank to provide the Exemption Order on Education Tax as it relates to the matter under review, he could not provide any , Furthermore , the Bank already made provisions in their Financial Statements for same Education Taxes without remittances in those respective years”.

Representatives of ASUU criticizrd the Banks for providing different figures to the Committee after making submissions earlier in January 2024 under Oath.

The Union further requested the FIRS to stand-up to their duties on the efficient and honest tax collection and stop the games playing with the Banks.

The Union further commended the Committee for taking up the challenge to expose the fraud and corruption while enforcing compliance in our tax systems by some Corporate gurus despite their huge profits, yet unwilling to pay necessary taxes in support of Education to help the sector grow and the development of the Country human capital.

News

NDLEA arrests Indian lady with 72 parcels of heroin in chocolate wraps at Kano airport(PHOTOS)

Published

29 minutes ago

March 23, 2025

ADMIN

. Recovers tramadol pills concealed in gas cylinder, cocaine, skunk in Kano, Lagos raids

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have intercepted a 42-year-old Indian lady, Ms. Neetu Neetu at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, MAKIA, Kano, with 72 parcels of heroin factory sealed in wafer wraps and packaged as chocolates.

The class A drug consignment weighing a total of 11 kilograms was recovered from Neetu’s luggage after a thorough search, following processed credible intelligence, during an inward
clearance of Qatar Airways flight QR1431 from Bangkok, Thailand via Vietnam and Doha at the arrival hall of the Kano airport on Friday 14th March 2025.

The arrest of Neetu signifies a growing attempt by drug trafficking organisations to hire white ladies and foreign nationals to move illicit drugs through the Nigerian borders, a bid that vigilant NDLEA operatives have consistently frustrated with the aid of modern technological tools and proactive intelligence, says Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) in his immediate reaction to Neetu’s arrest.
In another interdiction operation in Kano, NDLEA officers on Thursday 20th March arrested a 45-year-old suspect, Michael Ogundele with a 50-litre steel gas cylinder at Gadar Tamburawa, along Zaria- Kano road. Based on credible intelligence, welding tools were later used to cut the giant cylinder after which 50,000 pills of tramadol 225mg concealed in it were extracted.

While Sunday Ogar, 40, was nabbed at Gunduwawa area of Kano on Wednesday 19th March with 27kg skunk, a strain of cannabis, a female suspect Khadijah Abdullahi, 40, was arrested with 424 bottles of codeine-based syrup at Lungun Bulala Yalwa area of the state on Tuesday 18th March.

In Lagos, the duo of Olumuyiwa Kolawole and Samod Adisa were nabbed with 67.5kg skunk in Mushin just as 100.8kg of same psychoactive substance was recovered from the store of two fleeing suspects in Anifowoshe area of Mushin while Isah Idris was arrested in Apapa with 4.5kg skunk; 600grams of tramadol 225mg and 30litres of codeine syrup on Tuesday 18th March. Another suspect, Yahaya Mohamed, was arrested same day in Ikotun area of the state with different quantities of cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine.
Across the country, NDLEA Commands and formations continued to intensify their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy sensitization engagements in schools, markets, motor parts, work places and worship centres in the past week.

These include: WADA sensitisation lecture to students and staff of Chrisland School, Ikeja, Lagos; Hakimi Secondary School, Mokwa, Niger state; Marist Comprehensive College, Nteje, Anambra state; Ikole City College, Ikole Ekiti, Ekiti state; Government Day Secondary School, Sunane, Sokoto state; and Government Day Secondary School, Jada, Adamawa state, among others.
While commending the officers and men of MAKIA, Lagos, and Kano Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures, its Chairman/Chief Executive, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), noted with satisfaction the balance in drug supply and demand reduction efforts of all the formations nationwide, even as he charged them not to relent.

News

Experts reveal why 13,171 Nigerians were denied asylum requests

Published

34 minutes ago

March 23, 2025

ADMIN

No fewer than 13,171 Nigerians who sought refugee protection in Canada from January 2013 to December 2024 were rejected, official data showed.

Specifically, in 2024 alone, 811 Nigerians who applied for refugee protection were turned down by the Canadian government.

The development comes as official data from the Refugee Protection Division of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada put Nigeria among the top five countries with the most rejected claims, ranking 5th.

Others are Mexico with 2,954 rejections, India (1,688), Haiti (982), and Colombia (723).

The IMRB grants refugee protection in Canada if the RPD satisfactorily confirms that an applicant or claimant meets the United Nations definition of a Convention refugee, “which has been incorporated into Canadian law, or that the applicant is a person in need of protection.

The officer decides whether the claim is eligible to be referred to the IRB.

“If the claim is eligible, it is sent (“referred”) to the RPD to start the claim for the refugee protection process,” an application guideline by the Refugee Board reads.

An analysis of the rejections since 2013 showed that 127, 241, and 248 Nigerians were denied protection in 2013, 2014, and 2015, respectively, under the new system for determining refugee protection claims made in Canada—which took effect on December 15, 2012.

Also, 476, 917, and 1,777 claims were rejected in 2016, 2017, and 2018, respectively.

2019 saw the highest number of rejected claims, with 3,951 Nigerian applicants turned down.

Meanwhile, 1,770, 1,686, 728, 439, and 811 persons were denied protection in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024, respectively.

Nevertheless, 10,580 Nigerians were granted refugee status within the decade under review, with at least 2,230 from January to December 2024.

Commenting, Imaobong Ladipo-Sanusi, the executive director of the Women Trafficking and Child Labour Eradication Foundation, said that irregular migration is motivated by economic hardship, the leading cause of rejections.

“Most times, many Nigerians miss it when they don’t understand the laws governing refugee status as adopted in their chosen destination.

“Every country has its regulations for absorbing people into its system,” he stated.

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News

Governor spends lavishly to mark daughter’s 30th birthday

Published

3 hours ago

March 23, 2025

ADMIN

Adenike Adeleke, popularly known as Nikos Babii, daughter of the Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, recently turned 30 and celebrated her birthday in grand style.

The glamorous event took place at the upscale Scarlet Club, Lagos, and was nothing short of a star-studded spectacle, with political elites, celebrities and close family members gathering to honour the birthday queen.

The lifestyle vlogger and budding musician made a show-stopping entrance in a shimmering green gown with a daring slit that revealed her stunning curves, turning heads as she graced the venue with confidence and style, with her friends. Her bright smile lit up the room as she soaked in the love and attention of her guests.

To add a playful touch, customised notes featuring Nikos’ face and name were sprayed throughout the night, setting a unique and lively party atmosphere, while she got cash gifts in bundles.

The celebration was also nothing short of a family affair, with the Adeleke clan coming out in full force to support their own.

B-Red, Sina Rambo, and Tunji Adeleke were seen doting on their sister, while the ever-energetic Governor Adeleke shared the photo stand with his daughter posing in different styles.

Among the guests were Shina Peters, the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Adewale Egbedun, Comedian, Bovi brought his witty charm to the gathering, keeping guests entertained with spontaneous jokes. Popular TikToker Peller and social media influencers, Enioluwa, Fake Poco were also spotted, adding to the night’s vibrant and youthful energy. Idia Aisien and Nastyblaq were also present.