Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Nyesom Wike has told residents of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, that President Bola Tinubu has instructed him to give them whatever they ask for.

Wike stated this on Wednesday during the flag-off of the rehabilitation of the 10-kilometer Aguma Palace-Radio Nigeria-New Market Road in Gwagwalada Area Council.

The minister said the FCTA is committed to ensuring that governance positively impacts the FCT area councils.

Wike recalled that the stakeholders in the area council selected the road for rehabilitation during the interactive town hall between the FCT Administration and the FCT area councils.

“I told you that Mr. President has directed that we should give it to you whatever you ask. And today, by the special grace of God, one of the special requests you made is the reconstruction of this very important segment of the road.

“This is not the time when a contract is awarded and the contract is abandoned. This contract has been awarded. This contract has been flagged off today, and this contract will be commissioned next year.

“Let me reiterate that Mr. President did not appoint the Hon. Minister of State and my humble self to come here to preside over the selling of land. We are here to give you roads, we are here to give you water, and we are here to make you happy.

“This is what we talk about government, government for the people, the government of the people, and government by the people,” he said.

The senator representing Borno South, Mohammed Ali Ndume, yesterday aligned with fellow northern leaders opposing Federal Government’s alleged plan to increase taxes.

In a statement in Abuja, Ndume said the Federal Government ought to get things right first, expand sources of income for Nigerians and ensure that the people live and not just survive before reviewing taxes upwards.

The former Senate Leader said the antion’s middle class was gradually fading away as it was being squeezed out by high inflation.

“This tax they’re talking about; we are almost losing the middle class in Nigeria. It is either you have it or you do not have it. Those that are in the middle are being squeezed out.

“If Nigerians can pay for those taxes, it is okay. But in the current situation, increasing taxes is not an alternative at all. I will not support any increase in tax.

“Let us get things right first. Let people start living and not survive. Let people have extra income, and then you can tax them.

“I like to use an example of common sense. Allow Nigerians to have enough blood in their body before you start asking for donation,” Ndume said.

The Borno South senator noted that the managers of the economy wanted to make President Bola Ahmed Tinubu look bad before Nigerians by proposing an increase in tax.

He urged Finance Minister Wale Edun, the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), and other managers of the economy to stop misleading the President.

Ndume, who expressed appreciation to President Tinubu for his administration’s de-dollarisation policy, added: “The poverty is too much is in the North. Let us be frank about that. So, you want to increase taxes again? Tax those people who can afford it. Those who can afford the taxes in Nigeria – I do not want to be particular about it – are not even paying the taxes. These big companies do not even declare their income, not to talk of getting the appropriate taxes.

“I am one of those opposing that Tax Bill in the National Assembly. I am not going to support it. In fact, I am going to start campaigning against the increase in tax for now because it does not only affect the North but the average Nigerian.

“I am not saying people should not pay tax, but do not go and tax people that are barely struggling to survive.

“You are paying somebody N70,000 as a minimum wage and all of a sudden, the price of fuel went up to N1,000. It means that if you put the arithmetic together, you see that you would have continued paying me the N30,000 and allowed the litre of fuel to be N100.

“It is like giving you with one hand and taking it with the other hand. Let the tax authority focus on those who are supposed to pay tax. For example, in Abuja, if you go round, there are a lot of properties in there that are not paying taxes.

“Fortunately, you have (Federal Capital Territory Minister) Nyesom Wike who stands up to do something about it.

“People are not paying property taxes. These banks, for example, are making tonnes and tonnes of money, and they are not paying taxes. And they are collecting taxes. If you transfer money, they are collecting taxes. If you receive money, they are collecting taxes. And they declare profits. Go and check their taxes.

“Now, you want to squeeze somebody who is barely trying to survive because they are many. You need to start from somewhere that is acceptable.

“I, at one time, proposed a Bill for communication and phone owners to pay tax. It didn’t see the light of day.

“You are talking about Abuja here. Many people do not have access to mobile phones. Anybody who can access a phone should be able to pay tax.”

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it is committed to prosecuting electoral offenders within and outside the commission.

It called for an electoral reform programme that would give a time frame in the investigation and prosecution of electoral offenders across the country.

The commission said in the aftermath of last year’s general election, it received case files of electoral offenders involving about 744 offenders for the presidential and governorship polls.

INEC announced that it had begun the prosecution of several electoral offenders in various states, adding that convictions/successful prosecutions had been recorded in Kebbi and Kogi states, while successful prosecutions had been recorded in Lagos, Gombe and Kwara states.

In a statement, titled: SERAP Misrepresentation of Facts On the Prosecution of Electoral Offenders, the commission’s National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, said INEC was working with various agencies, such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC), the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), to prosecute electoral offenders.

The statement reads: “Our attention has been drawn to media reports attributed to the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) accusing the commission of failure or neglect to prosecute electoral offenders arising from the 2023 general election.

“Specifically, SERAP accused the commission of failure to engage independent counsel to prosecute unnamed governors and deputy governors for sundry violations of electoral laws. It also accused the commission of failing to engage private lawyers to prosecute other electoral offences, including vote-buying during the same election. These allegations are untrue and fly in the face of facts already in the public domain.

“In the first place, governors and deputy governors have constitutional immunity from prosecution. SERAP cannot be unaware of this constitutional provision. In any case, the commission has no record that anyone of them has been arrested, investigated and a prima facie case established to initiate their prosecution.

“If SERAP had done basic fact-check, it would have known that at the end of the 2023 general election, the commission announced that it received 215 case files from the Nigeria Police following the arrest and investigation of alleged violators of the electoral laws across the country.

“These include 52 files involving 238 alleged offenders during the presidential and National Assembly elections and 163 files in respect of 536 suspects for the governorship and State Assembly elections. It is important to also inform the public that the commission’s commitment to the prosecution of electoral offenders is not limited to persons who are outside the commission.

“Indeed, officials of the commission, some of them highly placed, have been affected, including a Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) currently being prosecuted in a High Court in Yola.

“Recognising the need for their speedy prosecution and bearing in mind that the commission does not have enough in-house lawyers, it engaged the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) under the leadership of the immediate past President, Yakubu Maikyau (SAN), for assistance.

“The NBA agreed, and a well-publicised joint press conference was held between the Chairman of the commission and the President of the NBA. The Chairman of the commission and other officials have also been providing updates to the public on the matter, as simple google search will show.

“For the first time in the history of elections in Nigeria, concrete steps were taken between the NBA and the commission to prosecute electoral offences. The NBA, working with a prominent and senior human rights lawyer, provided the commission with a list of counsels nationwide, including Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), who volunteered to render pro-bono services.

“Letters of instruction were given to them through the NBA and work commenced in earnest. As private lawyers, this satisfies the provision of Section 145 (2) of the Electoral Act 2022, which empowers the commission to engage external solicitors to assist it in the prosecution of electoral offences.

“So far, convictions/successful prosecutions have been recorded in Kebbi and Kogi states.

“Similarly, it is well known that the commission has been working with the anti-graft agencies, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), to discourage vote-buying and prosecute vote buyers.

“Specifically, a special joint prosecution team of 18 lawyers drawn from the EFCC and INEC was set up to prosecute suspects. Through this joint effort, successful prosecutions have so far been recorded in Lagos, Gombe, and Kwara states.

“The prosecution of electoral offence is very slow for the simple reason that electoral offences are not time-bound, unlike pre-election and post-election cases which must be determined within 180 days at the trial court/tribunal and a maximum of 60 days at each layer of appeal.

“Furthermore, under Section 145 (1) of the Electoral Act 2022, electoral offences are prosecuted in the jurisdiction where the alleged offence is committed and by the state judiciary. Some cases can go on for several years.

“That is why the commission has been in the forefront of the advocacy for electoral reform to make electoral offences time-bound for speedy prosecution of electoral offenders, including the establishment of an Electoral Offences Tribunal.

“We wish to assure Nigerians that the commission will continue to discharge its responsibilities at all times. The commission is not in contempt of court, as alleged. As an organisation that portrays itself as a leader in advocating for justice, SERAP ought to have availed itself of basic facts that are already in the public domain.”