N’Delta elder statesman wants Nigeria restructured into six nations

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, has called on Nigerians to pay their taxes, saying the government at all levels needs to make money to provide social services to Nigerians. Wike made this call on Wednesday in Abuja at the first edition of the Abuja Business and Investment Summit organised by
Pay your taxes, govt needs to make money – Wike tells Nigerians

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, has called on Nigerians to pay their taxes, saying the government at all levels needs to make money to provide social services to Nigerians.

Wike made this call on Wednesday in Abuja at the first edition of the Abuja Business and Investment Summit organised by the Abuja Investment Company Limited.

He said the theme of the event, ‘Optimising Investment Through Partnerships’, resonates with the Federal Government’s drive to deploy the power of collaboration to foster investment opportunities.

According to him, the notion that the government does not need money was incorrect.

While citing examples of the government’s partnership with the private sector that went sour, Wike said the government won’t continue to commit billions of naira and land to investors who can’t guarantee a return on investment.

“These are the kinds of things the government looks into and say how can I bring in the money and the land and at the end of the day, the government will not make a dime?

“When people say the government is not to make money, who told you that? If the government is not to make money, how do we have money to provide services? The government needs money.

“That’s why the government says pay your tax; it’s very important. And so, while we provide the enabling environment, we also believe that we have to encourage you (investors) so that you get what you are supposed to get and the government gets what it is supposed to get. That way, everybody will go home smiling,” he said.

Pay your taxes, govt needs to make money – Wike tells Nigerians

President Bola Tinubu is currently presiding over the 18th meeting of the Federal Executive Council at the Aso Chambers of the State House, Abuja. Monday’s meeting, the first in six weeks, follows the President’s various foreign engagements in Equatorial Guinea, China, and the United Kingdom over the past month. Tinubu, who arrived at the chamber
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President Bola Tinubu is currently presiding over the 18th meeting of the Federal Executive Council at the Aso Chambers of the State House, Abuja. Monday’s meeting, the first in six weeks, follows the President’s various foreign engagements in Equatorial Guinea, China, and the United Kingdom over the past month. Tinubu, who arrived at the chamber

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A first-class traditional ruler in Kwara State, Olupo of Ajasse-Ipo, in Ifelodun Local Government Area, Oba Ismail Muhammad Yahaya, has cried out over the spate of kidnappings in Igbominaland of Kwara South senatorial district. According to the monarch, while most residents now remain indoors at 6 pm, farmers are afraid to go to their farms
Kwara: Stakeholders worry over persistent kidnapping in Igbominaland

A first-class traditional ruler in Kwara State, Olupo of Ajasse-Ipo, in Ifelodun Local Government Area, Oba Ismail Muhammad Yahaya, has cried out over the spate of kidnappings in Igbominaland of Kwara South senatorial district.

According to the monarch, while most residents now remain indoors at 6 pm, farmers are afraid to go to their farms as a result of fear of armed kidnappers.

Speaking at a meeting of stakeholders on the development in his palace, in a video that has gone viral, he disclosed that the majority of the traditional rulers in Ifelodun Local Government Area of the state have fled their communities for fear of being kidnapped by gunmen.

He said most of the traditional rulers have now relocated to Ilorin, the state capital and other towns to seek refuge.

“Kidnappers in the area now address letters to the monarchs, informing them of when they will strike in their domain. Iyaloja of Oko town had so far spent over two weeks in kidnappers’ captivity. The Olora of Ora town had since taken refuge in Lagos when he got information that he had become the target of kidnappers. It took us a great deal of effort to convince and bring him back home from Lagos,” he said.

Oba Ismail appealed to the governor to rescue the entire state, especially Ifelodun, from the siege of bandits that have overwhelmed the area’s security networks, noting that the situations in Omu-Aran, Oko, Ora and Omupo, among others, have been pathetic.

“I make bold to say that traditional institutions are working hard. In fact, we have been tasking ourselves to maintain and sustain security in our domains, with first-class chiefs contributing N250,000, second-class paying N150,000 and third-class paying N100,000 and the proprietor of Thomas Adewumi College donating N10 million to assist in the efforts to secure the communities.

“There’s no way we as a people can fight this cause without government’s support because these people (bandits) in the bush go about with more sophisticated weapons,” he lamented.

The monarch passionately appealed to the state government to encourage and strengthen the local vigilantes to work.

“As a people of Igbominaland, we are not happy and we can’t hide it any longer. We appeal to the governor because we don’t wish for the repetition of what happened to late Onikoro, who was killed by bandits in his palace recently,” he said.

Kwara: Stakeholders worry over persistent kidnapping in Igbominaland