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 FIRS breaks all-time record, generates N6.4trn revenue in 2021; The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has raked N6.4 trillion as revenue in 2021, the highest in its history. The 2021 revenue collection surpassed the N5.3 trillion generated in 2019 when Babatunde Fowler was the head. Johannes Oluwatobi Wojuola, special assistant on media and communication to the chairman of FIRS, said this in a statement released on Thursday. According to Wojuola, Muhammad Nami, executive chairman of FIRS, said that despite the limitations faced in 2020/2021, the agency achieved over a hundred percent of its collection target. “The FIRS, in the year 2021 collected a total of N6.405 trillion in both oil (N2.008 trillion) and non-oil (N4.396 trillion) revenues as against a target of N6.401 trillion,” Nami said. ”Companies Income Tax amounted to N1.896 trillion; Petroleum Profits Tax amounted to N2 trillion; Value Added Tax amounted to N2.07 trillion; Electronic Money Transfer Levy amounted to N114 bi

 The United Arab Emirates has announced plans to lift its entry and transit ban on travellers who had recently visited Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia and eight other African countries. The lifting of the ban was made known on Wednesday by the National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Emergency Management Authority (NCEMA). The ban was initially imposed in light of the Omicron variant of COVID-19. “From January 29, entry into the UAE for arrivals from Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Nigeria, the Republic of the Congo, the Republic of South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe is allowed again,” NCEMA said on Twitter. The initial ban covered travellers who had visited certain African countries in the previous 14 days. The changes will come into effect at 2:30pm on Saturday, January 29. Other countries to be affected by the lift include Tanzania, Republic of Congo, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe. Under the new regulations, w

 Fashola: Buhari Has Done More Than U.S Govt In Terms Of Infrastructure; Babatunde Fashola(SAN) The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, has alleged that the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration has more achievements that the United States government, in terms of infrastructure. Fashola stated this in Kano during the “APC conversation series”, on Thursday. The series is the ruling party’s initiative of creating awareness on its achievements in the last seven years. The Minister said, “I can assure you that the present APC administration of President Buhari has achieved what even the US government is trying to do in terms of infrastructure. “As at December 2021, we have completed 941 kilometers of roads across all states and geopolitical zones. “In Kano state here for instance, there are 21 road projects either in, around or in the neighbouring communities. “Before APC administration, when last do you remember Federal Government completing 50 kilometer road in

 Guinea president forgives players for AFCON exit, demands part refund; Interim President of Guinea, Mamady Doumbouya, has forgiven the country’s national men’s football team for crashing out of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in a 1-0 loss to the Gambia but wants a partial refund for the games not played in the competition. The president says that his utmost intention was to encourage them, having understood that building teams take time. “Latest on Guinea President Mamady Doumbouya has forgiven the team. Says his ultimatum was just to encourage them. He understands team building takes time. “But the money given to the team covered QF, Semi-final, and final games and that must be returned to the state coffers,” Ghanian sports journalist Saddik Adams tweeted on Wednesday. Mr Doumbouya previously said the team will refund the state’s money if they failed to win the cup. The Guinea elephants, however, crashed out of the competition on Monday.

 Subsidy Removal Must Benefit Citizens, Not Wealthy Nigerians- Nigeria Governors Forum; The Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), on Wednesday, said any action taken on fuel subsidy removal must directly benefit the people, and not just a few wealthy individuals and their cronies. The forum’s chairman and Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, stated this when he met with the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC ) in Abuja. Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo, Head, Media and Public Affairs, NGF in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja, quoted Fayemi as saying that the nation’s economy was at the precipice and that it had become necessary for the NGF and organised labour to verify the claim on fuel subsidy by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). According to Fayemi, governors must be part of the solution providers because subsidy removal has remained an on-going conversation. “Nigerian governors cannot ignore the economics of petroleum, this is because all the countries surround

 Reps Reject Immunity For Senate President, Speaker, Others  House of Representatives Special Committee on Amendment of the 1999 Constitution has rejected a bill seeking to confer immunity on presiding officers of the National Assembly and judicial officers. The presiding officers of the National Assembly are Senate President, Deputy Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives and Deputy Speaker of the House. The bill, sponsored by Segun Odebunmi (APC, Oyo), is titled, “An Act to alter Section 308 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 to extend immunity to cover presiding officers of the legislative institutions.” Odebunmi is the sponsor of the controversial National Broadcasting Commission bill and the Nigerian Press Council bill. He also chaired the Committee that approved the suspension of Twitter by the Federal Government. A similar bill was introduced in the 8th Assembly by the then Minority Leader, Leo Ogor (PDP, Delta). The bill was, however,

 2023: Ohanaeze Rejects Atiku’s Single Term Proposal, Vice Presidential Slot  The Ohanaeze Ndigbo has rejected former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s proposed single four years tenure if elected as president in 2023. The apex Igbo social-cultural group described Atiku’s proposal as a hoax. Recall that Raymond Dokpesi, an ally of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential aspirant, had said the former Vice President would govern Nigeria for a single term, if elected as president. Dokpesi vowed to go naked if Atiku fails to handover to the Igbos after his tenure. Reacting, Ohanaeze Secretary-General, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, said the remark was a collective disrespect to people of the southeast. Isiguzoro also declared that Igbos will reject the vice-presidential slot, stressing that the region should be allowed to produce a president in 2023. In a statement he signed and forwarded to DAILY POST, Isiguzoro recounted how Atiku rejected a single term offer from Igbo elders in 2019. He sai