NEWS
Relief as First Bank Reopens in Kogi after One Month
From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja
Relief has come the way of customers as First Bank of Nigeria plc reopened all its branches for business throughout Kogi State yesterday, after one month of closure over none payment of tax crisis between the organisation and government.
Our correspondent reports that the seal off followed an order of a High Court in Lokoja, which ordered the closure of all branches of the bank in the state over the bank’s failure to remit N411.
12 million in taxes to the coffer of the state government.DFAILY ASSET reporter who visited the Post Office area of Lokoja yesterday reports that many customers of the bank were seen transacting various businesses in the bank.
Commenting on the development in a telephone interview with our Correspondent, earlier, the Acting Executive Chairman, Kogi State Internal Revenue Service, KGIRS, Alhaji Sule Salihu Enehe confirmed the reopening of the bank.
He said the development was due to the fact that, the bank had settled “some parentage” of the tax in question to the coffers of the state government.
Enehe added that the management of KGIRS also put into consideration, the fact that all had not been easy with the bank, in terms of conducting businesses as well as the effects of the seal off on its customers.
He, however, maintained that efforts were on to ensure that the bank pays all the taxes it owed the state government, pointing out that reconciliation process had commenced toward achieving that aim.
Our Correspondent recalls that Kogi State Government on September 13,2022, sealed-off all branches of First Bank in respond to court order.
Our Reporter learnt was sequel to a suit filed by the state government against the bank, seeking an order to recover the tax and was granted by the court and KGIRS swang into action to carry out with immediate effect.
Speaking with newsmen in his office, then, the Director, Legal Services of the KGIRS, Barrister Saidu I. Okino, recalled that the amount in question represents outstanding withholding tax from the bank’s mobile banking agents from 2015 to 2022.
He added that the Service took the decision due to the refusal of the bank to liquidate the liability, despite several demand notices to that effect.
Okino said that approaching the court was as a last resort, noting that all other measures to make the bank pay up proved abortive.
“Before we went to court, there was a Demand Notice to that effect, dated 12th day of October 2021 and signed by the then acting executive chairman, Abubakar Yusuf.
“We made several attempts we sent them a notice of the intention of the Service to take warrant of distrain so that we can do whatever is needful, on 25th day of February, 2022 but was ignored.
“On the 25th of August, 2022, Notice of Refusal to amend their liability was served on them.We did not on our own roll out our machineries to go and seal off,” he said.
He said that KGIRS had to approach the court through a motion ex-parte number HC/457M/202, dated August 29 and filed on August 30th, 2022 during it prayed the court for an order to execute warrant of distrain against the defendant by her goods, chattels, bonds, security or any other property.
The service, he added, also sought distrain upon the land, office, business premises or place of management of the defendant (First Bank Nigeria Limited)’s offices in Lokoja, Okene, Kabba, Ajaokuta and any other movable property of the defendant found within the jurisdiction of Kogi State.
The director said that the Board also sought “an order that the defendant bears the cost of executing the distrain in pursuance of section 104(5) of PITA and section 51(5) of the Kogi State Harmonized Tax Law, 2017, as accessed in the sum of N250,000 per site each day.”
The presiding judge, Justice Rukkayat Ayoola, in her ruling, according to Okino, granted all the reliefs sought in the motion ex-parte supported by an eight-paragraph affidavit and deposed to by Mohammed Ibrahim, a civil servant.
“The order for the defendant’s failure and or refusal to liquidate her debt to Kogi State Government in the sum of N411,120,966.77 being the outstanding tax liabilities owed the Kogi State Government for the years 2015 to 2020 is hereby granted,” Ayoola said.
Niger Government has established the state Price Control and Monitoring Board, approved by Gov. Umaru Bago to ensure fair pricing and consumer protection.
Alh. Abubakar Usman, Secretary to the Niger Government (SSG), inaugurated members of the board on Thursday in Minna.
The eight-member board has Alh.
Hussaini Ahmed, a former Permanent Secretary as the chairman.Usman noted that the inauguration of the board marked a significant step in the state’s commitment to ensuring fair pricing and consumer protection.
He said that the board was expected to control and stabilise prices of essential commodities and eradicate or reduce to the barest minimum, hoarding of essential commodities across the state.
He said that board would also handle issues that may arise as a result of enforcement and penalty for contravention of guidelines among several others.
“The board will be responsible for the distribution, monitoring and evaluation of essential commodities and keep price under continuous surveillance.
“They will also interpret price movement and relate them to other development in the State’s economy,” Usman said.
He said the board was expected to interface with relevant stakeholders such as local government chairmen, traditional institutions and councilors and well as market organisations to ensure the success of their mandate.
The SSG enjoined members of board to bring their wealth of experience and expertise in economics, consumer affairs and market dynamics to bear in their assignment.
He said that their appointment underscored the government’s dedication to maintaining economic stability and safeguarding the interests of both consumers and businesses in the state.
In his remarks, the board chairman, Ahmed, assured that the board would interface with relevant stakeholders within and outside the state in order to bring succour to the populace.
Other members of the board include Hamza Bello, Permanent Secretary, Investment, Aliyu Abubakar, Permanent Secretary, Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and Garba Abdullahi, from Ministry of Basic Education.
Also on the board are Adamu Maikasuwa, Ministry of Agriculture, DCP Aminu Garba, Nigeria Police, Niger Command, Aminu Ladan, Chairman, Chanchaga Local Government Area and Usman Liman, retired Statistician-General as Secretary of the Board. (NAN)
The Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC), has shared N1.298 trillion among the Federal Government, states, and the Local Government Councils (LGCs) for September.
This is according to a communique issued at the end of FAAC meeting for October held on Thursday in Abuja.
The communiqué was made available to newsmen by Bawa Mokwa, the Director, Press and Public Relations, Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation (OAGF).
According to the communiqué, N1.
298 trillion total distributable revenue comprised distributable statutory revenue of N124.716 billion, and distributable Value Added Tax (VAT) revenue of N543.518 billion.It also comprised Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL) revenue of N18.
445 billion, Exchange Difference revenue of N462.191 billion and Augmentation of N150.000 billion.It said that a total revenue of N2.258 trillion was available in the month of September.
“Total deduction for cost of collection was N80.993 billion, while total transfers, interventions and refunds was N878.946 billion,” it said.
According to the communiqué, gross statutory revenue of N1.043 trillion was received in September 2024, which was lower than the sum of N1.221 trillion received in August by N177.426 billion.
It said that gross revenue of N583.675 billion was available from VAT in September, higher than the N573.341 billion available in the month of August by N10.334 billion.
“From the N1.298 trillion total distributable revenue, the Federal Government received a total sum of N424.867 billion, and the state governments received a total sum of N453.724 billion.
“The LGCs received a total sum of N329.864 billion and a total sum of N90.415 billion (13 per cent of mineral revenue) was shared to the benefiting states as derivation revenue,” it said.
On the N124.716 billion statutory revenue, the communiqué said that the Federal Government received N43.037 billion and the state governments received N21.829 billion, while the LGCs received N16.829 billion.
It said that the sum of N43.021 billion (13 per cent of mineral revenue) was shared to the benefiting states as derivation revenue.
“From the N543.518 billion VAT revenue, the Federal Government received N81.528 billion, the state governments received N271.759 billion and the LGCs received N190.231 billion,” it said.
It said that in September, Oil and Gas Royalty, Excise Duty, EMTL and CET Levies increased considerably while VAT and Import Duty increased marginally.
It added that Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT), Companies Income Tax (CIT) and others recorded significant decreases. (NAN)
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has reiterated the importance of strict adherence to traffic laws, emphasising the prohibition of commercial motorcycles on highways and other restricted routes.
Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki, the General Manager, said this in a statement on Thursday, signed by Mr Taofiq Adebayo, Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department, LASTMA.
Bakare-Oki said that non-compliance with the regulations not only jeopardised the safety of the riders but also endangered the lives of other road users.
The statement came following the death of a motorcycle rider going against traffic on Carter Bridge, due to a collision with a fast-moving vehicle.
Bakare-Oki noted that the deceased, reportedly traveling from Ebute Ero, collided head-on with a fast-moving vehicle as it ascended Carter Bridge from Ilubirin.
“The forceful impact of the collision led to the immediate death of the motorcyclist while the vehicle driver ran away.
“Personnel from the LASTMA promptly arrived at the scene of the accident and swiftly alerted officers from the Central Police Station at Adeniji Adele and Shemo.
“Together, they coordinated efforts to retrieve the lifeless body of the rider, while LASTMA officials handed over the motorcycle to security authorities for further investigation,” he said.
The LASTMA boss extended his heartfelt sympathy to the family of the deceased.
“LASTMA remains committed to upholding public safety and is intensifying its efforts to minimise the occurrence of such tragic incidents on Lagos roads,” he said. (NAN)
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