Author: Chief Editor

•Plan to harmonise taxes Governors of the 36 states of the federation have resolved to stop contracting collection of taxes to consultants, saying the huge commission being paid out to contractors would help swell the states’ internally generated revenue (IGR). Chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), Dr. Kayode Fayemi, who is also the governor of Ekiti State, said yesterday the planned review of the policy on revenue collection by states was part of reforms being considered to boost the financial outlook at the sub-national level. Many states, notably Lagos, have contracted their revenue-collection duties to consultants despite having internal revenue…

•Says intelligence, right equipment, training of security forces needed to crush insurgency A South African military contracting company, Conella Services Ltd., engaged by President Goodluck Jonathan administration to contain the Boko Haram insurgency in 2014, yesterday expressed its readiness to return to the country, if asked to by the federal government, to finish the job of routing the deadly sect. The military contractor told ARISE NEWS Channel that although as a sovereign nation, Nigeria could decide whether to allow negotiations, which will pave the way for its returning to the country, it is important for the government to review its…

•Masari briefs Buhari in Daura •Insecurity getting worse, laments Sultan •One killed, 19 kidnapped in Niger President Muhammadu Buhari was put on the spot yesterday as leaders of opinion, including Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, and Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III, expressed deep concerns about the worsening security situation in the country. While Soyinka said the abduction of students of Government Science Secondary School (GSSS), Kankara, Katsina State at the time Buhari was in neighbouring Daura on a private visit to the state was a dirty slap across the president’s face, the sultan lamented that insecurity is worsening across…

Real Madrid are unwilling to meet David Alaba’s high wage demands. Alaba’s contract with Bayern Munich comes to end in the summer of 2021. David Alaba’s potential move to Real Madrid could fall through, according to reports from Spain. The Austrian international has been linked with an exit after failing to agree a new deal with Bayern Munich. The Bavarians are unwilling to meet his wage demands, so he will be available for a pre-contract agreement come January. Real Madrid deem David Alaba’s wage demands too high FC Bayern Muenchen v RB Leipzig – Bundesliga Despite playing it cautious in the transfer…

Lionel Messi’s form and body language on the pitch have been indifferent this season. Rousaud claimed that Messi will have to take a pay cut to help Barcelona deal with the damage caused by the coronavirus. According to Barcelona presidential candidate Emili Rousaud, Lionel Messi will have to take a pay cut if he decides to stay at the Camp Nou. The Argentine handed in a transfer request in the summer but couldn’t engineer an exit. Lionel Messi has experienced a difficult start to the new campaign under Ronald Koeman. Barcelona are currently eighth in the La Liga table after the first 11 games and have already…

First, some admissions and a caveat. Contrary to the prevailing political fervour leading up to the 2015 presidential election, I didn’t think that Muhammadu Buhari was the right person to lead Nigeria. His political resume was more than enough reason for that stance. Yet, a majority of Nigerians saw it differently, thanks to a powerful PR narrative that portrayed him as a changed man. And contrary to the correspondingly negative sentiments against Goodluck Jonathan’s presidency, I never thought he was nearly as ineffectual a president as was loudly claimed. But then I had an ethnic and occupational bias in his…

On Thursday, Justice Sylvanus Nsofor, Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United States, died at 85.  I condole with his family. He was a well-educated lawyer who attracted the attention of General Muhammadu Buhari in 2003 when he delivered a favourable minority judgment in the presidential candidate’s election appeal. When Mr. Buhari finally took office in 2015, the debt to Nsofor was one he was determined to pay, but by the time he appointed him as US ambassador in 2017, Nsofor was so old he could barely make it to the biggest dance on the diplomatic circuit. It was an appointment which…

Mikel Arteta appears to have opened the door for Mesut Ozil to return to the Arsenal squad in January but claims a decision has not been made on the German’s future, reports dailymail.co.uk. The Gunners are currently struggling in front of goal having scored just twice in their last seven league games, with German playmaker Ozil out of the Gunners’ 25-man squad for both the Premier League and the Europa League. Arteta could re-register the 32-year-old in the January transfer window but would have to reshuffle his squad as they lie 15th in the top-flight table. The Arsenal manager told…

Buhari, Dare, Glo hail world champion Anthony Joshua is far from fazed by Tyson Fury’s attack on him on Saturday night, saying it was ‘good to hear’ the Gypsy King talking up a fight between the pair, reports metro.co.uk. Joshua knocked out Kubrat Pulev on Saturday night at Wembley Arena, defending his WBA, WBO, IBF, and IBO world heavyweight titles and seemingly setting up a huge unification bout with Fury next year. It was put to AJ that his next fight would be against Fury, who holds the WBC title, and he was open to it without outright calling for…

Segun James looks at the political and economic implications of President Muhammadu Buhari’s refusal to address federal lawmakers on the grim security situation in the country Barely 24 hours after the President began a one week holiday to his country home in Daura, Katsina state, daredevil gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram bandits invaded Government Science Secondary School Kankara in Katsina State and abducted an unknown number of students. The gunmen invaded the school about 10.15 pm and shot dead one of the policemen on guard at the school. Another policeman was said to have been wounded on the leg.…