November 2019

Building

How New VAT Law’ll Affect Cost Of Building Materials

Althoughcost of building materials rise often without major developments in the economy, the planned increased of Value Added Tax by the government is enough reason for building material prices to spike. Now that the Federal Government has decided to increase value added tax (VAT) on some goods, it would be difficult to isolate its effect outside the bulding materials sector. Of course, it will include cost of building materials and houses in the property market. Today for instance  cost of accommodation is high because the cost of building materials is correspondingly high. This is why the decision

BPE

Enugu Student Emerges BPE’s Best Essay Writer

A student of Girls’ Secondary School, Abakpa-Nike, Enugu State, Miss Chidiogo Jane Onoh, has emerged the overall winner of the maiden edition of the essay writing competition of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE).

In a letter to the principal of the school, the Director-General of BPE, Alex A. Okoh, stated that Miss Onoh’s entry in the essay writing competition titled: The Reason for Government Reforms and Privatization of Public Enterprises, “was adjudged the best by the Bureau’s team of evaluators”.

Okoh congratulated the student for emerging the overall winner in the country as well as the school for producing …

Panic In Anambra Community As Fuel Tanker Falls, Spills

There was panic at the tollgate axis of Ogbunike community, Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra State when a tanker laden with Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) fell into a gutter and spilled its content.

This came not too long after similar incident at Ochanja Market in Onitsha. In the Onitsha incident, lives and properties were lost as the spilled content caught fire and razed many shops and humans including a mother and child.

It was not clear what led to the latest accident but people within the vicinity fled the scene for safety.

Confirming the development, Police Public Relations

House Probes Alleged Violation Of Labour Laws By IOCs

The House of Representatives has ordered an investigation into the alleged violation of labour laws by international oil companies (IOCs), including the casualisation of labour.

The House also directed the Minister of Labour, Employment and Productivity, Dr. Chris Ngige, to provide to the Committee on Labour, Employment and Productivity a performance update and report concerning plan to reform the process of granting and renewing recruiters’ licence to labour contractors as announced in July 2018.

The House took the decision following the adoption of a motion moved by Hon. Benjamin Kalu.

Kalu said Nigeria, as a member of the International Labour …

Fayemi To Reintroduce State Merit Award

Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has stated that his administration will re-introduce the State Merit Award in honour of Ekiti indigenes who have distinguished themselves in various fields of human endeavours.

The last edition of the annual Ekiti State Merit Award took place in 2013 during Fayemi’s first term in office.

Speaking in Lagos at the funeral service for the late Lady Deborah Jibowu, first Nigerian female university graduate in the Sciences, Fayemi said the re-introduction of the awards would not only encourage the younger generation to aspire for excellence but also would provide them with models of excellence …

Igbo And Nigerian Presidency Conundrum

IGBO people constitute one of the largest ethnic groups in Nigeria. They are economic, social and educational giants in their own right. Their spirit of mercantilism and commercial dexterity has made them universally ubiquitous. The Igbo in the Diaspora spread to parts of Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas. But at home in Nigeria the Igbo people are political midgets. The political fortunes of Ndigbo have been on downward trend since the exit of Dr.NnamdiAzikiwe, the visionary leader of Igbo extraction and nation builder who believed strongly in the unity of Nigeria.

When in 1957, the British colonial authorities offered …

Igbo Businessmen Now Vulnerable, ADF Cries Out

The Ala-Igbo Development Foundation (ADF) has decried what it called the continued hounding of Igbo businessmen in the country, saying that they have become an endangered species. 

ADF also urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to be cautious in its attempt to intervene in the alleged indictment of Chief Executive of Air Peace Airlines, by the US Department of Justice, as an independent inquiry would be very essential at this point in time to establish the truth once and for all.

Chairman of the group’s Media and Publicity Bureau, Chief Abia Onyike, in a statement in Enugu, yesterday, …

Tambuwal Warns Against Dictatorship

Sokoto State Governor, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, has urged the media to remain vigilant and mobilise Nigerians to defend the nation’s democracy, saying the country cannot operate a democracy like a military dictatorship.

Also, former Governor of Ogun State, Olusegun Osoba, tasked the media, civil society groups and other stakeholders in the democratic space to resist the Hate Speech Bill, saying it will amount to tyranny and a breach of fundamental human rights of citizens.

They spoke yesterday in Sokoto during the opening ceremony of the Nigerian Guild of Editors’ Conference.
Tambuwal also rallied the media to defend free speech by …

Abuja Art Week Debuts to Boost Culture, Tourism

Art lovers were treated to the best of art technology and music as the maiden edition of Abuja Art Week held recently in Abuja. The event brought together a selected group of galleries, organisations, artists and events all under one umbrella to network and socialise in an art environment.

Organised by Hezekina Pollutina Ltd in partnership with various restaurants and service providers to create unique attractions and engagements, it also featured both local and international artists and organisations such as Female Artists Association of Nigeria (FEAAN), Institute Francais and Argentinian Embassy.

Peace

Let’s Forgive And Save Air Peace

The report of last weekend’s indictment of Mr Allen Onyema, chairman of Air Peace airlines by the US Department of Justice in the Northern District of Columbia came as a shock to me as it did to many other Nigerians. To say I am sad  would be an understatement. I tried valiantly to understand the indictment. The claim was that Onyema laundered over $20 million from Nigeria through the United States bank accounts in a scheme involving false documents on his purchase of aero planes that are yet to be delivered.  

Onyema has swiftly responded that all he did …

FG Places $200m Bank Guarantee With UK Court In P&ID Row

Nigeria has given a bank guarantee of $200 million to the United Kingdom Commercial Court hearing its dispute with a British Virgin Islands-based engineering firm, Process and Industrial Development Limited (P&ID), over a botched Gas Supply and Processing Agreement (GSPA), which the federal government believed was fraudulently procured.

But P&ID has denied any wrongdoing in the agreement it entered into with the federal government to process wet gas for the generation of electricity for the country.

In what is clearly a positive step forward for Nigeria, the United Kingdom Commercial Court presided over by Justice Butcher yesterday accepted the …

Martinez Sink Slavia To Keep Inter’s Knockout Hopes Alive

A brace from Lautaro Martinez and a Romelu Lukaku goal handed Inter Milan a 3-1 win at Slavia Prague on Wednesday, keeping the Italians in contention for the Champions League last 16.

Inter are level with Borussia Dortmund on seven points each in Group F topped by Barcelona who clinched a last-16 spot after beating the Germans 3-1 at the Camp Nou.

“The win is important for us, we had no choice but to win,” said Inter coach Antonio Conte.

“We knew what to expect, the forward duo were decisive and I’m very happy for them,” he added.

In the …