Between Kano State and tax payers
The chairman of the Kano internal revenue board Alh.Habu Ibrahim Fagge must be commended for his no nonsense attitude in generating revenue to the state government. The recent closure of some banks and companies by the board of internal revenue who evaded the payment of tax is timely. It is a general consensus that the […]
The chairman of the Kano internal revenue board Alh.Habu Ibrahim Fagge must be commended for his no nonsense attitude in generating revenue to the state government. The recent closure of some banks and companies by the board of internal revenue who evaded the payment of tax is timely. It is a general consensus that the commerce center will only develop when tax payers pay their taxes. Again, the plan of the state government to start taxing Achaba riders, taxis and bus drivers is a welcome idea; it is not only a worker who receives a meager salary who should be forced to pay tax. However, the state government should sanitize the revenue board against corruption, and continue to close any firm that refused to pay tax. And it should ensure that tax payers’ money is judiciously utilized, so as to make people pay without any doubt in mind.
Ibrahim Musa Gwammaja wrote from Kano
Ghana vs Nigeria investment climate
According to media reports, the boss of Ghana Investment Promotion Centre was quoted as saying that about 17 registered firms owned by Nigerians have so far invested $1.5 billion (about N325 billion) in the Ghanaian economy from 1994 to 2011 alone. The report further revealed that Ghanaians were expecting the investment to grow by another $500 million, about N75 billion by the year 2015. As a matter of fact, Nigeria was said to be Ghana’s 5th largest source of investment in terms of value and number of projects registered. Interesting positive results and expectations. My take on this is that it is very good and richly rewarding to invest in other countries. But such investment should not be at the detriment of our own domestic economy. The period cited by the Ghanaian investment boss above has remain the period of consistent decline of Nigeria’s industrial and manufacturing sectors. I concede to the fact that an investor will only go to an economy whose atmosphere is conducive and profitable. I also concede to the fact that nobody tells an investor where to take his investment to. But the question is: when, and I mean how soon, can we make our own domestic economic environment receptive enough by being conducive and profitable? The federal government’s language of “we are committed to this, we are committed to that” should be changed into a practical solution on ground.
Abdulrahman Mohammed Alfa wrote from 6, Mukum Close, Badarawa, P.O. Box 7677, Kaduna Main Post Office, [email protected]
Boko Haram and service chiefs
It is an irony that our service chiefs were feted with national honours at a time when they were unable to stop the bombings carried out by the Boko Haram group across the country. Rather than honouring them, we should be asking them to resign on account of their failure to stem the attack by Boko Haram and bring some semblance of security in our country.
Bashir Aliyu, Minna
Stop plea bargains
The statement over the week by the Chief Justice of the Federation that plea bargain is dubious in our justice system is something most Nigerians have known for long. But now that the Chief Justice has acknowledged that plea bargain is bad for our justice system, the question is what does he intend to do about it? If I can recall, it was the EFCC that introduced plea bargain as a way of providing a soft landing for powerful politicians who looted our money. In the interest of our national future, we should do away with plea bargain and prosecute those who commit crime no matter how highly placed they are.
Sanusi Ahmad, ABU, Zaria
Barring Gov. Sylvia is undemocratic
The decision by the PDP to stop Governor Timipere Sylvia of Bayelsa State from contesting in the party’s primaries is a shame and undemocratic. While I am not a particular fan of the governor I believe he has the right in a democracy to contest for an election under the platform of the party he is registered with. If he contests the primaries and loses, it is a different thing, but stopping him from contesting is dictatorship.
Sam Uwa, Akwa Ibom