President Bola Tinubu has called on religious leaders to refrain from vilifying or denigrating the nation in their sermons.

Speaking during Ramadan Iftar with traditional rulers and religious leaders at the State House on Thursday in Abuja, the President emphasized the important role of religious leaders in shaping public opinion and fostering a sense of unity among citizens.

He urged the leaders to be more constructive in their criticism of those in elective positions.

President Tinubu also declared that his administration is determined to turn Nigeria’s challenges into prosperity.

He reiterated that no terrorist can defeat the collective will of Nigerians, no matter how hard they try to prey on innocent citizens.

He urged traditional and religious leaders to forge a strong bond with the government to defeat terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, and other forms of criminality in the country.

''Yesterday in Abuja, I attended the burial of the 17 soldiers killed in action at Okuama, Delta State. I saw their pregnant wives and little kids.

''The love of the nation is in your hands. Pray for our country. Educate our children. The sermons we preach to the members of our churches and mosques are important.

''Do not condemn your own nation. As a Yoruba man and as our fathers will say, ‘no matter how slippery the bottom of your child is, you must leave the beads there.’

''Leave the beads there. This is your country; do not condemn it in sermons, do not abuse the nation. Leadership is meant for changes.

''Yes, this leader is bad, fine. Wait until the next election to change him, but do not condemn your country. Do not curse Nigeria. This is a beautiful land.

The President, who acknowledged the birthday wishes and goodwill extended to him on the occasion, reminded the leaders that his birthday on March 29, 2024, coincided with Good Friday.

''I have earned the honour of having my birthday fall on Good Friday, and I pray that on this Maundy Thursday, you all shall return to your homes safely. May God guide and keep you and your families in good health, and lift your spirits,'' the President prayed.

Different speakers at the dinner expressed gratitude for the opportunity to come together in the spirit of Ramadan to share a meal with the President and renew the bonds of friendship that unite the nation.

Vice-President Kashim Shettima emphasized the pivotal roles of religious and traditional rulers in promoting peace and unity, urging them to continue to ‘‘build bridges that transcend ethnic and religious divides.’’

The Vice-President expressed delight that the nation’s economy is on a rebound, noting the strengthening of the naira against the dollar.

''The President means well for the nation, and he has continued to redefine the meaning and concept of modern leadership.

''For many years, fuel subsidy was an albatross. The President took a bold decision from day one, and he hit the ground running. Now the economy is turning the corner," the Vice-President said.

Speaking on behalf of the Traditional Rulers Council of Nigeria, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, assured the President of the unwavering support of traditional rulers, and commended the government's efforts to address the hike in food prices and the security challenges.

''You are not alone, Mr. President. The prices of food items and goods are gradually coming down. You are doing your best on security, and we cannot allow you to do it alone. We will join hands to support your vision to the betterment of our nation,'' the Ooni said.

Ambassador Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli, Emir of Zazzau, speaking on behalf of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), highlighted the significance of Ramadan as a period of reflection, empathy, and unity.

On the security situation in the country, the Emir of Zazzau, who represented the Sultan of Sokoto and President General, NSCIA, expressed optimism that the country will return to peace and stability.

''I am happy to see representatives of Muslim and Christian communities in this room. I pray God Almighty blesses the President for him to do more to take the country to the Promised Land,'' the Emir prayed.

Apostle Samson Fatokun, General Secretary of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), noted that the Ramadan dinner with religious and traditional leaders, coincided with Maundy Thursday, the Thursday before Easter, observed in commemoration of Jesus Christ's institution of the Eucharist during the Last Supper.

The General Secretary, who delivered the address of CAN President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, commended President Tinubu for fostering a harmonious relationship between the State and the Church.

''We are encouraged that your administration has shown great determination in tackling the challenges of kidnapping and banditry and bringing to justice the perpetrators of this dastardly act.

''We shall continue to show our support to your administration so that you can execute your noble intention for the nation,'' CAN General Secretary said.

Chief Ajuri Ngelale

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

March 28, 2024

The public accounts committee of the House of Representatives on Thursday, March 28, accused the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and commercial banks collecting revenue for the government of colluding to share the money made from Value Added Tax paid on Remita by customers.

Chairman of the committee, Bamidele Salam (PDP, Osun) who made the allegation at the resumed investigative hearing on revenue leakages in Abuja, also accused the apex bank and the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation of illegally paying about N15 billion to Remita without any formal contract.

The committee however warned the chairman of Federal Inland Revenue (FIRS), Zacch Adedeji against his continuous disregard for the invitation of the committee, saying his actions amount to contempt of parliament.

He also queried the payment of N15 billion to Remita, a payment platform from the Office of the Accountant General for the Federation (OAGF), saying the payment by the OAGF from 2016 to 2018 was questionable because the OAGF paid the money without agreement or contract.

Salam described the payment as illegal, saying, “The money is an illegal payment. There was no budget provision, so where did they source the money from?

“The CBN also shared in the money. The money is an illegal payment; there was no budget provision, so where did they source the money from?”

He said, for instance, if someone pays N150 as a remitter, you will now pay 7.5 percent Value-Added Tax (VAT) in addition to it. Ordinarily, that whole sum of VAT ought to go to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), but what they are doing in this transaction is that they will now add that VAT to the N150.

“They will add it up, gather the money together, and take it to the CBN”

He said: “System Spec and Remitta, both collecting revenue for the federal government, will share 50 percent, while the banks and the CBN will also have their share”, adding that by the time the Committee finished its reconciliation, “I am very sure that hundreds of billions of naira will be the VAT component that was not remitted to FIRS.”

He said each bank ought to take the money and directly remit it to FIRS, saying, “Now Remita is saying that each of those collecting the money will come and calculate the money that has been shared into shreds. How do we track this kind of money?

The director in charge of Banking Services at the CBN, Ahmed Abdullahi, said Remita and System Spec were selected as alternative ways of remitting revenue because they had been rendering similar services to banks.

He explained that Remita was engaged in 2011 and operations commenced in 2012 with system module names, adding that the CBN only finalized the transaction

He said that the fees charged under the TSA were in line with the structure of banking.

Also speaking at the hearing, the Chief Accountant of the TSA Department who represented the Accountant General for the Federation, Oyewole Adewale, accused the CBN of not honouring its letters to reconcile the revenue accrued to the country through TSA.

He said the OAGF had developed a system where all revenue generated by the Ministries of Departments and Agencies of Government (MDAs) could now be monitored without any interference.

Director, Remita Payment Services Ltd., Aderemi Atanda who gave the summary of the TSA collection said that 10, 20, and 50 percent were shared among CBN, commercial banks, and Remitta.

While saying the collections are usually not static but vary “In 2015–2016, it was N4.2 million, and the fee paid was N8.5 billion; in 2016, N1.3 billion was paid.”

Meanwhile, while warning the FIRS against failure to appear before the committee, the Committee chairman said, “This is the fourth time the committee would be inviting the FIRS chairman but failed to show up.

“In addition to writing him officially, we have also made sure that such letters were delivered personally to his mailbox and his WhatsApp number.

“We condemn and describe it as irresponsible and arrogant, and we tell him that there will be consequences if he continues this contempt of his parliament.”

Salam alleged that the value-added tax that should accrued to the Federal Government has not been collected by FIRS.

He said some VAT from the revenue collected by Remitta ought to have gone to the FIRS, but added that they would rather add the VST together and share it with the CBN, Bank, and Remita.

He said: “By the time we finished our reconciliation, the money would be in hundreds of billions,” adding that this was what they were asking the FIRS to come and collect, but the service had refused to show up.