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Covid 19 Grant: FG has Disbursed N66.5 billion ($175 million) to Qualified States of the Federation

The Federal government yesterday said it has disbursed the amount of N66.5 billion ($175 million) to qualified states of the federation based on the revised COVID-19 Responsive 2020 spending.

Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Hajiya Zainab Ahmed, who revealed this in an assertion gave by the Ministrys head of Press, Mr. Hassan Dodo, in Abuja, clarified that the payment followed consistency with the COVID-19 Responsive 2020 Budget by 35 qualified states in the nation.

The program is entirely financed with an advance measure of $750million from the International Development Association (IDA). Each State got the amount of N1.9billion

Ahmed said:

“The spending plan must be labeled and found to have apportioned in any event 10% of the complete consumption of the corrected financial plan for COVID-19 alleviation, rebuilding and recuperation programs; and distinguished tenable sources to completely fund the spending deficiency to dodge collection of back payments”.

Hajiya Ahmed said she believes that a straightforward, responsible, and practical state-level financial/spending structure is a pre-imperative for a powerful COVID-19 reaction.

The minister said that that the accomplishment of results by 35 out of 36 states would additionally reinforce the public monetary reaction to COVID-19 and adjust endeavors at both the government and state-levels.

She noticed that the World Bank-helped SFTAS Program is primarily intended to fortify monetary policies at the state level, to guarantee successful preparation and usage of money related assets to the advantage of the residents in a straightforward, responsible and practical way, in this manner decreasing financial dangers.

It would be remembered that the government had before in April 2020 dispensed the amount of N43, 416,000,000 billion ($120.6 million) to 24 States

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Frank Edoho confirms end of second marriage

Nigerian media personality and television host Frank Edoho has announced that his second marriage has come to an end.

He disclosed this during an appearance on the latest episode of the Tea With Tay podcast.

Edoho, of ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire’ fame, got into his second marriage when he married Sandra Onyenuchenuya in 2013 after the crash of his first marriage to Katherine Obiang in 2011.

Dropping the latest update on his marital situation during the interview, Frank admitted that he’s probably not good at marriage.

He noted, however, that he did all within his power and even stretched himself to ensure the success of both marriages, but they ultimately ended in ruin.

He said, “Maybe I’m not good at marriage, I must confess. The two women I had been married to are not my soul mates. Love of your life is different from your soul mate. The love of your life is the person who comes to your mind when you think of love. But your soul mate is someone who understands you even before you express yourself, and you naturally align with.

“I know that I went above and beyond for the two marriages. I carried my partner… I can abandon everything for her. But you don’t blame them for falling out of love with you. Take the footballer Kaka, for example, he’s a Brazilian and he looks as handsome as an Indian.

“Very handsome guy, even when he retired from football, he was still handsome. But his wife divorced him. Do you know what she said? ‘He is too good.’”

Edoho and Sandra, who was pregnant, had their traditional wedding in 2013, followed by their white wedding in 2017, a year after they welcomed their second child. Their first child was born in 2014.

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APC begins process to replace Ganduje as national chairman

APC National Convention

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has commenced internal consultations to fill the position of National Chairman, following the sudden resignation of Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.

Ganduje stepped down from the party’s top role last week, citing “urgent and personal matters”, less than a year after assuming office.

He took over from Abdullahi Adamu in August 2023. Speaking on the development, APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, confirmed during a Channels Television interview on Sunday that the party was already working to address the vacancy without delay.

“We will take steps immediately to fill that vacancy,” Morka stated, noting that the APC leadership was moving with speed to prevent a prolonged vacuum in the party’s hierarchy.

Consultations Underway for New Leadership
Although no date has been fixed yet for a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting to formalise the transition, Morka assured that arrangements are in motion.

“As we speak, that process has been triggered, and consultations are ongoing,” he said, adding that the NEC meeting would be convened “really soon.”

The party is expected to reach a consensus through broad-based engagement with stakeholders before announcing a substantive chairman.

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Tinubu Signs New Tax Code Into Law

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has officially signed into law four landmark Tax Reform Bills, marking a significant shift in Nigeria’s tax landscape.

The move follows months of policy work, reviews, and consultations aimed at modernising a tax system long criticised as complex, unfair, and burdensome for small businesses.

The new laws include the Nigeria Tax Bill, Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Bill.

Together, they aim to streamline tax collection, enhance transparency, promote equity among states, and protect taxpayers’ rights.

“This is not just another item checked off a list. It is one of the most transformative economic decisions Nigeria has seen in years,” said columnist Arabinrin Aderonke Atoyebi in a strongly worded piece.

The Nigerian Tax Bill consolidates existing tax laws into a single, more user-friendly framework.

Meanwhile, the Administration Bill introduces standardised, digital collection processes to ease compliance for citizens and businesses.

Under the reforms, the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has been replaced by a more independent body, the Nigeria Revenue Service, with a broader mandate covering both tax and non-tax revenues. A key highlight is the restructuring of Value Added Tax (VAT) sharing.

For the first time, states will retain 30% of the VAT they generate. Another 50% will be shared equally among all states, and the remaining 20% will be distributed based on population.

Analysts say this change incentivizes states to improve their local economies and tax collection efficiency.

The reforms also grant exemptions to small businesses earning below ₦50 million annually from paying company income tax, a measure expected to benefit thousands of micro and small enterprises nationwide.

“These laws speak the language people understand. They offer relief from the constant anxiety of multiple levies, unclear charges, and unpredictable policies,” Atoyebi said.

The legislation introduces oversight mechanisms such as a Tax Appeal Tribunal and Tax Ombudsman, aiming to strengthen accountability and fairness in the tax system.

Praise was extended to Dr. Zacch Adedeji, Executive Chairman of the FIRS, who played a central role in the reform process.

Atoyebi wrote, “He put his head down, did the work, and it’s showing now.”

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