News
FIRS: Tribunal orders Multichoice to deposit previously paid tax amount
A tax appeal tribunal in Lagos has ordered Multichoice Nigeria Limited to deposit an amount equal to the tax it paid in the preceding year with the Federal Inland Revenue Service for allegedly evading tax.
Multichoice is the owner of the satellite televisions, DStv and Gotv.
The five-member TAT led by A.B. Ahmed gave the directive in accordance with paragraph 15(7) fifth schedule of the FIRS Establishment.
In July, the FIRS had appointed some commercial banks as agents to recover N1.8 trillion from accounts of Multichoice Nigeria Limited (MCN) And Multichoice Africa (MCA).
The FIRS chairman, Muhammad Nami, had said the decision to appoint the banks as agents and to freeze the accounts was as a result of the group’s continued refusal to grant FIRS access to its servers for audit.
At the resumed hearing on Tuesday, the tribunal had refused to hear the appeal by Multichoice on grounds of jurisdiction.
The tribunal said it lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the matter because the company failed to comply with provisions of the law which mandates them to pay “an amount, on account of the tax charged by the assessment under appeal, equal to the tax charged upon the appellant for the preceding year of assessment or one half of the tax charged by the assessment under appeal”
The TAX held that “guided by the relevant provisions of the law and decided cases of appellate courts cited above it, is the ruling of this tribunal that, the respondent/appellant should comply with the relevant provisions of the law before the next adjourned date, by making the required deposit as provided under Schedule 5 para 15 (7) of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (Establishment) Act 2007, which clearly and specifically states that; “…the Tribunal may adjourn the hearing of the appeal to any subsequent day and order the appellant to deposit with the service, before the day of the adjourned hearing, an amount, on account of the tax charged by the assessment under appeal, equal to the tax charged upon the appellant for the preceding year of assessment or one half of the tax charged by the assessment under appeal, whichever is the lesser plus a sum equal to ten percent of the said deposit, and if the Appellant fails to comply with the order, the assessment against which he has appealed shall be confirmed and the Appellant shall have no further right of appeal with respect to that assessment”
From the ruling above, it is clear that Multichoice is required to deposit with FIRS either an amount equal to the tax paid by it in the preceding year of assessment or one half of the disputed tax assessment under appeal, whichever is the lesser amount plus 10%.
Meanwhile, the tax paid by Multichoice in the previous year of assessment has not been ascertained by TheCable, the company claims that is the lesser amount which it is willing to deposit.
TheCable
News
Ondo: INEC new challenge as 1.7 million votes decide next gov today
Ondo: INEC new challenge as 1.7 million votes decide next gov today
Today, 1,757,205 registered voters in Ondo State will head to polling stations across its 18 local government areas to elect a new governor who will steer the affairs of the state for the next four years.
This marks an increase in the number of registered voters compared to the 2020 election, which had 1,647,973 registered voters, of which only 580,887 votes were recorded.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has expressed its readiness for the exercise, deploying 4,002 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices across 3,933 polling units, with 812 units on standby in case of technical hitches.
Speaking on the commission’s preparations, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, assured the public that sensitive materials were distributed on Thursday to the Registration Area Centres (RACs) for timely deployment.
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Tinubu calls for peaceful polls
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called on stakeholders and voters to uphold peace during and after the election. Through his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu emphasised the importance of the election reflecting the people’s will.
“The president reminds all political stakeholders, especially the candidates, that governance is a privilege bestowed by the people. This privilege must be respected, and Nigerians deserve a free and fair election to consolidate our democracy,” the statement read.
Tinubu also commended the security agencies’ preparedness, with the Inspector-General of Police and the Chief of Defence Staff, assuring professionalism during the exercise.
Ondo: INEC new challenge as 1.7 million votes decide next gov today
News
Late COAS Lagbaja gets CFR honour, buried amid tributes
Late COAS Lagbaja gets CFR honour, buried amid tributes
The late Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. General Taoreed Lagbaja, was on Friday laid to rest in Abuja, amid tears and tributes.
President Bola Tinubu conferred a posthumous award of the Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) on the late Chief of Army Staff.
The burial took place at the National Cemetery in Abuja to end two days of funeral rites that began in Lagos earlier in the week.
His body was lowered into the grave at exactly 4:41pm after the ceremony that lasted over two hours.
Lagbaja’s casket, draped in Nigeria’s green and white colours, arrived at the cemetery around 3pm in a white funeral wagon after a funeral service at the National Christian Centre in Abuja.
Dignitaries were led to the event by President Bola Tinubu. Others are Vice President Kashim Shettima; the Acting Chief of Army Staff, Lt.Gen. Olufemi Oluyede; the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa; Minister of Defence, Abubakar Badaru, and other top government officials and military brass.
President Tinubu announced the conferment of the CFR on the late COAS during the interment at the National Cemetery in Abuja.
The President extolled the virtues of the late warrior, especially his contributions to national security.
According to him, the appointment of Lagbaja as the COAS was one of his finest made so far.
“As an eternal symbol of our appreciation, I have granted the late Chief of Army Staff, the posthumous national honour of the Commander of the Federal Republic of the Niger (CFR),” Tinubu declared.
He thereafter invited the wife of the late COAS, Mariya, to collect the award on behalf of the Lagbaja family amid applause from the congregation.
News
Supreme Court dismisses 16 govs suit challenging EFCC legality
Supreme Court dismisses 16 govs suit challenging EFCC legality
The Supreme Court has dismissed the suit by 16 states challenging the constitutionality of the acts establishing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and two others.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the other agencies are the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU).
In the lead judgment by Justice Uwani Abba-Aji delivered on Friday, the Supreme Court resolved the six issues raised for determination in the suit against the plaintiffs.
The court held that the laws establishing the anti-corruption agencies were validly enacted by the National Assembly within its legislative competence.
It faulted the claim by the plaintiffs that the EFCC Act, being a product of the United Nations convention on corruption, ought to be ratified by majority of the state houses of assembly.
Delivering judgement on Friday, Justice Abba-Aji ruled that “the EFCC Act, which was not established from a treaty but a convention, does not need the ratification of the houses of assembly.”
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