Business

Buhari will respect final court verdict on VAT – Adesina

Published

5 years ago

September 13, 2021

The Presidency has said President Muhammadu Buhari will respect the final verdict on the Value Added Tax as decided by the Supreme Court.

There has been a raging controversy whether the states or the Federal Government through the Federal Inland Revenue Service should have the powers to collect VAT.

But reacting to the issue, spokesman for the President, Femi Adesina, “Eventually, we will have a legal pronouncement, which may come from the highest court in the land…. Knowing the Buhari administration, it will obey the rule of law.”

He added, “All these states are not unanimous. You have heard some governors speaking out against the position of certain states which are so militant on this VAT issue.”

According to him, the matter will affect the ongoing conversation on fiscal federalism.

He said, “The VAT is good because there have been talks about restructuring and fiscal federalism in the country. If states eventually get their demands in respect of VAT, there will be something like fulfilling fiscal federalism. But then, fiscal federalism itself must be done within the ambits of the law.”

The row over who collects VAT between the Federal Government and the state governments broke out after last month’s verdict by a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt that Rivers State is legally in order to collect VAT in its domain.

The Rivers State Government quickly enacted a VAT law and commenced the process to start the collection.

But the FIRS insisted on continuing with the collection and has challenged the judgment at the Court of Appeal, which on Friday ordered the maintenance of the status quo until the determination of the appeal.

Lagos State, which generates the highest amount of VAT, has enacted its own law empowering it to collect the consumption tax in its domain.

Adesina, speaking on Arise TV, also touched on Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) 2020 financial report, and the security situation in the Northwest.

On the NNPC 2020 audited reports and the declared profit after tax of N287 billion, Adesina lashed out at those who always fail to see positive developments, but are always looking for bad in every good being recorded in Nigeria’s recent history.

He described the state of minds of those picking holes in the news of the profit as those that have been accustomed to hearing bad news, adding that they questioned its authenticity because they never thought that positive things could happen in government.

“Well, we have heard stories in this country before; how Presidents will just give notes to NNPC and their wishes got done without records. There was a lot of impunity in this country, but the NNPC GMD is on record, even the Chief Finance Officer, Umar Ajiya, is on record as saying that President Buhari does not interfere in their operations. It used to happen, but under this administration, it has never happened. That was why you had that declared profit.

“But the surprising thing is that it seems some Nigerians are already so used to bad news, that they have got inured to good news. When that good news came, their first instinct was to pick holes in it because all their lives they are used to bad news.

“When that good news came, they couldn’t imagine it, but it happened. I watched your engagement with the Chief Finance Officer of the NNPC, how he explained that profit and anybody who is not cynical, will know that there’s a lot of truth in what the CFO said.

“Yes, I watched the encounter with the CFO, like I said, and he emphasised that one of the things they had to do was to cut costs. Cut costs for operations; cut costs of production, running costs, and it all redounded to the profit that was declared.

“It shows that there was a lot of wastage, extravagance, lack of accountability in the previous years and the man also said both the President and the Vice President never interfere in the operations.

“As we said in the beginning, we knew and heard and it was indeed true that presidents and those in the corridors of power used to give directives to the NNPC to do certain things, which at the end of the day will erode the profitability of the corporation. That doesn’t happen again and that is why that perfect came.”

Asked if the President would be disposed to speaking to members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in a private audience, in order to avert the industrial action they just threatened to embark on, Adesina said “why not? The President will do everything that will contribute to industrial harmony in any part of the country, but I also recall that in 2020, just before the COVID lockdown began, ASUU came to see the President, the President personally received ASUU, I was at that meeting, but ASUU still went on strike that lasted about 10 months or more.

“So, what I’ll like to say is that we shouldn’t have the ‘we against them mentality’ in this country. Nigeria belongs to all of us; it belongs to lecturers, it belongs to ASUU, it belongs to those serving in government, it belongs to the ordinary Nigerians. This ‘we against them mentality’ serves nobody any good purpose. Whatever will account for industrial harmony, including on our campuses, let all sides do”, he said.

On the lingering ban of the international social media platform, Twitter, from Nigeria, and the recent shutdown of telecommunication coverage in Zamfara and parts of Katsina State, the presidential spokesman said they were actions taken in the overall interest of security and peace in the country.

Railway

BREAKING: Several Passengers Injured as Abuja–Kaduna Train Derails After Collision

Published

7 hours ago

March 16, 2026

Trends Admin

File photo

BREAKING: Several Passengers Injured as Abuja–Kaduna Train Derails After Collisio

Several passengers were injured on Monday after a train travelling along the Abuja–Kaduna rail corridor derailed following a collision, authorities have confirmed.

The incident reportedly occurred near Asham along the busy rail line linking Abuja with Kaduna State, causing panic among passengers onboard the train.

The Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Kayode Opeifa, confirmed the development, stating that emergency response teams were immediately deployed to the scene following the derailment.

According to preliminary reports, the train derailed after colliding with another object on the track, though officials have yet to disclose full details about the circumstances surrounding the accident.

BREAKING: Several Passengers Injured as Abuja–Kaduna Train Derails After Collision

Business

NAJA to Tinubu: Guarantee crude supply to local refineries to tame petrol prices

Published

1 day ago

March 15, 2026

Trends Admin

NAJA to Tinubu: Guarantee crude supply to local refineries to tame petrol prices

The Nigeria Auto Journalists Association (NAJA) has urged President Bola Tinubu to ensure steady supply of crude oil to domestic refineries, particularly the Dangote Refinery, as part of measures to reduce the impact of rising petrol prices.

The association said prioritising crude allocation to local refineries would help Nigeria reduce its exposure to global energy shocks currently driving up fuel costs amid tensions in the Middle East.

The call came days after the Federal Government unveiled a plan to distribute 100,000 Compressed Natural Gas conversion kits nationwide to encourage motorists to switch to alternative fuel and reduce dependence on petrol.

While describing the CNG initiative as a positive step, NAJA stressed that strengthening domestic refining through reliable crude supply remains a more sustainable solution to Nigeria’s fuel pricing challenges.

NAJA Chairman, Theodore Opara, said the government should adopt policies that allow local refineries to obtain crude directly from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), preferably in naira.

According to him, the current arrangement—where the Dangote Refinery imports a large share of its crude—leaves the facility vulnerable to global supply disruptions and price fluctuations.

“Dangote Refinery imports most of its crude, hence it is exposed to the effects of the ongoing crisis in the Middle East,” Opara said. “Direct crude supply from the NNPC will strengthen the country’s long-term energy diversification strategy and reduce exposure to international supply shocks.”

He noted that despite being Africa’s largest crude oil producer, Nigeria still depends heavily on imported refined petroleum products, a situation that continues to expose the economy to volatility in the international oil market.

Opara argued that allowing domestic refineries to source crude locally and transact in naira would not only stabilise the downstream petroleum sector but also reduce pressure on the local currency.

“If Nigeria’s major refineries, including Dangote, receive crude locally and transact in naira, the country will reduce its vulnerability to global market disruptions,” he said.

He added that while the government’s CNG programme could provide relief for motorists in the medium term, ensuring optimal operation of domestic refineries would deliver quicker and more far-reaching benefits for fuel pricing.

“CNG is a good transition policy for transportation, but the backbone of Nigeria’s fuel supply must still come from efficient domestic refining,” he said.

Industry analysts say a coordinated strategy that combines the CNG initiative with strong support for domestic refining could help shield Nigerian consumers from the impact of international oil market volatility.

Business

Naira Gains Ground in Official FX Market, Ends Week on High Note

Published

2 days ago

March 14, 2026

Trends Admin

Naira Gains Ground in Official FX Market, Ends Week on High Note

The Nigerian naira ended the week on a stronger footing at the official foreign exchange (FX) market, closing at ₦1,366.23 per US dollar on Friday, according to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). This marked a ₦5.27 gain over Thursday’s rate of ₦1,371.50, representing a 0.3% weekly improvement.

Throughout the week, the naira recorded steady gains, reflecting improved liquidity in the official FX window and growing confidence among investors and traders. On Monday, the currency opened at ₦1,405.62 per dollar, appreciating slightly to ₦1,401.40 on Tuesday and ₦1,376.19 on Wednesday before closing stronger on Friday. Analysts said this upward trend signals a stabilising official exchange market amid ongoing monetary reforms.