MTN Makes U-Turn, Admits Not Paying N757.7bn Tax To FIRS

 

Nigeria’s biggest network provider, MTN Nigeria has reversed itself on the claims that it remitted N757.5bn to the Federal Government in 2021.

The company said last week that the actual amount paid to the tax authority- the Federal Inland Revenue Service in 2021 was N291.67bn.

“Without prejudice but specific to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), direct remittances by the company to FIRS in 2021 was N291.7bn. While the balance represents VAT, levies, fees and duties paid to other Federal Government agencies.,” MTN reversed earlier claims.

The telecom firm said VAT on revenue paid to the government was N98.99bn; Withholding tax N71.17bn and companies Income Tax N99.28bn.

It revealed that Stamp Duties remitted was N8.47bn, Tertiary Education Tax was N10.64bn, while Information Technology Levy paid was N3.1bn.

On April 2, 2022, MTN company’s secretary, Uto Ukpanah, had said N757.7bn was remitted to the FIRS making it the highest single contributor to Nigeria’s tax in 2021.

Ukpanah said MTN paid the amount in direct and indirect taxes to the FIRS in the 2021.

MTN specifically claimed it paid N618.7bn in direct and indirect taxes to the FIRS.
“In 2021, MTN Nigeria’s total tax contribution to all government agencies including the FIRS amounted to N757.6bn while FIRS collected a total of N6.4trn tax revenue in the year.

“Specifically, MTN Nigeria paid a total of N618.7bn in direct and indirect taxes to the FIRS in the 2021 tax year, representing approximately 13.5 per cent of the total FIRS collection for the year,” the telco had said.

At the National Tax Dialogue Event organised by FIRS in April, the company was applauded as the most tax compliant organisation among the top 20 taxpayers in Nigeria for the 2021 tax year.

MTN’s 2021 Audited Financial Statement, revealed a 22.90 per cent growth in revenue from N1.35tn to N1.65tn.

The company reported a 45.5 per cent surge in net profit of N298.65bn, up from N205.21bn in 2020.

APC Unveils Kashim Shettima as Tinubu’s Running Mate

Tinubu (right) and Shettima

 

 

Nigeria’s ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), has unveiled Kashim Shettima as the running mate to Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the party in the 2023 election.

 

Mr Shettima, a former governor of Borno State and serving senator, was unveiled at the Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja on Wednesday.

 

The unveiling comes despite fierce criticisms trailing his choice as the vice presidential candidate of the ruling party on July 10 in Daura in Katsina State.

 

Both Messrs Tinubu and Shettima are Muslims.

 

Some members of the party criticised the choice, tagging it as “Muslim/Muslim.”

 

Among those who fiercely opposed it were a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and Mr Tinubu’s ally, Babachir Lawal, and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).

 

However, the pair received approval from others.

 

Mr Tinubu had earlier announced Ibrahim Masari as his running mate in ‘placeholding’ capacity,

 

Despite the criticisms Mr Shettima’s pick, Mr Tinubu, at the event, said his recruitment and political decisions have always been on certain principles that are “non-negotiable”.

 

 

“All my life, my decisions regarding the team I am around and those I work with is guided by the principle of competence, innovation, compassion, integrity and adherence to excellence. In politics, those principles are non-negotiable. Without them, there cannot be victory, there can be no joy,” he said.

 

Speaking on the controversy over his faith, Mr Shettima said some persons also dispensed similar bigotry ahead of the APC primaries in June but the outcome showed that Nigerians are rational people.

 

“We all witnessed the decisive blows dealt the bigotry dispensed by a hopeless minority, ahead of the APC presidential primaries, last June. The futility of their propaganda, showed that Nigerians aren’t the unthinking robots some are quick to call them. Nigerians are rational beings with the capability to tell an invidious agenda apart, from sincere concern for them.

 

“They are not the uncritical consumers of clickbait and falsehoods, as some of us think they are. They see through the bigots, masquerading as patriots and, very importantly, they know those who represent their interests, even in the quietest and darkest of meeting rooms,” Mr Shettima said.

 

Also speaking, the National Chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Adamu, said even though the choice of running mate is an exclusive right of the presidential candidate, he consulted stakeholders and President Muhammadu Buhari.

 

He noted that the party will “wholly and unconditionally accepts his choice.”

 

Mr Adamu also appealed to those that contested the APC ticket with Mr Tinubu to ”purge themselves” of the loss at the recent APC convention.

 

“It is time to purge ourselves of the bitterness arising from our individual losses in the party primaries. It is time to submit ourselves to the will of God and the party and do nothing to sabotage its well-laid plans for victory.

 

“The other political parties want what we want, and that is, to win and form the next government. So, we must not by any acts of omission or commission give in to bitterness and pettiness or fail to see the larger picture." 

Buhari to Shettima: I Will Hand Over to You and Tinubu

 

 

President Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on Wednesday, hailed the Vice Presidential candidate of the All Progressive Congress, Kashim Shettima, following hi unveiling by the party’s presidential flagbearer, Bola Tinubu.

According to a statement signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the President spoke when he received Shettima at the Presidential Villa hours after he was unveiled by the leadership of the party as Tinubu’s running mate.

The statement is titled ‘President Buhari to Kashim Shettima: I will respond to you when I am handing over to you and your boss.’

Reacting humorously to a flowery speech by the new VP candidate, the President said “I will respond to your speech when I am handing over to you and your boss. God willing, you are going to win.”

“I wish you the best. Your consistency in the party is very respectful.  You served your two terms as Governor and finished well. You have kept touch with your base. At every important occasion or event, you are maintaining support for the one who succeeded you. This is commendable,” Buhari added.

In his remarks, the vice presidential candidate thanked the President for his “empathy, support and positive role,” leading to his emergence as running mate to the APC presidential candidate.

He praised the President for having “a special place in your heart for Borno and North-East,” adding, “I can cite 20-30 instances of support you have rendered, for which you will be remembered.”

Citing the establishment of the North-East Development Commission, and the Independent Power Plant for Maiduguri by the NNPC, Shettima said “after many years of darkness, words cannot describe our appreciation of your support. We will remain eternally grateful.”

The former Governor of Borno State also requested the President to appreciate his successor, Prof. Babagana Zulum, who was in his company, along with the Minister of State, Agriculture, Mustapha Shehuri, for spurning “recurring mention” of him and pressure from his Governor colleagues to bid for the vice presidential ticket.

He promised that his vice presidency would not be for the “troika of Hausa, Fulani and Kanuri,” but for all Nigeria, irrespective of ethnicity, religion or geographical place of origin.

Speaking shortly after the visit, Shettima told journalists that he “felt morally bound” to thank the president personally, before returning with a larger delegation on Friday.

Reacting to agitations over the Muslim-Muslim ticket floated by his party, he said the APC ticket is not designed to protect the interests of one faith as there are religious leaders to do that.

“In Borno, we spent over N1bn naira rebuilding churches destroyed by the Boko Haram insurgency. And this legacy has been continued by Governor Babagana Zulum. We have taken more Christian pilgrims to Jerusalem than some of the Northern states headed by Christians.

“So, we have that history of inclusivity, of togetherness. What we need is competent leadership. We are not coming into government to represent the Muslim or the Christian faith. The Sultan of Sokoto is eminently qualified to protect Muslim interests and the CAN president is eminently qualified to defend Christian interests as well,” he said.

God Directed Me to Bless Peter Obi for 2023 Elections, Says Pastor Okafor

 

As preparations for the forthcoming general elections gather momentum, prominent Nigerians have continued to make comments on who will lead Nigeria to a better destination and improve the economy come 2023.

Some say for Nigeria to reclaim its past glory, preparations for a better tomorrow starts now, with your PVC you can decide, how the next four years will look like.

A clergy and popular Global Prophet, Dr Chris Okafor of Grace Nation international aka Liberation City has also made his own pronouncements on the fourthcoming general election in 2023.

Speaking at a church service recently, the Generational Prophet of God as he is fondly called declared that for 2023 Presidential elections, All Progressive Congress Presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed is good.

According to Prophet Okafor, he said he has no problem with him; "The APC presidential candidate have really done well with human capacity building".

The Man of God also remarked that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar too is a very successful entrepreneur with his numerous companies that gave thousands of Nigerians employments. "He is good also but specifically God directed me to pray for Peter Obi against any form of conspiracy before and shortly after the presidential election".

"I saw flag being given to Peter Obi but immediately he wanted to receive the flag, many forces rise up against him, they want to stop him from receiving the flag, but the good news was that they all failed".

"The recent victory of am opposition party in a South West state affirmed the beginning of change many Nigerians are yearning for, there will be change of Power in Nigeria". Prophet Okafor declared.

Dr Chris Okafor stated further that Peter Obi possesses all the necessary requirements to move the nation forward but there will be forces that will want to rise against the mandate Elohim has given him to help restructure the country, this was the reason why God directed me and the entire church to pray for Mr Peter Obi

"Unapologetically, I will remain obidient to the instructions of the Almighty God, Every gathering that is not of God against Peter Obi will not stand, there will be attempt to conspire against Peter Obi, but the attempt will fail, whatever the Lord did not approve will not stand but the one God approves and whatever evil plans against such movement is dead on arrival, Dr Chris Okafor remarked.

Adron Launches Free Health Festival

 

 

Adron Homes and Properties, a leading player in real estate presents Adron Health Festival.

 

In commemoration of her tenth anniversary, the company has decided to embark on giving back to the general public in retrospect of the goodwill the company has continued to enjoy over the years.

 

In a Press release by the company’s Director-General of Sales and Marketing, Mrs Folashade Oloruntoba today at the company’s head office in Lagos she said, “Adron Homes and Properties is poised at extending her hands of gratitude to the general public for the support we have continued to enjoy over the years, and the confidence the public has bestowed in us as their first choice in housing solution”.

 

She continued “Adron Homes thought it wise to extend health care to the nooks and crannies of the country, understanding the importance of health, because as the great wise saying goes, Health is wealth. We have decided to host a mega health outreach tagged ADRON HEALTH FESTIVAL’’.

 

The general public will have access to basic health checks and services at the event since we firmly believe that investing in one's health means investing in one's future.

 

Oloruntoba further added "We are urging the general public to take advantage of this opportunity to obtain free health care, as we will be easily accessible in numerous sites around the country, including the well-known Brent Mall, Apata Ibadan, and Jericho Mall, Oyo State" Oloruntoba continued.

 

 

Other locations include Ifo Market Sagamu in Ogun State will host the Adron Health Festival.

The Sabo Market Sagamu will serve as the location in Osun State.

 

 

Lagos locations include Agege Market, Idumota Market, and Ojodu Berger at the Oando gas station, and Ketu roundabout.

 

 

UTC Market, Area 10, and Maraba Market are the locations in Abuja, respectively.

Quincy Ayodele's Son, Temi, Weds Dec 17 *Ooni, Alake, Other VIPs to Attend

 

 

This year 2022 will be culminating on a very high pedestal in the society circle here in Lagos, as prominent Nigerians from different parts of the country will converge to honor the family of Chief & Chief [Mrs] John and Quincy Olasunmbo Ayodele at the wedding ceremony of their son, Temiloluwa to his beautiful sweetheart, Ashley Robert, who hails from Bonny Island in Rivers States,

 

The event which is poised to attract the crème-de-la-crèmes in the country has been slated to hold Saturday 17th of December 2022 at the

RCCG City of David, Church, Oniru, Victoria Island while the reception will be held at La Madison, Oniru, Victoria Island Lagos. With preparation already in top gear, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, the Alake of Egbaland , Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo have both accepted to be the Royal Fathers of the Day among other prominent Monarchs who will also grace the occasion .

According to information at our disposal, the wedding ceremony will be Chaired by distinguished Nigerians, Otunba Tunde Ayeni [CON] and Senator Daisy Danjuma. Also, the Convener of Arise Women, Dr Siju Iluyomade will be the Mother of the Day.

Quincy, a World Health Organization expert on development of Traditional Medicine in Africa is famously known for her natural slimming expertise which has now metamorphosed into full integrated health care outreach as Quincy Naturopathic &Wellness Centre, spearheaded by her daughter Dr Tobi Keeney.

Her popularity which has endeared her to many through her passion for good health is expected to reverberated with guests from social circle, Political, Business, Nollywood and other creative arts like Fuji-Lord King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal who will entertain guests. Beejay Sax is also expected to serenade the atmosphere on the day while Gbenga Adeyinka as usual takes center stage as Masters of Ceremony at the event that promises to be glamorous, show of panache and definitely talk of the town.

 

HOW THEY MET

Ashley Robert

Last year, I met my future husband at a surprise party on January 22nd, 2021. It was a surprise party for his best friend and now best man whose girlfriend had invited me. I had weekend classes and was reluctant but I went regardless. As the birthday boy walked in, behind him came Temi who I glanced at because of his smile. I stayed on the further end of the kitchen and soon enough he came and found a reason to speak to me. We spoke the whole night and when it was time for me to go, he walked me to my car and busted his famous Michael Jackson moves lol.

He took my number and texted me the very next day. He quickly told me he's not the texting type and called me immediately through Facetime. From the very beginning, he had been direct and detailed with every single thing and I think that focus, precision, and consistency encouraged me to give him all my attention. From our first date on February 6th to our conversations about the future, there was no ounce of confusion.

I remember making jest of his Instagram page where he posted a lot of jokes, I had even told my friend I couldn't take him seriously and before too long he showed me all he was about in plain sight and now here we are, getting ready to walk that aisle!

 

What's magical and definitely God divine is, that we wanted the same things, hated and loved the same things even down to the details of our lifestyle. I used to say I finally found someone funnier than me that would always make me laugh. Knowing what we both wanted as individuals before coming together is so key in this journey. Our coming together only allowed us to further develop each other and build the start of something special, strong and God-centered.

 

 

Temiloluwa Ayodele

Where do I begin…… So, I was asked to distract my best friend (now best man) for his surprise party on January 22, 2021. It had been a long day at work, so I was pretty upset I had to drive an hour n a half to pick him up, and then go to a hookah bar. The whole time we were at the bar, I just kept thinking “I hope there are correct babes at this place lol”. Sure enough, I walked in, they turned the lights on, and everyone screamed “surprise !!”; My eyes immediately gravitated toward a beautiful woman in the corner of the room. It was like heaven opened up and God shined his torchlight directly on her because she was damn near glowing that day. I immediately made sure I marked my territory for anyone else thinking the same thing. I waited a couple of minutes and went over to her and we started talking. It was history after that; We spoke the whole night, played games, and as a part of the game we played, she ordered an item from amazon from my phone which I may not be able to disclose at the moment lol. She had class early in the morning the next day but we were both reluctant to leave.

 

It didn’t take long before I knew she was the one, the missing piece, and the last part of the puzzle. From our conversations about God, the future, and the fact that she didn’t sell lashes lol, I was pretty much sold on her very early. Every single one of our thought processes aligned down to the type of flooring we would want in a kitchen. I always wanted a proverbs 31 Woman, so I gave her a little quiz on it. I asked her to go through the whole verse and tell me how it related to her as a Woman. Her answers blew me completely away. We went out on our first date, and everything seemed so natural like we had been dating for years. This feeling never departed from me as much as I tried to avoid it lol. Till today to the glory of God, she has been consistent, caring, loving, and above all God-fearing. I truly thank God for the day he brought her into my life and I pray He continues to bless and grow our union according to His will IJN.

Yoruba Actors, Fala, Oga Bello, Foluke Daramola, Others Release Song for Tinubu's Presidential Bid

Fala

Nollywood veteran actor and producer, Monsuru Obadina a k.a. Fala, has released a campaign song in support of APC national leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu's presidential bid .

 

The actor who shared the preview of the track titled 'League of Actors for 2023' on his Instagram handle, said he did the song with the support of his professional colleagues to boost the 2023 presidential chances of Asiwaju Tinubu.

"It is not only me that is involved in this. My other colleagues like Jide Kosoko, Adebayo Salami (Oga Bello), Yinka Quadri, Ajala Jalingo, Olaiya Igwe, Muka Ray, Taiwo Hassan Ogogo, Kunle Adegbite, Saheed Balogun, Foluke Daramola and others are also part of the song team," he said.

 

Fala noted that the Yoruba movie industry especially believes in Tinubu's vision and plans for a better Nigeria, adding that the former Lagos State governor deserves the support of movie practitioners considering what he has done and still doing in support of the film industry.

 

"So, we believe there is nothing too big to use to pay him back in his time of need. And with this album, we are making a statement in that regard and we know it will go far," he declared.

 

Fala is a foremost Nigerian actor who has put in well over forty years in the make believe profession and still going strong.