News
Reps Cttee promises support for FCT-IRS, others to enhance operations
The House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts, PAC, being Chaired by Rep Busayo Oluwole Oke has promised that the 9th National Assembly would support the Federal Capital Territory, Inland Revenue Services, FCT- IRS and other revenue generating agencies to enhance their operations.
Rep Oke gave the assurance when the Acting Executive Chairman of the Service, Mr Haruna Abdullahi appeared before the Committee on various issues raised against the Service which was referred to it by the House at
plenary.
Oke advised that the Parliament should be availed opportunities it could to assist it for effective operations for the Abuja residents and the entire country.
This came as the Federal Capital Territory Internal Revenue Service disclosed that it had introduced Electronic Tax Clearance Certificate (E-TCC) to improve service delivery and checkmate activities of fraudsters who could forge such document.
Abdullahi explained that the E-TCC had fortified the process thereby making it difficult for anyone to forge such document because of the introduction of QR CODE.
He said this effort would help the Service not to be short-changed as well as boost revenue for the FCT.
He further explained that Tax Clearance Certificate (TCC) was a document being issued by the Tax Authority to certify that an individual or a business was compliant with the appropriate requirements as stated by law within a stipulated period of time usually for the three preceding years.
Abdullahi said that this is in line with section 85 of the Personal Income Tax Act 2011 as amended, which states;
“Whenever the relevant tax authority is of opinion that tax assessed on the income of a person for the three years, immediately preceding the current year of assessment has been fully paid or that no tax is due on income or that the person is not liable to tax for any of those three years, it shall issue a tax clearance certificate to the person within two weeks of demand for the certificate by that person or give reasons for the denial”
According to him, while issuing a tax clearance certificate, due diligence must be carried out to ensure certain conditions were met by the taxpayers and satisfied by tax authority.
He stated that application for TCC must be made and duly endorsed by the taxpayer and annual income declaration form A and three years income declaration form must also be duly completed and signed by the taxpayer.
The FCT-IRS boss also noted that personal emoluments which comprise of wages or salaries, including allowances, benefits in kind, gratuities, superannuation or pension schemes and any other income derived solely by reason of employment are declared.
Abdullahi added that income declared must be verified, satisfied and evidences of such income be sited while benefit in kind must also be verified based on section 4 of PITA 2011.
The chairman advised that taxpayers should always endeavour to declare their incomes accordingly with evidences that would be satisfactory to the mangers of the tax authority while due diligence would be carried out appropriately within the stipulated time.
“It is evident that the issuance of the TCC is at the discretion of the Service in its justification based on the items listed in section 31 of FCT-IRS Act, 2015 and PITA, 2011 (as amended) may issue or not issue a tax clearance certificate” he concluded.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Committee urged general the public or taxpayers to report any violation of the law concerning issuance of TCC to the management of FCT-IRS.
Oke advised that the FCT-IRS should consider legislative arm as collaborator who would work to ensuring smooth operation of the service.
According to him,”We will support you in whatever way to generate more revenue in the FCT, try to have record of all the people resident in Abuja, the data is important, ask for bank statement to know the actual tax to collect.
“We will support FCT-IRS and help the Service to bring more people to the tax net.”
Operatives of the Department of State Security (DSS), have arrested two principal suspects involved in the killing of 16 Nigerians of Northern extraction in Uromi, Esan North East Local Government last week.
The suspects were arrested by operatives of the DSS in Uromi, following credible intelligence. Operatives of various security agencies are hunting for other key suspects involved in the unfortunate incidents
Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, had on Monday in Kano State, during a condolence visit, revealed that 14 suspects had already been arrested in connection with the killing.
Governor Okpebholo who visited the State to condole with the Government and families of the victims, had vowed that justice will be served and those involved in the killing will be brought to justice.
Governor Okpebholo had also assured families of the victims that adequate compensations will be paid.
In the latest development, the two principal suspects arrested by officials of the DSS, have been transferred to Abuja, the nation’s capital, for further interrogation and prosecution by the relevant authorities.
A Nigerian televangelist, Timothy Omotoso has been acquitted of rape after spending eight years in prison in South Africa.
Trouble started when the televangelist was accused of raping young women from his South African church, an accusation he denied when he was arrested eight years ago.
His trial was aired live I South Africa and gained interest across the country, but insisted that he was not guiltynof 32-count charges against him.
In 2018, one witness told the court she had been raped by the pastor – who ran a church in the city of Port Elizabeth – when she was 14 years old.
The presiding judge on Wednesday 1st April, 2025 delivered judgement, saying Pastor Timothy Omotoso has not bèn found guilty over this case because prosecutors had mishandled the case.
South Africa’s National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) shared a similar assessment, saying that “former prosecutors in the case acted improperly and the accused were not sufficiently cross-examined by the state”.
The NPA said it will now “consider its legal options”.
For his part, Mr Omotoso told the media he thanked God for the verdict.
His co-accused, Lusanda Sulani and Zikiswa Sitho, were also found not guilty.
Mr Omotoso was dramatically arrested at an airport in 2017 as he sought to leave the country.
His trial was the first prominent rape case to be broadcast live in a country where sexual violence is rampant.
The hearings attracted huge interest, and raised difficult questions about victims’ rights, impartiality and whether justice is best served by having television cameras in courtrooms.
Following Wednesday’s verdict, Mr Omotoso will be deported to Nigeria, South African media outlet News24 reported.
The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has declared that it has been vindicated by recent revelations from the state’s former Head of Service, Dr. George Nwaeke.
The Rivers APC Chairman, Chief Tony Okocha, stated this in a statement he personally signed and made available to journalists on Wednesday.
The former Head of Service, who recently resigned had alleged that the suspended Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, was directly responsible for the political crisis in the state and the bombing of the State House of Assembly.
In response, the Rivers State APC asserted that Nwaeke’s testimony aligns with the party’s long-held position, as frequently stated by Chief Okocha, that the suspended governor was the architect of the state’s political crisis, including masterminding the October 29, 2023, bombing of the State House of Assembly.
Chief Okocha further emphasized that Nwaeke’s account, given his high-ranking position in the state, cannot be dismissed as mere speculation.
He said attempts to discredit the former Head of Service will not deter him from exposing the alleged corruption and misconduct that the APC has repeatedly highlighted.
“What is most interesting to the APC in Rivers State as a responsible political party is that Dr. George Nwaeke’s revelations and testimonies of how suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his squad bombed the Rivers State House of Assembly is an eye witness account.
“Again , it has clearly vindicated the APC in Rivers State as the only visible and viable opposition political party in the State, and has cemented the love for the party in the heart of well meaning Rivers people as the voice of the voiceless, and the hope for a better Rivers State.
“The revelations made by the former Head of Service in Rivers State has further positioned her as a political party with high level of integrity, and the hope of Rivers people for a viable alternative to produce the Governor of Rivers State in 2027.
“The verbal attacks staged against the resigned Head of Service will not deter him from exposing the corruption within Sim Fubara’s administration, which we have consistently highlighted as the opposition party. On this matter, the APC shall function as watchdogs”, the party stated.
Chief Tony Okocha expressed confidence that security agencies would thoroughly investigate the matter.
“The APC in Rivers State strongly believes that the relevant security agencies will be professional enough to get to the root of the matter and make their findings public”, he said.
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