Aminu Imam, Author at Voice of Liberty NG

Motorists to pay more for vehicle number plates, driver�s licence from Nov

October 10, 2024October 10, 2024 Aminu Imam

.�As JTB approves rate review From November 1, 2024, vehicle owners will be expected to pay N21,000 and N15,000, respectively, to obtain a five-year and three-year driver�s licence. Also, a revised price to obtain a five-year and three-year driver�s licence for a motorcycle/tricycle will be N11,000 and N7,000 respectively. The new rates followed a review recently approved by the Joint Tax Board, (JTB). However, Secretary of JTB, Olusegun Adesokan, in an issued circular, stated that the approval for the increased rates was subject to the ability of the Federal Road…

Katsina: Police nab Village Head suspected to be bandits informant, in collaboration with villagers

October 10, 2024October 10, 2024 Aminu Imam

The Village Head of Unguwan Tambai, Runka, in Safana local government area of Katsina, Usamatu Adamu, has been arrested for allegedly supplying information to bandits. In an issued statement, Spokesman of the State Police Command, ASP Abubakar Sadiq-Aliyu, disclosed this while parading 15 suspected criminals in Katsina. According to him, the Command, while acting on credible intelligence on October 3, tracked and arrested the 45-yr-old monarch to Sabon-Gida village in Igabi local government area of Kaduna State. Sadiq-Aliyu said Adamu was arrested in connection with a suspected case of criminal…

Army detains ex-General over alleged selling of military vehicles, palliatives’ diversion

October 10, 2024October 10, 2024 Aminu Imam

The Nigerian Army says it has suspended the immediate-past Commander 3 Brigade Kano, Brigadier-General M.A. Sadiq, who is currently undergoing military investigation into administrative discrepancies while he was Commander, 3 Brigade. According to reports, General Sadiq is accused of diverting rice palliatives meant for soldiers and selling military equipment, including generator sets and operational vehicles, to scrap yards. It was gathered that these allegations have led to his detention in a military police guardroom in Abuja. A statement issued by army spokesperson, Major-Gen. Onyema Nwachuckwu, disclosed that the senior officer…

SERAP reacts, as DSS threatens to sue media over �invasion� report

October 10, 2024October 10, 2024 Aminu Imam

The Department of State Services (DSS) has announced plans to take legal action against several media houses for publishing reports on September 9, claiming its operatives �raided� the Abuja office of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, (SERAP). This move follows SERAP�s refusal to accept responsibility for the reports, which suggested a DSS raid on its premises. The DSS has demanded that SERAP retract what it termed a �false statement� within seven days, requiring the retraction to be made through the same media platforms, as well as in at least…

LG Autonomy faces setback, as Anambra Gov. introduces Bill to deduct funds

October 10, 2024October 10, 2024 Aminu Imam

A Bill introduced by Anambra State governor, Charles Soludo has sparked concerns that local government autonomy, recently upheld by the Supreme Court, may be undermined. The Bill requires local government areas (LGAs) to remit a portion of their federal allocations into a consolidated account controlled by the state. Section 13(1) of the Bill stipulates that the state shall maintain a �State Joint Local Government Account� into which all federal allocations to LGAs must be deposited. Section 14(3) of it mandates that each LGA must remit a State-determined percentage to the…

?angote Refinery�ll raise Nigeria�s GDP to $322bn by 2025 � Report

October 10, 2024October 10, 2024 Aminu Imam

�Refinery to get 400,000 bpd ?angote Oil Refinery will raise Nigeria�s Gross Domestic Product (GDP)to $322bn by 2025, according to a new report. The report, titled: �Impact of Dangote Refinery on the Nigerian Economy�, which was released recently by Data Services & Resources Ltd, indicated that without the refinery, Nigeria�s GDP was expected to grow by 3.34 percent in 2024, increasing to 4.13& by 2030. It noted that with the refinery in operation, GDP growth was projected to rise to 4.15% in 2024 and reach 6.21% by 2030. The report…

Three FG agencies spend N533bn on revenue collection in 7 months

October 9, 2024October 9, 2024 Aminu Imam

Three Nigerian revenue-generating agencies – Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), and Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), deducted N533.11bn as costs of revenue collection in the first seven months of 2024. This marks a 99.85% increase from N266.75bn in the same period in 2023, according to reports from the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) published by the National Bureau of Statistics, (NBS). FIRS claimed the largest share with N254.82bn, followed by NCS with N147.64bn, and NUPRC with N130.64bn. The agency�s higher collection costs are likely due…

“Your money is safe in banks”, CBN assures Nigerians

October 9, 2024October 9, 2024 Aminu Imam

The Central Bank of Nigeria, (CBN), has affirmed the safety of funds in Nigerian banks, emphasising the stability of the country�s banking sector. This comes in the wave of �false� news reports targeting Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (GTCO) business activities, financial results, and executive management. According to a statement issued by its Acting Director of Corporate Communications, Mrs. Hakama Sidi Ali, yesterday, the CBN emphasised its commitment to the stability of the country�s financial system, highlighting that regular stress tests are conducted to identify potential vulnerabilities in banks. This…

Mele Kyari, NNPCL under fire over $2bn P’Harcourt refinery project

October 9, 2024October 9, 2024 Aminu Imam

Members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), under the aegis of the APC Youth Solidarity Network, have voiced strong criticisms of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) over what they describe as a $2 billion �waste� in failed attempts to revitalise the Port Harcourt Refinery. At a press briefing on Monday, the group through its president, Olayemi Isaac, accused NNPCL, under the leadership of Mele Kyari, of failing to make the refinery functional despite multiple promises and substantial funding. He stated, �We demand the immediate investigation and probe into…

“50 CNG stations only servicing 200 million Nigerians” � NMDPRA

October 9, 2024October 9, 2024 Aminu Imam

Chief Executive of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, (NMDPRA) Farouk Ahmed, says Nigeria has less than 50 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) compression stations to feed 200 million Nigerians. This is despite efforts of the Federal Government, through the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative to give Nigerians access to CNG as a replacement to the pricey fossil fuels like petrol and diesel. Ahmed stated this in his speech at the conference of the Nigeria Association of Energy Correspondents in Lagos. Speaking on energy security, which is crucial for…