By Fatima Mohammed-Lawal

Hoteliers in Kwara appealed to Gov. Abdulrahaman Abdulrazaq on Saturday to save them from harassment, coercion, intimidation, extortion and unlawful locking up of their facilities by the state’s revenue agency.

They alleged that officials of Kwara Internal Revenue Service (KWIRS) regularly locked up their hotels without court order and that the action could lead to a collapse of the hospitality industry in the state.

President of the Association of Hotel Owners in Kwara, Alhaji Dauda Akande, and its General Secretary, Mr Babatunde Oladunmoye, represented the hoteliers in making the appeal.

They alleged that KWIRS regularly used the police to harass, intimidate, arrest, detain and charge members with criminal offences.

They alleged also that there was complete lack of synergy between KWIRS and the ministries, departments and agencies responsible for fixing and negotiating taxes and levies.

They stated that the lack of synergy had resulted in the serving of “crazy bills’’ on hoteliers as demand notices.

“Our members are not in the position to pay the huge bills under the current national economic situation.

“Currently our members pay more than 20 different taxes and levies to the federal, state and local governments.

“Over regulation and multiplicity of taxes is currently a huge disincentive to investments in Kwara’s hospitality and tourism industry,’’ they stated.

The officials stated also that association members were regularly served inaccurate demand notices that included bills dating back to the Covid-19 era when the pandemic demanded the shutting of all hotels.

“The collapse of the hotel business in Kwara will result in job losses and an increase in crime rates.

“We request that commercial properties paying commercial land charges to Kwara State Geographic Information Service should be exempted from business premises levy because this amounts to double taxation on the commercial property.

“Agencies established for social services like Kwara Environmental Protection Agency, and the Fire Service should be well-funded by government and not be converted to revenue-generating agencies with yearly revenue targets.

“Business associations should be allowed to pay taxes and levies from their members directly to government revenue accounts.

“This is to prevent extortion and diversion of percentages of the taxes and levies to private pockets through collusion and conspiracies,’’ the association stressed.

It warned KWIRS to stop locking hotels without court order since it could not be the judge in its own case, adding that the agency should follow due process in all tax matters.

“Our association may have no other choice than to approach a court of competent jurisdiction for redress if the locking up of our hotels without due process continues,’’ the association also warned.

Responding to the allegations, however, Head of Corporate Affairs at the KWIRS, Mrs Titi Ogunwale, explained that both parties had been engaged in series of dialogues and discussions.

She expressed surprise at the hoteliers’ allegations and explained that meetings were held and resolutions were made on how to resolve issues.

“I am surprised to see this coming up again; we have had continuous collaborations with all associations in the state.

“If they are not happy, they can invite us or we invite them for discussion, which we have been doing.

“We held meetings two weeks ago and resolution was made by both parties. I do not know where all these claims they are making are coming from,’’ she said.

Ogunwale explained that KWIRS had already explained the legal procedure on what should be done to the hoteliers.

She observed that the association’s allegations would not help matters and that KWIRS would continue to educate relevant stakeholders on the issue of taxation.

She stressed that the position of the law was that anyone engaged in business activities in the state and was making profit, must pay taxes.

She noted that where business owners were running at a loss, they were not required to pay any tax as long as they present their evidences to the service.

The KWIRS spokesperson explained that the agency only collect taxes based on assessment by relevant ministries and does not generate the bills.

Ogunwale stressed that the agency was not rigid and explained that where there were complaints, “business owners can reach out to the relevant ministry, which will in turn communicate decisions to KWIRS’’. (NAN)

Edited by Yinusa Ishola/Alli Hakeem

By Grace Alegba

The Lagos State government on Saturday began clearing shanties and reclaiming Right of Way (RoW) of the Red Rail project corridor from Agbado, Ogun, to Ebute Metta, Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the enforcement team was led by the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr Oluyinka Olumide.

Olumide was accompanied by the Special Adviser, e-GIS and Urban Development, Dr Olajide Babatunde; General Manager, Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), Mr Gbolahan Oki and senior directors of both the agency and ministry.

LASBCA is an agency under the Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development.

NAN further reports that the enforcement started from the Lateef Jakande Station, Agbado, on the Lagos-Ogun boundary and continued through Iju to Babatunde Fashola Station, Agege.

All makeshift stalls along rail lines were removed; permanent structures including four new generation churches were partially demolished and other encroachments were removed.

Two new churches under construction were sealed and marked with quit notices while traders hurriedly removed their wares from makeshift stalls as they knocked down.

Members of the demolition team sensitised traders at various locations on the danger of trading on the new train corridor.

They spoke to traders in both English and Yoruba warning of consequences of returning to rail tracks, which included outright arrest and prosecution.

The LASBCA boss, Oki, insisted that the lives of residents of Lagos were “more important than any business,” as such the operation must be seamless.

Oki who supervised the removal of obstructions on the RoW insisted that houses whose fences encroached road setbacks must be removed.

Speaking on the exercise, Olumide said the enforcement would continue along the entire train corridor.

He said the exercise would be sustained to keep the Red Rail Line project corridor safe for all Lagos residents.

Olumide advised traders and other business owners to relocate to the markets, while instructing his team to inspect the corridor every Tuesday and Thursday to apprehend defaulters and charge them to court.

“What we are doing is a clean up of the corridor along the Red Rail Line because the train that is coming is going to be a very fast train.

“It is not advisable for pedestrians to be along the corridor basically for their lives. Life is much more important to the state government. And in that regard we have to clear up all that the corridor.

“We will continue to clean up this corridor from the beginning up till the end along the Red Line.

“People must desist from putting up any structure along this corridor. They just must comply because their lives more important to us.

“Go online and check all rail stations in the world. It is not a place for people to walk, trade or carry out businesses,” he said.

The Red Line Rail project is a 37 kilometre North-South rail route proposed to run from Agbado to Marina, with 13 stations.

The station are: Agbado, Iju, Agege, Ikeja, Murtala Muhammad International Airport, the Domestic Airport, Oshodi, Mushin, Yaba, Ebute Meta, Iddo, Ebute Ero, and Marina. (NAN)

Edited by Salif Atojoko

================

By Deji Abdulwahab

The Confederation of All Progressives Congress (APC) Support Groups has called on the Federal Government to diversify the nation’s economy from oil to agriculture revenue earnings.

It urged the government to go back to 1960s, where government invested heavily in agriculture and used its earnings to finance the national budget in the first Republic.

The Director-General of the group, Dr Kailani Muhammed, gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Abuja, in commemoration of the 63rd independence of the country.

Muhammed recalled that in the 60s, the country produced rice to feed Nigerians and people in West Africa and earned foreign exchange from agriculture, particularly rice from Niger State.

He added that Kaduna for instance, produced maize that fed the country and West Africa.

According to him, Nigeria needs to shift from oil earning because, corruption in the sector, has destroyed all the strata of the economy.

“After first Republic, those our grandfathers in the likes of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Sir Ahmadu Bello, Tafawa Balewa and others, what they had in their minds, I think, was the country itself and not about materialism.

“From 1983 when the military took over till date, it has not been well because corruption has destroyed all the strata of the economy.

“There is no reason why Nigerians should be poor. I don’t want to say the oil that we have is a curse on us,” he said.

He expressed optimism that the present administration, with its “Renewed Hope Agenda” would bring back the agriculture sector to boost the nation’s economy.

“With all indications President Bola Tinubu is willing to do that, as he continues the implementation of agricultural policy of the past administration, particularly now that he has declared the state of emergency in the agriculture sector.

“So,  we hope that with all things being equal, it will work well for us, so that we will not depend on oil,” Muhammed said.

The director-general also urged Nigerians to borrow a leaf from an American man who was willing to die holding America’s flag because of patriotism and nationalism.

“This man believes in his country, what about us?. Unless we are able as a people to come together, to know that this country belongs to all of us and we don’t have any other country apart from Nigeria,” he said. (NAN)

Edited by Chinyere Nwachukwu/Isaac Aregbesola

By Ginika Okoye

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) says it has opened investigation into an alleged healthcare neglect by Maitama District Hospital, Abuja, which led to the death of one Ms Greatness Olorunfemi.

FCCPC, in a statement by its Executive Vice Chairman, Mr Babatunde Irukera, on Saturday, said the investigation was to find out if Olorunfemi’s death was on account of failure implicated in the commission’s Patients’ Bill of Rights (PBoR).

Irukera said the investigation was also to know other enforceable legal instruments regarding attention and care to patients generally, especially in emergency situations where victims of criminal conduct required medical attention.

He said the commission welcomed the statement of the Office of FCT Secretary for Health Services and Environment, announcing a transparent broad investigation including a Coroner’s Inquest into the matter.

”FCCPC commiserates with Ms. Greatness Olorunfemi’s family, friends and associates who are affected by this tragic loss.

”There are disputed accounts of whether she received appropriate care, or delay pending production of a police report, or was brought in Dead on Arrival (DoA).

The commission has opened an investigation accordingly.

”Particular concern is if Olorunfemi died on account of failures implicated in the commission’s Patients’ Bill of Rights (PBoR) or other enforceable legal instruments regarding attention and care to patients generally.

”More specifically, in emergency situations where victims of criminal conduct require attention.

”Considering the facility concerned is a government institution and the commission’s determination to progress a limited inquiry into the consumer protection aspects of the events, the commission immediately engaged relevant stakeholders,”he said.

The executive vice chairman said the commission was looking forward to participating, supporting and collaborating with the FCT administration in the investigation.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Olorunfemi was reportedly thrown from a moving vehicle along the Maitama-Kubwa highway.

She was said to be a member of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) Network.

Moyosoluwa Oladayo, the YALI Network Abuja coordinator, said the deceased died due to delay by healthcare workers at the Maitama District Hospital.

“There is a viral video of her when she was thrown out of the vehicle.

She was unconscious and was reportedly taken to Maitama District Hospital where they kept asking for a Police report till she gave up twenty minutes later,” she said. (NAN)

Edited by Olawunmi Ashafa

By Oluwafunke Ishola

The founder and Chief Executive Officer of Erisco Foods Ltd., Chief Eric Umeofia, says that a powerful syndicate keen on killing his company is behind the “false and malicious’’ social media post against the company.

Speaking to newsmen on Saturday in Lagos on the raging Facebook controversy, Umeofia said that the syndicate, whom he identified as importers of tomato paste had been pulling such pranks over the years.

“Their ultimate goal is to discourage Erisco Foods as Nigeria’s major local tomato paste maker and force Nigeria to depend on imported tomato paste,’’ Umeofia said.

He vowed, however, that he would continue to forge ahead, to make tomato paste locally and discourage importation of the product to save the Nigerian economy.

Umeofia, who is described as Africa’s top tomato paste maker, said that the purported review of ‘Nagiko Tomato Mix’ by a Facebook user, named Chioma Egodi, was apparently another attempt to smear a local brand that had put a Nigerian manufacturer on the map.

Records show that Erisco Foods has had a dominant presence in the tomato paste sector in Angola and Liberia over the years, positioning itself as the fourth largest of its type in the world.

He lamented that the offensive Facebook post had a tendency to impact negatively on the company, describing the development as “one of the painful experiences of engaging in manufacturing in Nigeria’’.

According to Umeofia, the so called review of ‘Nagiko Tomato Mix’ by Egodi, showed her total lack of knowledge of the ingredients used in the making of tomato paste.

Describing Egodi’s post as baseless and malicious, he said that the write-up was clearly meant to drag Erisco Foods to the mud and destroy one of its flagship products.

“She showed her determination to kill our brand and products so why should I let her go scot-free?

“For the past five years, I’ve not received any credit facility in Nigeria – no loan. For the past three years, I’ve not received one dollar as foreign exchange.

“I’ve been sustaining my local production from my foreign investments in Angola and the United Arab Emirates.”

Narrating how the incident unfolded, Umeofia said that after Egodi’s product review on social media, he reached out to his staff to find out if any complaint had been filed by Egodi.

“I found out that there was none — no product, no batch number, no production number – but a claim that our product is killing people.

“We released a statement that we would not allow our efforts of over 40 years of production to be destroyed by a syndicate of importers who had been fighting our products.

“We decided to defend our corporate identity by tagging her to the statement.

“Some people advised her to pull down the post that she’s destroying someone’s business but she refused.

“She abused those that had positive comments about our products but made thumbs up for those that criticised it. Then we knew she had a hidden agenda.

Umeofia added: “we had fought tomato paste importers for years because we believe that producing products locally was the best way to support economic growth.

“Should I now sit back and allow someone to destroy what we’ve spent over 10 years building?”

The chief executive officer said that efforts to reach Egodi proved abortive, necessitating Erisco Foods to petition the inspector-general of police to investigate the allegations.

“If my product has been killing people, I should be killed.

“I have over 3,000 workers in my factory and pay over 20,000 people indirectly. How can I allow syndicates to destroy my hard work?”

Umeofia clarified that the product under scrutiny was a tomato mix and not tomato paste and that the former always had sugar as an active ingredient, stressing that the product was certified by NAFDAC.

He displayed an apology letter, purportedly written to Erisco Foods through the Nigeria Police Force, regarding the product review Egodi had posted. (NAN)

Edited by Silas Nwoha