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Japa: Feel free to leave, Kukah tells Nigerian youths

Published

3 years ago

December 9, 2023

Advocate News Nigeria

Japa: Feel free to leave, Kukah tells Nigerian youths

Bishop Matthew Hassan-Kukah

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The Bishop, Roman Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Bishop Matthew Kukah, has advised young Nigerians wishing to leave the country under the now popular Japa syndrome not to hesitate.

However, he prayed that the right and conducive environment be created so that those left behind can compete favourably with their foreign counterparts.

Bishop Kukah, the Pro-chancellor and Chairman, Governing Council of Veritas University, Abuja, said this while addressing graduands of Veritas University, on Saturday. It was the school’s convocation ceremony.

The Bishop said: “I encourage young people who want to leave Nigeria to please, feel free to leave. The country is big enough. We can assure you that by the time you settle down in the United States of America or wherever you have gone, you will discover that Nigeria needs you.

“And for those you left behind, our hope and prayer is that they will be competing at the same level with you. We have everything that it takes to turn the corner.

‘Change’

“We at Veritas University will continue to inspire and shape the new generation so that the change we expect in our country is not the change we expect from politicians.

“It is the change that will come with a big intellectual understanding of the complex nature of this country. So every graduate who walks out of the portals of Veritas will be truly equipped mentally and intellectually to conquer Nigeria.”

Kukah tasked the graduates to remain focused and remember the school they were leaving behind. He also appealed to teachers to strive to be role models for the students.

According to him, “The quality of help and support you will get from the alumni will be determined by how they left this university.

“As you prepare to spend a new chapter in your life, I encourage you to remain focused on your dream. Do not forget your alma mater because you are standing on the shoulders of those who have gone before you. Do not forget the sacrifices you have made.

“This is why we also appeal to teachers to become sources of inspiration because the quality of help and support you will get from the alumni will be determined by how they left this university. If they leave this university feeling sorrowful, they are not likely to look back.

“So we want to encourage you parents to please endeavour to serve as models and mentors to these young people. Remember it could have been done anywhere. It’s not by accident that they are in Nigeria,” he added.

He noted that some teachers were sacrificing to give their best to the country. Kukah said contrary to the claim that teachers’ rewards were in heaven, they are here on earth, appealing to them not to rest on their oars.

‘How pilot delayed plane for me’

He narrated an experience: “I have a personal experience of coming late to catch a flight to Sokoto. I was the last person to get on the plane.

“Miraculously, the plane continued to wait and when I got to the aircraft, the pilot was waiting at the foot of the plane.

“I tried to take my seat and knelt to greet me. I was quite embarrassed because I had never seen this gentleman in my life. But he said, ‘Well, Bishop, I have to kneel and greet you because you are the one who recommended me over 10 years ago for the job as a pilot’.

“We never know as teachers. Do not fall victims to the claim that your rewards are in heaven. Your rewards are actually here and they will also be in heaven.”

He congratulated the management and staff of the university, headed by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ichoku Hyacinth.

Kukah said the VC’s outstanding leadership and qualities “have been very clearly enunciated on how far the university had travelled.

“We hope that this university will achieve the elasticity that all those who started with Veritas will be able to secure the place.”

He appealed to the bodies that regulate university admissions to expand the opportunity for some universities, including Veritas University so that they can contribute their quota to the education of the citizens.

… to parents

Turning to the parents and guardians, Kukah said: “As a chairman of the Council, I’m fully aware of the sacrifices that people have made. (I am) also taking notes of the rising amount of internally generated revenue without necessarily punishing anybody.

“These things, we don’t take for granted. I, therefore, salute the management and staff of Veritas University for their courage and determination in fulfilling their obligation.

“As Pro-chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Veritas University, we assure you of the unequivocal support of the council for the ongoing development of Veritas University.

“Once again, we appeal to you to please let your name be printed somewhere in this university. It doesn’t matter how big and how little. Step forward and make your commitment because it is through this that we can expand the frontier of knowledge through Veritas University.” (Vanguard)

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Atiku’s Subsidy Reversal: Desperation For Power Must Not Endanger Nigeria’s Economy-Yilwatda

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5 hours ago

August 24, 2026

Advocate News Nigeria

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The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, has condemned former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s proposal to reverse the removal of petrol subsidy, describing it as a deeply troubling policy U-turn that raises serious questions about the opposition’s preparedness to govern Nigeria.

Professor Yilwatda said Nigerians deserve more than election-season declarations. He said any proposal to restore a costly subsidy regime must be subjected to rigorous scrutiny, particularly given the enormous fiscal burden subsidies placed on public finances and the distortions they created in the economy.

The APC National Chairman made the remarks during a visit to the headquarters of the City Boy Movement in Abuja, where he inspected the organisation’s facilities and interacted with its leadership.

The APC National Chairman noted that the opposition had been challenged repeatedly over the past three years to tell Nigerians what it would do differently if entrusted with power, yet no serious, coherent and convincing alternative had emerged. He said it was therefore suspicious that, after more than three years of silence on a comprehensive governing agenda, the former Vice President was only now, about four months before the 2027 general election, presenting a policy that could reverse hard-won economic adjustments and set the country’s development trajectory back several years.

“Economic policy cannot be reduced to election-season promises. Nigerians deserve to know precisely where the money will come from, what sectors will bear the cost and whether such a policy can be sustained without reopening the fiscal pressures that necessitated reform in the first place,” Professor Yilwatda said.

He maintained that the removal of subsidy was a difficult but necessary policy decision whose consequences required complementary measures to cushion its impact, expand social intervention and strengthen productive sectors of the economy.

Professor Yilwatda, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Information Strategy, Abimbola Tooki, said the real test of leadership was not the ability to promise immediate relief for electoral advantage, but the courage to take difficult decisions, explain them honestly to citizens and remain committed to policies capable of producing sustainable growth. He said Nigerians are too discerning to hand over the nation to politicians who have yet to demonstrate what they would do with presidential power beyond reversing difficult but necessary reforms.

He added that Nigerians should carefully examine competing economic programmes ahead of the 2027 elections and distinguish between policies designed to address structural problems and promises that may provide short-term political appeal while creating longer-term fiscal difficulties.

The APC National Chairman also criticised the lack of ideological and organisational consistency within the opposition, saying politicians who continually move from one political platform to another cannot credibly claim to offer the stability and clarity required to govern a complex country. He contrasted this with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whom he said has remained within the progressive political tradition throughout his political career, apart from periods of political mergers, while Vice President Kashim Shettima has also maintained a consistent political trajectory. He added that key APC stakeholders had remained committed to the party and its progressive platform.

He said the APC-led administration under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had taken difficult economic decisions and was implementing measures intended to reposition the economy, attract investment, strengthen domestic production and reduce dependence on unsustainable government interventions. He warned that reversing such reforms without a credible alternative could undermine investor confidence, worsen fiscal pressures and jeopardise the gains being pursued under the current administration.

Professor Yilwatda urged Nigerians to be wary of political promises that appear designed primarily to secure votes rather than solve structural problems. He also urged them to scrutinise the records and policy positions of those seeking the presidency, including the history of disputes involving former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former President Olusegun Obasanjo, particularly allegations surrounding corruption in the privatisation exercise undertaken during the Obasanjo administration. He stressed that questions of accountability and economic governance must not be swept aside in the rush toward another election.

He said the 2027 election should be a contest of ideas, competence and credible policy alternatives, not a competition in which difficult economic realities are glossed over for political convenience.

He said the 2027 election must be a contest between competing visions for Nigeria’s future, not a referendum on who can make the most attractive promises at the last minute.

Professor Yilwatda reiterated that the APC would continue to defend policies aimed at building a more productive, investment-friendly and economically sustainable Nigeria, while remaining open to constructive criticism and credible alternatives.

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Sanwo-Olu, Lai Mohammed, Gbenga Daniel to discuss 2027 elections, insecurity at 7th Freedom Online lecture

Published

8 hours ago

August 24, 2026

Advocate News Nigeria

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Challenges facing the economy and insecurity, especially associated with elections in a developing economy like Nigeria, will be the focus of discussion at the seventh yearly lecture of Freedom Online (www.freedomonline.com.ng) on September 3 in Lagos.

Freedom Online, according to a statement by its Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief, Gabriel Akinadewo, is focusing on how to tackle insecurity during the lecture “because it has become a monster, threatening to consume the nation-state called Nigeria.

“What does the future hold for Nigeria after the 2027 general elections? How will the election be conducted in a way that will be acceptable to all? Will the outcome lay a solid foundation for the future of the country?

“We believe that actions of politicians, security agents and INEC officials, before, during and after the election will, one way or the other, decide the fate of the more than 200 million Nigerians in this geographical space. Obviously, insecurity, part of which is thuggery during elections, leads to poverty, underdevelopment and other social vices. Nigeria’s political, economic and social fabric is disintegrating because of this time bomb and the outcome of the election will go a long way to decide Nigeria’s future in global affairs”.

Akinadewo said Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State is the Special Guest Speaker while former Information & Culture Minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed and former Ogun State Governor, Senator Gbenga Daniel, are the Chairman and Special Guest of Honour respectively.

The President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) and Editor of Vanguard, Eze Anaba, is the Chief Host.

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Enugu Govt slashes Land Use Charges, cuts Property Rates

Published

9 hours ago

August 24, 2026

Advocate News Nigeria

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…Property Enumeration App to drive new land revenue regime

The Enugu State Internal Revenue Service (ESIRS) has announced a drastic reduction in land use charges payable by property owners across the state as part of measures to encourage tax compliance and broaden the state’s revenue base.

The Chairman of ESIRS, Mr Emmanuel Ekene Nnamani, disclosed this on Monday while briefing journalists on the activities and achievements of the agency in its three years under his leadership.

Under the revised arrangement, property owners in Independence Layout now pay N70,000 annually, while those in Abakpa pay N20,000. Owners of village houses, according to Nnamani, will pay N10,000 annually as land use charge.

Nnamani also announced plans to commence the implementation of a Property Enumeration App, which will facilitate the identification and enumeration of properties across the state and provide a database for the assessment and collection of land use charges.

He said students would be engaged to participate in the enumeration exercise, with each student expected to receive payment on a weekly basis, based on the number of houses enumerated.

According to him, the initiative would help ESIRS establish an accurate property register while creating opportunities for students to earn income through the exercise.

Nnamani explained that the Property Enumeration App would assign identification to properties and their owners, making it easier for the government to determine taxable properties and improve compliance.

He said the exercise was part of ESIRS’ broader strategy to expand the tax net and bring previously untapped sources of revenue into the formal revenue system.

The ESIRS chairman said the agency was also expanding its revenue collection activities to o other areas including haulage fees, land use charges, capital gains tax, stamp duties and withholding tax.

He disclosed that withholding tax would soon become operational in the state, urging individuals and organisations required to deduct the tax to ensure that the deductions were properly remitted to the government.

Giving an insight into the performance of ESIRS under his leadership, Nnamani said the agency had recorded a significant increase in internally generated revenue since 2023.

He said the state generated N37 billion in 2023, rising to N108.5 billion in 2024, while revenue increased substantially to N406.7 billion in 2025, representing tax and non-tax revenues.

Nnamani attributed the growth to the reforms introduced under Governor Peter Mbah’s administration, particularly the autonomy granted ESIRS and the deployment of technology for revenue collection.

He said the agency inherited a system characterised by poorly motivated personnel and fragmented revenue collection, but the autonomy granted by the state government enabled ESIRS to embark on fundamental reforms.

“Our Governor came with disruptive innovation and now it is time to give account,” Nnamani said.

He explained that the autonomy granted to ESIRS was backed by legislation, transforming the agency into a one-stop shop for revenue collection in the state.

According to him, ESIRS moved away from a mono-payment gateway operated through Interswitch and expanded the system to seven payment gateways, including UPS and Flutterwave.

He said taxpayers could now make payments through banks, transfers and more than 300 Point-of-Sale (POS) terminals, including from the comfort of their homes and even during weekends.

The development, he said, had significantly improved convenience and reduced opportunities for revenue leakages.

Nnamani said the agency also embarked on extensive training of its personnel and declared an emergency in which every staff member was required to have access to a laptop or tablet.

He added that ESIRS invested in reliable internet connectivity and solar energy to ensure that its operations were not disrupted by power challenges.

The ESIRS chairman said the agency had also banned cash payments as part of measures to strengthen transparency and accountability in revenue collection.

He said several revenue agencies that previously operated independently had been unbundled and brought under a centralised system, while ESIRS collaborated with relevant unions and revenue agencies to improve its operations.

According to him, the reforms were particularly significant in the informal sector, where revenues were previously paid to non-state actors before the new system was introduced.

Nnamani urged residents and businesses to familiarise themselves with the state’s tax laws, stressing that the agency was not interested in imposing arbitrary taxes but in ensuring compliance with existing legislation.

He said the law provides for certain exemptions, but taxpayers seeking exemption must undertake the required tax filing.

He noted that ESIRS was currently not implementing some provisions of the tax law to their full extent, citing the provision requiring the payment of one per cent of turnover in certain circumstances.

“We are only collecting N36,000 and people are complaining. I’m a tax collector and you have to convince me why you should not pay,” he said.

He urged taxpayers to study the tax laws and understand their obligations rather than evade payment.

The ESIRS boss further disclosed that the state was collecting Development Levy from new construction projects, noting that between 20 and 25 new buildings were being commenced daily across the state.

He said the levy was N150,000 in Enugu North Local Government Area, N100,000 each in Enugu South and Enugu East, N80,000 in Nsukka, while the rate for other local government areas stood at N50,000,”and you must pay to be permitted to commence development of the property”.

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He said ESIRS was also strengthening the collection of capital gains tax, particularly from property transactions, as well as stamp duty.

Nnamani maintained that the objective of the reforms was to create a sustainable and transparent revenue system capable of funding government programmes without placing undue pressure on taxpayers.

The chairman also dismissed concerns that the ongoing tax reforms were designed to frustrate businesses, particularly Igbo traders.

He said the forthcoming implementation of enhanced tax-compliance measures at both the federal and state levels should not be misconstrued as an attempt to shut down businesses.

According to him, the reforms are aimed at ensuring that individuals and businesses fulfil their statutory tax obligations.

“It is not aimed at shutting down Igbo business. People should pay their taxes and not evade it,” he said.

Nnamani said ESIRS would continue to expand the tax net while deploying technology to make payment easier, improve transparency and ensure that revenue due to the state was properly collected.

He said the agency’s ultimate objective was to build a modern revenue administration system in which taxpayers could meet their obligations conveniently while the state would accurately account for every naira collected.