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I didn’t come to look for money, I came to work — Tinubu
President Bola Tinubu has assured Nigerians that his administration is focused on delivering tangible results and making a positive difference in the nation’s infrastructure, food and energy security, education and long-term economic stability.
At a meeting with the Forum of Former Presiding Officers of the National Assembly, led by former Senate President Ken Nnamani, the President emphasised that he is not in office for personal gain but to serve the country.
”I didn’t come to look for money and exploit the situation; I came to work. I asked for the votes, and Nigerians gave them to me,” the President was quoted to have told the ex-lawmakers in a statement signed by his media aide, Bayo Onanuga.
According to Onanuga, the meeting was attended by 16 former presiding officers, including former senate presidents, former speakers of the House of Representatives, former deputy senate presidents, and former deputy speakers of the House of Representatives.
He said that the President acknowledged the support and encouragement from the Forum members, irrespective of party affiliations, and implored them to continue fostering unity and camaraderie to achieve national development goals.
Reflecting on the complex nature of legislative activities, constitutional reviews, and nation-building processes, the President expressed confidence that Nigeria can progress through collaboration and inclusiveness.
”Regardless of party differences of the past and difficulty of the present, you still believe in me and what we all plan for this country.
”I thank you very much; no one will do it better than us. I have travelled the world and seen how developed countries have done it for themselves through collaboration, inclusiveness and financial structure.
”Yes, there is hardship, but how did we get here? What did we do when we had very high crude production?”
“We neglected our communities; we neglected the goose that lays the golden eggs; we forgot even to give them a good standard of living.
”We forgot to educate our children. Go round and look at the dilapidated schools. The education environment must be decent enough for pupils to want to learn.
”We can complain from now till eternity that the school enrolment is low. But did we do anything to encourage the enrolment process? We must ask ourselves because it is a matter of conscience,” he said.
The President outlined his administration’s focus on addressing these challenges, including improving infrastructure, ensuring compliance with financial regulations, exploring alternative energy sources and providing energy security.
”We have come a long way, and I promise we must do our best,” he said.
He urged the former presiding officers to continue sharing their wealth of experience in nation-building and governance, noting that they were uniquely positioned to provide “clear interpretations of where we are” to Nigerians.
Senator Nnamani, who spoke on behalf of the delegation, expressed full support for President Tinubu’s administration and its efforts to address Nigeria’s pressing challenges.
He noted that the meeting was the president’s first official engagement with the group since his assumption of office. Nnamani congratulated the President.
”Mr President, history has never been the burden of one man alone, but some are called to meet a special share of its challenges.
”Though not of your creation, it has fallen onto you to end the pervasive insecurity across the nation, the economic downturn that has resulted in hunger and anger, infrastructural decay due to years of neglect and myriads of other national challenges.
”As difficult as these problems are, we believe that with your experience, you can face the difficulties and surmount them.
”What gives us more hope is the courage with which you handled the issue of Local government autonomy, which has won you open admiration from friends and foes alike.
”We are convinced that you will dig in deeper again to eradicate these problems and restore Nigerians pride of place among the comity of nations,” the former senate president said.
He added that the group has seen what elite complacency has caused nations and has resolved to unite across all divides to render whatever assistance it may be called upon to contribute to nation-building and ensuring enduring prosperity for our citizens.
”It is in this light and in the national interest that we wish to pledge our support as you work to restore national security, build an economy that works for all and strengthen the bond of unity amongst our disparate peoples, ” he said.
Nnamani also commended the President for his trust in appointing some of their members to critical national positions, recognising their vital role in nation-building, (Channels TV)
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Sanwo-Olu, Lai Mohammed, Gbenga Daniel to discuss 2027 elections, insecurity at 7th Freedom Online lecture
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.
…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.
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