Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, on Tuesday, disclosed that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has so far recovered over N540billion through the Whistle Blower Policy.
A statement by the minister’s Special Assistant, Segun Adeyemi, quoted his boss as disclosing this at the 71st General Assembly of the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON) in Port Harcourt, Rivers state.
“To this end, as at May this year, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), through the Whistle Blower Policy, has recovered over N527billion, $53million, and £122, 890,” he said.
Mohammed, who was represented by the Director, Public Relations and Protocol, of the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, Mr. Sunny Adejoh Baba, said “the EFCC also successfully launched a major onslaught on the seeming high-and-mighty in the society (including senior military officers and their civilian accomplices), who had soiled their hands with shady deals, leading to the recovery of choice assets across the country.”
He therefore enjoined the media to align itself with the policies and programmes of the Buhari administration, “aimed at ridding the country of the cancer of corruption, in order to free funds for development projects, which will uplift the standard of living of the citizenry.”
“This effort should not be seen as the sole effort of Mr. President or the government alone. The media has a duty to ensure that the programmes of government, meant to uplift the lots of the citizenry, are projected as a national cause and not just as that of Mr. President or the administration,” the minister said.
Mohammed, who said the BON General Assembly was taking place at an auspicious time in view of the forthcoming general elections, charged the broadcast organisations not to yield their platforms to the purveyors of hate speech and fake news.
He said the broadcasting outfits, should instead promote the unity, stability and the development of the country, saying “anything short of this would amount to a criminal abdication of a sacred duty, which could spell doom for our collective national life. We have had enough sordid examples to learn from, that we ought not to allow a repeat at this critical time of our national development.
“It is therefore of utmost importance that the media and specifically, broadcast media, do not allow itself to become a purveyor of fake news and hate speeches.”
He restated the federal government’s commitment to allowing the press to carry out its assigned watchdog roles, even as government expects the press to be guided by national interest above every other interests.
The launch of the Digital Switch Over in Jos in April 2016, according to him, “underscores the administration’s determination to democratise the right to know, the right to knowledge and the right to be informed.”
He further noted that the changing media landscape and the advent of digital technologies have fundamentally altered the nature and function of media in the society, at times circumventing traditional media and challenging its privileged role as gate-keeper of news and entertainment.
The minister therefore urged companies in the broadcasting value-chain to take the advantage of the market and build local stations that would not only create employment for a diverse segment of the population, but would also lead to a transfer of technology and free the creative dexterity of the young population.
Tax tribunal commences sitting
In a related development, the newly inaugurated Tax Appeal Tribunal, yesterday, began its adjudication on tax-related cases, warning all litigants that it won’t tolerate any delay tactics of sort.
At the inaugural sitting, Chairman of the Abuja Zone of the tribunal, Hon. Alice Iriogbe cautioned against unnecessary delay by those with cases before the panel.
The tribunal was inaugurated earlier in the month by the Minister of Finance, Hajiya Zainab Ahmed, and is expected to handle some 209 casesworth, according to the ministry,$18.80bn, N205.65billion and €0.821million, pending at various TATs across the country.
While the cases are mostly those involving multi-nationals, the tribunal, specifically seeks to provide an avenue for those who feel aggrieved over the taxation system, with a view to providing a source of dispute resolution ahead of taking their grievances to the conventional court.
The body was established pursuant to Section 59 (I) and the Fifth Schedule of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, 2007, with a mandate to adjudicate on all disputes arising from operations of the Companies Income Tax Act, Petroleum Profit Tax Act, Capital Gains Tax Act, Stamp Duties Act, Value Added Tax, Taxes and Levies among others.
Speaking at the opening session of the sitting, the Chairman of the Abuja Zone of the Tribunal, Hon. Alice Iriogbe warned those having tax disputes against adopting unnecessary delays strategies.
