I don’t want another country

pro-biafra agitators

By Owei Lakemfa

SOME  days ago, I woke up  to find  that someone, or group had decided to change my country. It was there on Facebook; a supposed map of a new country called Biafra. I was neither consulted nor my opinion sought. I am not also aware that the Ijaws, who are my parents, our neigbours the Isokos, Itsekiris, Urhobos, Efiks, Ibibios, Orons etcetera, were consulted. Some fellow Nigerians  in demonstrating their right  to  self-determination, decided that I do not have the  right to be consulted.

If I were to reincarnate and have power of choice, I would ordinarily, not decide to be a Nigerian. I would prefer to be an African, in that united continent Kwame Nkrumah prophesied, with a single government, currency, economy and citizenship.  I will not trade a continent for another small enclave, while industrialised Europe has almost evolved into one entity. That will not be strategic thinking, it will be collective backwardness.

 I understand why the agitators need the Southern nationalities; they require their oil and gas resources, and access to the sea. But they are being quixotic by forcing these peoples into a map. They need to consult and persuade. But this will be difficult as the advocates of a new Biafra have not made public any known philosophy, ideology, vision, road map, socio-economic programme or policy, including on peoples and minority rights.

I have read some juvenile Boko Haram Shekarau-like outbursts by the new kid on the bloc, Nnamdi Kalu  of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) who vomits words like “If they don’t give us Biafra, no human being will remain alone in Nigeria by that time; we shall turn everybody into corpses; you better go and buy your coffin.”  He reminds me of the quixotic ‘uprising’  by the Biafra Zionist Federation led by Benjamin Igwe Onwuka who on June 5, 2014  tried to seize the Enugu State Broadcasting Service (ESBS) ostensibly to declare a Biafra Republic.

Edo State Land Use Charge Law 2012: Other Side of the Edo State Property Tax

Gov Oshiomhole

By Ebomhiana Musa.

The media, especially the electronic in Edo State have been awash with issues relating to the state Land Use Charge Law 2012 following government pronouncement last week of its readiness to start its full implementation, three years after its enactment by the state house of assembly. The main opposition party in the state, People's Democratic Party, PDP has been in the forefront of the avalanche of strident criticism against this property tax, wearing it the garb of a draconian law that has come to sound the death knell of all property owners in the state. This is a clear case of share mischief on the part of the opposition, a deliberate calculated attempt to misinform the public with a view to inciting them against attempt by the government to boost internally generated revenue. Any rational being knows that this bare-faced cheap propaganda is nothing but a build-up to creating chaos in the otherwise peaceful state. However, this is quite understandable in the context of politics of blackmail. But at least, they would have been fair to the people of Edo State by presenting all the sides to the new law instead of painting it all black! Like most laws enacted in normal democratic settings, I must say that this Land Use Charge Law makes provision for some exemptions and gives wide latitude to the aggrieved to seek redress As a public affairs commentator and a critical stakeholder in the Edo project, I owe it a duty to properly educate the public, especially the people of Edo State about the new law, highlighting the areas deliberately black- out or down played by the antagonists.

In the advanced countries of the world, payment of taxes by the citizens are major sources of revenue to the government. In fact, to show the level of seriousness attached to this, these countries have criminalized evasion of taxes either by the citizens or corporate bodies. Unfortunately, in our clime, people and corporate bodies evade taxes with impunity! Edo is one state in Nigeria where the people are never used to paying taxes. Public commentators talk about boosting internally generated revenue, IGR in states so that there will be less dependency on government at the centre. But what is IGR without taxes? Previous governments in Edo State had a leiz affair attitude toward tax collection, preferring to wait on the monthly allocation from the federation account.

 I must say that no responsible government with vision that means well for the people can afford to rely on only one source of revenue. Then, the monthly IGR was as low as #250 million. A government that is focused and resourceful is expected to be courageous enough to put in place a well articulated tax policy to drive the process of booting IGR for infrastructure development that would provide the enabling environment for investment. Unfortunately, past governments lacked the political will power to take from the rich, catering for the poor and the generation yet unborn. Even for the business community, it was unofficial tax holiday at time. But the Oshiomhole government came on board with the share determination to make a difference in terms of infrastructure developments and provision of enabling environment for businesses to thrive in the state. To achieve this, a well thought-out tax policy has to be put in place whereby the people, especially the rich are under obligation to complement government's efforts by way of taxes. With painstaking planning, commitment coupled with high fiscal discipline, the IGR took an unprecedented leap in record time from the meagre #500, 000 to about #1.5billion monthly. 

I must say here that the Land Use Charge is a federal law enacted to boost non-oil revenue in the country. But so far, of the 36 states in the federation, only Lagos and Edo have got the political will and courage to domesticate it. While Lagos has since started its implementation, the executive and the legislative arm in Edo have been meticulously working on it in the last five years, fine-tunning every aspect of the law in such a way that it will not be a burden on the people, especially to mitigate the backlash on the ordinary man. Hence, the exemptions for some critical stakeholders in the polity. For instance, Section 9(1) clearly states the properties so exempted as: Owner occupier of over 60 years old. Family compound. A property owned and occupied by a religious body, approved exclusively for public worship and or used for nonprofit making religious education. Public cemeteries and burial grounds. Public Libraries. All official palaces of recognized traditional rulers in the state. Owner occupied residential property which is 100ft by 100ft maximum in a non- choice area of an urban area and 100ft by 100ft in a choice area in a rural setting. Community property solely for community meetings, activities and events.

Not just that, Section 9 (2) of the same law states that, "The governor may, by notice published in the state government official Gazette grant partial relief for a property that is (a) occupied by a nonprofit making organization and used for games, sports athletics or recreation for the benefit of the general public or (b) Used for charitable or benevolent purpose for the benefit of the general public. Perhaps, in consistent with government policy of taking from the rich to cushion the economic pains of the poor, the new law states emphatically in Section 9 (3) that "No owner occupied property located in an area designated as highbrow choice area and Government Reservation Area, GRA by the Commissioner for Land and Housing shall qualify for exemption, except as specified in section 8(1) of the land use charge." 

Even at that, every property owner has a right of appeal on whatever he/she is charged by the assessor. Section 13 of the law states that "there shall be established a Tax Assessment Review Tribunal constituted........administration and collection of revenue due to the government ......." And Section 15 (1) gives the enabling window to property owners to vent their grievances thus: "A person may appeal to the tribunal if he is aggrieved by a decision that his property is chargeable under this law, (b) The classification of his property, (c) The valuation of his property or (d) the calculation of the amount of land use charge payable. And the tribunal shall make such decision as it deems fit having regard to the evidence before it". Sub section 6 of the same Section 15 states that the "Assessment Appeal Tribunal may confirm, reduce increase or annul the assessed value". Not satisfied with the decision of the Appeal Tribunal, an aggrieved person can still go further on the ladder of justice to seek redress as the same law provides in Section 15(7) "Appeal from a decision of the Tax Assessment Review Tribunal may be made to the High Court of Edo State within 21 days of the decision of Tax Assessment Tribunal". 

For those who have being misinforming the public saying the new tax law amounts to double taxation on property, Section 24 says it's unfounded and dismisses it thus: " On and from the date when Land Use Charges levied on a property in accordance with this law, the provision of the Tenement Rates law and any amendment made pursuant thereto shall cease to apply to that property".

From the foregoing, it is crystal clear that the Land Use Charge is people-friendly and above all, the ultimate beneficiary is the people as the money so collected is expected to be responsibly plough back for developmental purposes. In fact, it's a sure way for regular revenue for the third tired of government. With the full implementation, local government chairmen are expected to come to Benin at the end of every month to meet with the Finance Commissioner to share the proceeds from Land Use Charge, something akin to the monthly Federal Account Allocation Committee, FAAC meeting by the 36 states finance commissioners and chaired by the Finance Minister whereby all accrues to the federation are put on the table for sharing according to the extant laws. Section 18 (3) of the new law provides for this. "The commissioner for Finance shall, not later than ten (10) days after the beginning of each month pay to each local government council in the state, its agreed sharing of the Land Use Charge collection fund". Ultimately, it's going to be a win win deal for the common man in Edo State.

Edo State" Achievements of former Governor Lucky Igbenedion. From 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007.

Lucky Igbinedion

Before Lucky Igbinedion was sworn in as Edo State governor in 1999, the Benin Airport had become a grazing field for cattle. His government got airlines to commence operations, and also negotiated for the commencement of air travel between Benin City and Abuja.

Bendel Brewery, makers of Crystal Beer which was sold by Chief John Oyegun’s government to Churchgate was reclaimed and revived by the same government.

Edo Line the state owned Transport Company was revived with several new buses which eased travelling at affordable prices across the length and breadth of Nigeria. Edo City Transport Service (ECTS) was also created by the same government.

One of the foremost newspapers in Nigeria, The Observer was upgraded; College of Agric Iguoriakhi, Institute of Technology Usen, College of Education Ekiadolor, Institute of Continuing Education (ICE) and College of Education Abudu Campus were founded and revived by Lucky Igbinedion’s administration.

During Lucky Igbinedion’s tenure, the state IGR experienced a drastic rise from a paltry 27 million to 300 million naira monthly. 

The government’s labour friendliness was expressed when stagnated promotions were reviewed and some civil servants experienced three to four steps promotions.

The State University that became notorious for cultism was sanitised revived and renamed Ambrose Alli University (AAU).

Edo State House Abuja was successfully completed and commissioned. 

The Stella Obasanjo women and children hospital was built and commissioned by the same government. 

The state also carried out massive rural electrification throughout most part of the state. Some of them are: 33/415 KVA Ewohimi/Iyagun electricity scheme in Esanland, the 11/415 KVA Uhen project, Jagbe electrification project in Etsako West, the 33/415 Ikpekhi and Somorika electrification project in Akoko Edo and 11/415 Idogbo electricity scheme with a network to Oka, Egba, Obazagbon, Uteze, Ulegun and Ukhirin 2 in Ikpoba Okha Local Government area amongst others.

These and other achievements created several job opportunities to citizens of Edo State.

Lucky Igbinedion’s government inherited 28 months salary arrears at the council of arts and culture, 26 months at BNCL, Observer, 14 months at Edo Broadcasting Service, 18 months to pensioners due and others to the self sustenance policy imposed on government parastatals by the military government of Colonel Baba Adamu Nyam. 

Lucky Igbinedion’s government cleared all the salary arrears and introduced 30th of every month as deadline for monthly salary payments. It is worthy of note that when Lucky Igbinedion left office in 2007, the state was not indebted to any bank.

5 Revealing Things President Buhari Said In The Interview With ‘Amanpour Live’ that depicts true leadership; Nigeria PMB means business.

1. Nothing will work in Nigeria until Boko Haram is stopped.

“My people want security in the country to be stabilized both in the South-South region where militants are still sabotaging oil installations, kidnapping our people and demanding ransom, and in the North-East of the country where Boko Haram is still active. This is the main pre-occupation of Nigeria now and it seems nothing will work until Nigeria is secured.”

2. The government is cautious of whom it would negotiate with, on behalf of Boko Haram.

“We have to be very careful about the credibility of various Boko Haram leaderships coming up and claims that they can deliver. We have to be very careful indeed and we are taking our time because we want to bring them safe back to their parents and their school.”

3. Buhari is ready for negotiations as long as Chibok girls are safe and returned.

“I cannot be against it because as I told you our main objective as a government is to rescue those girls back to their schools and rehabilitate them back to normal sight. If we are convinced that the leadership that presented itself can deliver those girls safe and should, we will be prepared to negotiate what they want.”

4. I won’t spare my party men  - If any of my associates or party member is indicted of corruption, they cannot escape justice.

“I just have to. There isn’t going to be any party member or any personality that can escape justice. ”

5. Buhari supports the process of trial of former Chadian dictator, Hissene Habre on either international platform or Africa

“Justice is Justice whether it is done in Africa or else in the world. The important thing is let justice be done. Whatever evidence the prosecutors have in Senegal I think they should proceed to make it available to the world and prosecute him according to international law on Human rights. I support any process that is based on Justice.”

DESPERATION FAILED: Buhari Disgraces Nigerian businessmen, Jim Ovia, Tony Elumelu, Wale Tinubu and Godwin Emefiele, Governor of CBN. What are you guys doing here…? Did I invite you people? – Buhari asks them publicly in USA.

Jim Ovia & others

By Femi Ajayi.

Time was, when phantoms in scarlet persistently passed as men of honour while the righteous faded in obscurity or lay spent in trenches of blood. Hence it was no surprise that Nigerian businessmen, Jim Ovia, Tony Elumelu, Wale Tinubu and Godwin Emefiele, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), in desperate bid to dig their claws into President Muhammadu Buhari, bought first class tickets and flew after him to the United States of America.

But the snag was, they were uninvited; even so, they embarked on a desperate quest to establish themselves as Nigeria’s top businessmen and cronies of the incumbent president. Back when Goodluck Jonathan was president, they would have gotten away with such brazen disregard for protocol; in fact, they would have constituted a crucial part of the former president’s travel plans. But a new sheriff is in town and the businessmen are yet to get with his programme.

Thus they had sheepishly gone to attend a meeting with Buhari in America and Buhari on sighting them reportedly asked, “My friends, what are you doing here? Did I invite you people? You are not needed here,” Buhari allegedly told them. Shamefacedly, they gathered their folders and left the meeting. Their steps became very heavy as they trudged out of the venue.

It was indeed a big disgrace to these businessmen who once formed a ring around the former President Jonathan. They quietly left the venue with their tails and gargantuan pride tucked between their legs.

All around the world, presidential politics has always been a game of the wealthy, for the wealthy and by the wealthy. Men of means have always had a say and in several instances, determined the course of political and socioeconomic affairs in the country. This becomes imperative in their desperate bid to establish their dominance and affluence sustainably. The need to maintain their controlling grip on their country’s economy, rather than ensuring that the nation’s commonwealth is equitably distributed has always been the only ideological and selfish motive driving their political participation.

 Consequently, the super rich of the nation’s high society are continually seen as the arrowheads of plots and movements to institute and sustain political hegemony via a puppet leader or party. Political pundits are of the opinion that the President Buhari needs to stay away from these men and women who have perfected the knack for soiling the hands of any President and sullying  his administration by their self-serving pursuits which often manifests devastatingly on the lot of the citizenry and to the detriment of the country.

Buhari in America: Matters arising.

President Muhammadu Buhari is in the United States of America, USA, on an official visit. The US State Department said that the visit was on the invitation of President Barack Obama, Buhari’s American counterpart.

During the visit, Presidents Buhari and Obama will meet in Washington DC today, in an encounter designed to enhance the existing cordial relationship between Nigeria and the USA.

It would be recalled that high-profile official visits by Nigerian leaders to the USA started in 1961, when President John Fredrick Kennedy invited Nigeria’s Head of Government, the Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa-Balewa. The visit lasted for a week and was full of activities. Both leaders discussed bilateral and “wide variety of subjects.”

President Buhari’s visit to the USA will also include the discussion of a wide variety of subjects, mainly anchored on three clear platforms: the Africa Growth Opportunity Act, AGOA, the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement, TIFA and the Nigeria-US Bi-National Commission, BNC.

The President, just like Sir Tafawa-Balewa, is scheduled to visit some places of interest and symbolic significance. Such visits have always been symbolic. One of the key side activities would be his re-union with his US War College course mates of 1980. There was no indication he would visit an Islamic Centre as Tafawa-Balewa did during his official visit in 1961.

However, just like Tafawa-Balewa did in 1961, President Buhari will interact with Nigerians in the Diaspora. However, there is always a point of departure in such visits between one head of government and the other over time, as relations between countries continue but with changes that are inherent in the dynamism of life. In the Tafawa-Balewa/Buhari case, the main point of departure is that Nigeria and the US currently have at least three different platforms for the scheduled interactions between the delegations of the countries.

One of the major platforms is the Nigeria-US BNC, set up upon the signing of an agreement between both nations in April 2010. Mahmud Yayale Ahmed, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, signed on behalf of Nigeria. Former United States Secretary of States, Hillary R. Clinton, signed on behalf of the US government.

The Nigeria-US BNC has four main areas of focus. Each area of focus has a working group peopled by representatives of both sides. The focus areas and working groups, which have met several times in Nigeria and in the USA are Good Governance, Transparency and Integrity; Energy and Investment; Agriculture and Food Security and Niger Delta and Regional Security.

The Presidency has released the main areas for discussion with the US during President Buhari’s visit: security, the economy and America’s support for Buhari’s government’s efforts in tackling corruption. The Boko Haram menace will certainly be prominent in the security aspect of the bilateral discussions.

The four main working groups of the BNC have achieved some success in their assignments, including attracting American material contributions to our electoral system and the process of consolidating democracy; support for the Nigerian military in fighting terrorism; boosting agriculture and promoting reform in the sector and paving the way for some US companies to widen participation in our energy sector. The case of Symbion Power, a US power company, which won the bid for and took over Ughelli Power Plant, illustrates this success.

The second platform for intense engagement between Nigeria and the US is the TIFA, signed by the two countries. In a summary, the agreement provides for expanding trade and investments between the largest economy in the world and the biggest economy in Africa. It is largely driven by business people for the mutual understanding of the rules, regulations and areas of opportunities for trade and investment.

It is partly to underline the importance of the TIFA that President Buhari is scheduled to address the US Chamber of Commerce and Corporate Council for Africa in Washington DC. Some Nigerian business chieftains will be on hand to engage potential partners for trade and investments.

The third platform is AGOA. Under this Act, the US government encourages African countries to export manufactured goods on preferential terms. The idea is that the participating countries are to be supported and guided to penetrate the American market with their products based on their areas of comparative advantage.

The truth is that the manufacturing base of Nigeria is currently limping, but with a mixture of policies designed to revive the sector, it is possible for Nigeria to take full advantage of AGOA and benefit from its yields in the future.

The visit to the US by President Buhari has generated much interest and raised high expectations for quick and sharp results, especially in taming the monster of Boko Haram and opening economic opportunities for Nigeria’s teeming youths.

Overall, it is in the best of both countries that a mutually beneficial relation is deepened and sustained. And the visit of President Buhari is designed to achieve that, regardless of the fear being expressed in some quarters in Nigeria that, the US may try to influence Nigeria to change its strong stance against same-sex marriage.

•Dambatta, Director of Information in the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, writes from Abuja.

THEME: THE POWER TO BIND AND LOOSE (SUNDAY 19-07-15)

FOUNTAIN OF GRACE CHURCH OF GOD

MADRID-SPAIN.

HOST PASTOR: PASTOR DANIEL OBIDIEGWU.

TEL: +34632875301 (FOR COUNSELLING & PRAYERS.

Pastor Daniel

Beloved, the keys of the kingdom of heaven has been given to believers who put their faith in Jesus Christ and live holy, may you receive grace to exercise this authority in Jesus name.
     
Text:- Matthew 16:19.

God gave the keys of the kingdom of heaven to believers who put their faith in Jesus Christ and live holy.

 Believers have inherent power from Jesus to bind (prohibit) demons and to loose (to unfasten) any one from demonic possession, oppression, depression and obsession Ephesians 2:6.

Binding is like a temporary spiritual handcuffing. You can bind a demon spirit, much like tying something up with rope or chains. You cannot bind a person's free will, but you can bind the demons affecting or influencing that person. Binding is NOT the same practice as casting out demons, casting out demons brings fourth lasting results, whereas binding is only to tie them down for a period of time. If you are trying to talk to or minister to somebody, and they seem impossible to get through to it can be helpful to bind up the spirits inside that person, which will handcuff the enemy so you can directly and effectively minister to that person without having them continually held back by the enemy's interference. Another good time to bind is when the person isn't ready for deliverance and you are not willing to put up with their demonic personality.

Now we can see the dire need of Holy Ghost baptism immediately one is saved, Jesus told His disciples to tarry in Jerusalem till they be endued with power from on high Luke 24:49, demons cannot obey command from fleshy man Acts 19:15. The weapons of our warfare are spiritual and only spirit led Christians equipped with the whole armor of God will be able to withstand the enemy ( 2 Cor. 10:4, Ephesians 6:13). The bible calls Satan the prince of the power of air (Eph. 2:2b) his demons (fallen angels) are also spirits and thus it is dangerous to toy with them because of their power but spirit filled Christians living in holiness are more powerful than they Colossians 2:10.

Binding is a powerful witnessing tool: What keeps a person from accepting Jesus? The god of this world, which is Satan (working through his army of demons) has blinded their minds from the light of the gospel (2 Corinthians 4:4). Jesus taught us to bind the strong man, then we can plunder his house (Mark 3:27). If you have been trying to witness to somebody, and seem to be getting nowhere, try binding the spirits of darkness that are preventing that person from seeing the light in the gospel. You cannot bind a person's will or force them to accept the gospel, but you can do something about the demons which are holding the person back. Once you take the demons out of the picture, you will be able to talk directly to that person without demons whispering in their ears and trying to combat what you are telling them.

Loosing Like binding, can be done here on earth, and takes effect in the spiritual realm. Loosing however, refers to the loosing of a captive or person in bondage. You bind demons, and you loose the captives. When Jesus set free the woman with the spirit of infirmity for eighteen years, He said unto her, "Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity" (Luke 13:12).

Any command issued in the name of Jesus by a sanctified vessel brings the demons to obedience (John 16:23). In John 11 the Lord Jesus called on dead Lazarus to come forth and he that was dead for four days was loosed from the grip of spirit of death and his hands and legs being restrained with the grave cloth that was wrapped around him was another obstacle, then the Lord commanded the people to loose him and let him go.

Finally in Mark 5:25-34, the woman with an issue of blood for twelve years was loosed from the demons of oppression, this woman went to touch the helm of the masters clothe in faith and was made whole, the Lord in Matthew 11:28 ask everyone to come to Him to be set free from all forms of bondage, are you ready today to answer to this invitation? Remember that the greatest bondage is to be yoked with satan, why not allow the Lord Jesus into your heart to come and set you free, why not confess your sin and give your life to him, Jesus promised that if you are yoked with Him instead of satan, He will do you good and you will find rest for your soul amen.