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We’ll Reintroduce Bill Seeking 6-Year Single Term For President, Governors Despite Rejection — Rep

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Ikeagwuonu Ugochinyere, a member of the House of Representatives, says the push for a six-year single term for president and governors will continue despite the bill’s rejection.

The bill, which was slated for a second reading during Thursday’s plenary session, was rejected by lawmakers in the Green Chamber.

Sponsored by Ikeagwuonu from Imo State and 33 other lawmakers, the bill also sought to amend Section 3 of the Constitution to recognize the division of Nigeria into six geopolitical zones.

Briefing journalists on Thursday evening, the lawmaker described the rejection of the bill as a “temporary setback.”

“The struggle to reform our constitutional democracy to be all-inclusive and provide an avenue for justice, equity, and fairness has not been lost,” he said.

The lawmaker added that voting against the bill by the parliament “does not put an end to agitation and hope that we will realise this objective.”

“This is a temporary setback which does not affect the campaign for an inclusive democratic process,” he said.

The Imo lawmaker stated that the sponsors of the bill will review the decision of the House and “find possible ways of reintroducing it after following due legislative procedures.”

“All I can tell Nigerians is that we will continue the advocacy and convince our colleagues to see reason with us. If elections are held in one day, it will reduce cost and rigging,” he said.

“If power rotates, it will help deescalate political tensions, and a six-year single term will go a long way in helping elective leaders focus on delivering their democratic mandate.”

“All hope is not lost, we will continue the advocacy, and we hope that when reintroduced, our colleagues will support it.”

BIG STORY

Putin Has Agreed To Start Negotiations To End Ukraine War — Donald Trump

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US President Donald Trump announced that Russian leader Vladimir Putin has agreed to initiate talks aimed at ending the nearly three-year-long war in Ukraine.

Trump stated that Putin gave his consent for the negotiations during a telephone call they held on Wednesday.

This was the first disclosed conversation between the two leaders since Trump began his second term as US president.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump described the phone call with Putin as “lengthy and highly productive”.

He also mentioned that they both agreed to have their “respective teams start negotiations immediately”.

“As we both agreed, we want to stop the millions of deaths taking place in the War with Russia/Ukraine,” Trump stated.

“President Putin even used my very strong Campaign motto of, ‘COMMON SENSE.’ We both believe very strongly in it.”

The US negotiating team will include Marco Rubio, the secretary of state; John Ratcliffe, the CIA director; Michael Waltz, the national security adviser; and Steve Witkoff, ambassador and special envoy.

Trump expressed confidence, saying he felt “strongly” that the negotiations would succeed and added that he and Putin also agreed to visit each other’s countries.

The Ukrainian government has expressed concerns about negotiations that might prevent the US from sending troops to Ukraine.

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BIG STORY

Tax Reform Bills Pass Second Reading At The House Of Reps

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The tax reform bills proposed by President Bola Tinubu have successfully passed the second reading at the House of Representatives.

The four bills — “Nigeria Tax Bill,” the “Tax Administration Bill,” the “Joint Revenue Board Establishment Bill,” and the “Nigeria Revenue Service Bill” — cleared the second reading on Wednesday following an extensive debate by lawmakers.

On October 3, Tinubu urged the National Assembly to approve the tax reform bills, which were later passed for a second reading by the Senate in November.

THE DEBATE

Julius Ihonvbere, the majority leader, led the debate on Wednesday, stating that the bills aim to overhaul Nigeria’s outdated tax laws.

He assured the public that the reforms would benefit ordinary Nigerians without placing undue tax burdens on the poor.

Ali Isa, a senator from Gombe State, mentioned that government consultations had informed Nigerians and stakeholders, leading to widespread support for the proposed laws.

However, he raised concerns about Section 146 of the bill, which suggests a gradual increase in value-added tax (VAT). He warned that this might result in higher prices for basic goods.

Bamidele Salam, a lawmaker from Osun State, pointed out that although reforms may be difficult, they are necessary for development.

He praised Tinubu for pushing the reforms, calling them essential for addressing overlapping and conflicting tax laws.

Adedeji Olajide, a lawmaker from Oyo State, emphasized that modernizing Nigeria’s tax system is key to the country’s progress.

“Reforming our taxation law is the right way to go. This is what we need to move our country to the next level,” he said.

Sada Soli from Katsina State voiced concerns about ambiguity in parts of the Tax Administration Bill, especially regarding VAT derivation.

However, Babajimi Benson from Lagos State disagreed, stating that the issue of derivation had already been addressed by proposals from the governors.

“I don’t think anybody has any misgivings about that anymore,” he said.

Nnolim Nnaji from Enugu raised concerns about how the tax revenue would be used, emphasizing that it should be invested in social amenities benefiting Nigerians.

Ademorin Kuye from Lagos highlighted the importance of supporting the reforms to enhance Nigeria’s global competitiveness, while George Ozodinobi from Anambra State praised the president for his courage in pushing the bills despite opposition.

SUPPORT GROWS DESPITE INITIAL OPPOSITION

Kingsley Chinda, the minority leader, acknowledged that any ambiguities in the bill would be clarified at the committee stage.

James Faleke, chairman of the finance committee, stated that while the introduction of the bills sparked strong opposition, the consultations led by Tajudeen Abbas, the Speaker of the House, helped secure broader support.

Faleke assured that all concerns raised by lawmakers would be addressed.

The bills were unanimously passed through a voice vote and referred to the committee on finance for further review.

Initially, the bills faced opposition from the National Economic Council (NEC) and northern governors, who argued that the proposed laws could negatively affect the region’s interests.

They called on the National Assembly to reject the bills, demanding fair and equitable implementation across all regions.

However, in January, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) endorsed the bills after agreeing on an “equitable” VAT-sharing formula.

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BIG STORY

Tariff Hike: NLC Asks Workers, Public To Boycott Telecoms Services Three Hours Daily

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The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called on workers and the public to boycott the services of MTN, Airtel, and Glo over a recent 50 percent increase in tariffs.

The decision was reached following a meeting of the NLC’s central working committee (CWC) in Kogi state.

In a statement on Wednesday, Joe Ajaero, the NLC president, described the hike as “arbitrary” and demanded an immediate reversal.

He said the boycott would begin on Thursday and run daily from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm until the end of February 2025.

The union said the boycott would continue until the tariff is reverted to the previous rate pending the conclusion of discussions by the relevant committee.

“As a first step in resisting this arbitrary tariff hike, the CWC has directed that, beginning Thursday, February 13, 2025, Nigerian workers and other willing citizens shall boycott the services of MTN, AIRTEL, and GLO daily between 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM until the end of February 2025,” the statement reads.

On Tuesday, the house of representatives asked the ministry of communications, innovation and digital economy to suspend the approval granted to telecommunications companies to increase tariff by 50 percent.

The house directed the ministry of digital economy and the Nigerian Communications Commissions (NCC) to “suspend the impending hike in telecommunications tariffs until their service improved.”

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