Making Buhari’s change mantra fruitful — Adefarasin, others
By Michaels Michaels
HAVING been the slogan with which the All Progressives Congress, APC, achieved tremendous success at the last general election, it is not surprising that many want to see the change mantra translate into socio-economic prosperity.
While the possibility of such national transformation would have been
achieved through collaborative undertakings between the Federal
Government and the citizenry, Nigerians characteristically expect much
from the Federal Government in that regard.
It is against that backdrop that the issue prominently featured at this year’s edition of the annual international concert, The Experience, which was held in Lagos.
The event provided a platform for the country”s diverse people to put aside denomination, tribe, colour and gender to praise God and offer intercessory prayers for good counsel and wisdom for President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo.
Both the pre-event activities and the forum itself were avenues to urge Nigerians to contribute their quota in order to bring positive change to the country.
Positive change
Leading the call at the forum whcih was attended by a mammoth crowd, was the convener who is also Senior Pastor of House on The Rock Church, Pastor Paul Adeferasin. The cleric said the change slogan must not be sounded by the government alone but also by all citizen in their endeavours.
“It would be imprudent of us to consider our present circumstances as a nation as one of economic meltdown.
We must begin to review our plight as divine economic redirection,” he noted, adding, “this is not the time to give up or throw in the towel; this is not the end for Nigeria; this is simply an opportunity for a renewed beginning with our best still in front of us.
Change is here
He continued: Change is not coming. Change is indeed here. Genuine transformation will begin in our lives and in our dear country when we introspectively consider the losses of yesterday and count the blessings of today.”
Desired transformation: Continuing, he said: “The transformation we desire will not only come from the governments of our land or from beyond our shores, it must also come from our hearts; it must also come from our faith and our families. It must come from our offices, market place, streets, immediate communities and our local governments.
Our change will begin when we realise that we are all change agents and transformation catalysts. We are in this nation to serve Nigeria with all of our hearts, with all of our strength and with all of our minds. We must transform to accomplish the change that we so fervently desire as a nation,” Adefarasin said.
Indeed, the event which was the tenth in its series showcased a number of international gospel artistes, who performed alongside their Nigerian counterparts.
Great advertisement for Nigeria
One of the international artistes, Don Moen, described The Experienceas a great advertisement for Nigeria in terms of culture and excellence in preparation and execution.
I feel like this is part of my family. It is a celebration of excellence; a first class and world class event and one of the best organized. I have been involved in it. It is a great advertisement for Nigeria,” he said.
While responding to a question an American preacher, Pastor Donnie McClurkin, said they were always eager to return to Nigeria for such programmes.
“This is the call of God and God will continue to protect us every day. If God is worth living for, he is also worth dying for. This has a global impact, it impacts us and takes us out of our culture and our myopic ministry and we enjoy having that platform. There is no terrorist, there is no problem that God will not hold back so that the light of this gospel can shine forth,” he said.
Some of the other performers at the event were Sammie Okposo, Micah Strampley and Sonnie Badu from Ghana, The Midnight Crew, Chioma Jesus, Hezekiah Walker, Frank Edwards, Kim Burrel, Jessica Reedy, Fred Hammond and Nathaniel Bassey.
The congregation was led in prayers of thanksgiving to Godfor peace during the last general election and deliverance during the Ebola outbreak by Engineer Ntiense Ubon-Israel.
HAVING been the slogan with which the All Progressives Congress, APC, achieved tremendous success at the last general election, it is not surprising that many want to see the change mantra translate into socio-economic prosperity.
Convener
of The Experience, Pastor Paul Adefarasin, representative of Governor
of Lagos State, Commissioner for Poverty Alleviation, Mrs Lola Akande
and other attendees at The Experience 2015, in Lagos.
from the Federal Government in that regard.
It is against that backdrop that the issue prominently featured at this year’s edition of the annual international concert, The Experience, which was held in Lagos.
The event provided a platform for the country”s diverse people to put aside denomination, tribe, colour and gender to praise God and offer intercessory prayers for good counsel and wisdom for President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo.
Both the pre-event activities and the forum itself were avenues to urge Nigerians to contribute their quota in order to bring positive change to the country.
Positive change
Leading the call at the forum whcih was attended by a mammoth crowd, was the convener who is also Senior Pastor of House on The Rock Church, Pastor Paul Adeferasin. The cleric said the change slogan must not be sounded by the government alone but also by all citizen in their endeavours.
“It would be imprudent of us to consider our present circumstances as a nation as one of economic meltdown.
We must begin to review our plight as divine economic redirection,” he noted, adding, “this is not the time to give up or throw in the towel; this is not the end for Nigeria; this is simply an opportunity for a renewed beginning with our best still in front of us.
Change is here
He continued: Change is not coming. Change is indeed here. Genuine transformation will begin in our lives and in our dear country when we introspectively consider the losses of yesterday and count the blessings of today.”
Desired transformation: Continuing, he said: “The transformation we desire will not only come from the governments of our land or from beyond our shores, it must also come from our hearts; it must also come from our faith and our families. It must come from our offices, market place, streets, immediate communities and our local governments.
Our change will begin when we realise that we are all change agents and transformation catalysts. We are in this nation to serve Nigeria with all of our hearts, with all of our strength and with all of our minds. We must transform to accomplish the change that we so fervently desire as a nation,” Adefarasin said.
Indeed, the event which was the tenth in its series showcased a number of international gospel artistes, who performed alongside their Nigerian counterparts.
Great advertisement for Nigeria
One of the international artistes, Don Moen, described The Experienceas a great advertisement for Nigeria in terms of culture and excellence in preparation and execution.
I feel like this is part of my family. It is a celebration of excellence; a first class and world class event and one of the best organized. I have been involved in it. It is a great advertisement for Nigeria,” he said.
While responding to a question an American preacher, Pastor Donnie McClurkin, said they were always eager to return to Nigeria for such programmes.
“This is the call of God and God will continue to protect us every day. If God is worth living for, he is also worth dying for. This has a global impact, it impacts us and takes us out of our culture and our myopic ministry and we enjoy having that platform. There is no terrorist, there is no problem that God will not hold back so that the light of this gospel can shine forth,” he said.
Some of the other performers at the event were Sammie Okposo, Micah Strampley and Sonnie Badu from Ghana, The Midnight Crew, Chioma Jesus, Hezekiah Walker, Frank Edwards, Kim Burrel, Jessica Reedy, Fred Hammond and Nathaniel Bassey.
The congregation was led in prayers of thanksgiving to Godfor peace during the last general election and deliverance during the Ebola outbreak by Engineer Ntiense Ubon-Israel.
FIRS to capture 500,000 new corporate accounts in tax database by March 2016
The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) says it expects to capture at least 500,000 new corporate accounts in its tax database by March 31, 2016.
The Chairman of FIRS, Mr Babatunde Fowler, told State House
correspondents in Abuja on Friday that the objective was to ensure
timely collection of revenue on behalf of the Federal Government.
Fowler said that the exercise would add to the 105,000 corporate accounts in the agency’s database.
“There is a big gap both on the terms of the individuals and also the corporate.
“On the corporate side, we expect we are going to register at least half a million new corporate accounts by March 31.
“We have started the campaign and in the last 45 days we have registered nearly 105,000 corporate accounts that have not been paying tax.
“So I think it is time that we all put hands together and try and make sure that we support ourselves in supporting government so that government has the required revenue.
“So the government can provide the services and the required infrastructure to make Nigeria the Nigeria of our dreams.’’
The chairman of the service said that the level of compliance with individual tax payment was low.
He stated that at least 27 million Nigerians do not pay tax.
“In terms of individuals it is still very low. I was at a meeting with the chairman of the SMEs and rightly so, he said that he employed close to 34 million individuals in that business.
“And as you know the SMEs are very important when it comes to economic growth.
“They provide employment, they also provide products that all of us use from toothpicks to matches and all that.
“But the irony of that is that if they have 34 million or 35 million members, on our national tax data base you have less than Seven million individuals.
“So the issue here is that we have close to 27 million individuals who are not registered, who are not paying their taxes.’’
He stressed the need for the nation to save for a rainy day.
“We have to be ready to save for that rainy day to make sure that we as a government and also as individuals put something aside,’’ he said.
by Bassey Udo
Oct 12, 2015
He was being quizzed at the EFCC office in Abuja over alleged graft in his State, at the time of this report.
“He was invited by the EFCC in connection with ongoing corruption investigation in Benue State,” Wilson Uwajuren, EFCC spokesperson, told PREMIUM TIMES.
Fowler said that the exercise would add to the 105,000 corporate accounts in the agency’s database.
“There is a big gap both on the terms of the individuals and also the corporate.
“On the corporate side, we expect we are going to register at least half a million new corporate accounts by March 31.
“We have started the campaign and in the last 45 days we have registered nearly 105,000 corporate accounts that have not been paying tax.
“So I think it is time that we all put hands together and try and make sure that we support ourselves in supporting government so that government has the required revenue.
“So the government can provide the services and the required infrastructure to make Nigeria the Nigeria of our dreams.’’
The chairman of the service said that the level of compliance with individual tax payment was low.
He stated that at least 27 million Nigerians do not pay tax.
“In terms of individuals it is still very low. I was at a meeting with the chairman of the SMEs and rightly so, he said that he employed close to 34 million individuals in that business.
“And as you know the SMEs are very important when it comes to economic growth.
“They provide employment, they also provide products that all of us use from toothpicks to matches and all that.
“But the irony of that is that if they have 34 million or 35 million members, on our national tax data base you have less than Seven million individuals.
“So the issue here is that we have close to 27 million individuals who are not registered, who are not paying their taxes.’’
He stressed the need for the nation to save for a rainy day.
“We have to be ready to save for that rainy day to make sure that we as a government and also as individuals put something aside,’’ he said.
EFCC Arrests Former Benue Governor, Suswam
Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, on Monday, arrested a
former Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswan, over alleged corruption
during his tenure as Governor.
Nigeria’s Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission, on Monday, arrested a former Benue State
Governor, Gabriel Suswan, over alleged corruption during his tenure as
Governor.
Former Benue Gov. Gabriel and his wife Yemisi Suswam
Mr. Suswam governed Benue State between 2007 and May 2015.Former Benue Gov. Gabriel and his wife Yemisi Suswam
He was being quizzed at the EFCC office in Abuja over alleged graft in his State, at the time of this report.
“He was invited by the EFCC in connection with ongoing corruption investigation in Benue State,” Wilson Uwajuren, EFCC spokesperson, told PREMIUM TIMES.
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