Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Hameed Ali has said that only Lazy Nigerians are the ones complaining of hunger during this current administration.
The Comptroller made the statement during a visit to the state house Abuja , alongside his political group, Buhari Supports Organisation on Tuesday.
Ali said: ‘‘Mr. President, our economy has grown all because of the discipline you have instilled in the financial sector. All those nonchalant attitudes, all those days of siphoning money are no longer feasible. Mr. President today, I have to ration the rice, that is fiscal discipline. Mr. President, today we are seeing physically where people are rejecting foreign rice for local rice. Today Mr. President if you go to some of our houses, what you will see is local rice and that is wealth for our people.
“Last year, during the Hajj period when I went home, many farmers came to me that they have never had it so good, so much so that the first 25 people that paid up their money when Hajj fares were announced, were rice farmers. What more can we say in terms of growth of wealth? People say we are hungry, of course the lazy must be hungry because if you do not work hard, manna doesn’t fall from heaven. So, when people say we are hungry, there was never a time in Nigeria that food is dropped in the mouth of the people and there will never be.
“I can go on and on and enumerate what you have done in just three years of your administration but three is not enough to undo what was done in 16 years. The destruction, the monumental stealing that we have witnessed, the destruction of our structures and our system, it takes more than eight years to be able to address them and I believe in three years you have done wonderfully well.” he said
He continued, saying:
”People may ask why are you so passionate about change. Why were you so committed in 2014 and why are you so committed in 2018, this is because you are a man of integrity, of honesty and above all, Mr. President you love this great nation. I have said it and I will repeat it here, Mr. President, with all due respect, at 70 plus, with a good retirement benefits and with your house in Daura, if I were you, I will see no reason to be in this arena. But why are you here? It is because you love this great country. You left your comfort zone to serve Nigeria and that is why for those of us who love you for who you are said we must follow you and ensure that your second term in this country becomes a reality. We have laid the foundation, we have started building roads but, Mr. President, we must complete the building. What do we need to do? We must as your loyalists and people who believe in this country, tell you that we are with you shoulder to shoulder and ensure that you are elected. And then the building will be completed so that never again will there be cause to destroy Nigeria.”
Rt. Hon. Mojisola Meranda was born on the 16th day of August, 1980, to the family of late Ojora of Lagos, T. A Lawal Akapo and Princess M. A. Lawal-Akapo of the royal families of Ojora, Aromire, Onitana, Oloto, and Oniru. (Her late father was a legislator at the local level before becoming the Ojora of Lagos).
She attended Anglican Girls Grammar School and later Ansar-Ud-Deen Secondary School, earning her West African Senior Certificate (WASC) in 1998.
Meranda obtained a Certificate in Software Development (Network Engineering) from NIIT in 2005.
Between 2007 and 2008, she worked in the oil and gas industry as a procurement manager at Cirrus Nigeria Limited.
She began her political journey in 2008, first serving as Senior Special Assistant on Intervention and Intergovernmental Affairs to the then Chairman of Apapa Local Government, Ayodeji Joseph, and later as Supervisory Councillor for Health.
In 2013, Meranda earned a B.Sc. in Public Administration from Lagos State University (LASU) and went on to obtain a Master’s in Public and International Affairs (MPIA) from the University of Lagos in 2020.
In 2015, she was elected as a member of the House of Assembly, representing Apapa Constituency I.
In 2023, she was elected the Deputy Speaker in 2023 Currently, she is pursuing a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Public Sector Management at the University of York, UK.
As an advocate for gender equality, Meranda has consistently called for greater representation of women, particularly in political spaces, championing their rights to fair and equal opportunities.
Ajagbe Adeyemi Teslim is the Publisher of August24news.com and a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly Correspondent known as (LAHACA)
LIRS Sets January 31 Deadline for Annual Tax Returns Filing by Employers
AJAGBE ADEYEMI TESLIM
SPONSORED BY: H&H
The Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) has issued a reminder to all employers in Lagos State to fulfill their statutory obligation to file annual tax returns for the 2024 financial year on or before January 31, 2025. This requirement is in line with the Personal Income Tax Act (PITA) Cap P8 LFN 2004 (as amended).
Subair
In an official statement, the Executive Chairman of LIRS, Dr. Ayodele Subair, emphasized that meeting this deadline is a legal obligation. He warned that failure to comply will result in statutory sanctions, including penalties, as prescribed by law.
Section 81 of PITA mandates employers to submit comprehensive annual returns detailing all emoluments paid to employees, including taxes deducted and remitted to relevant tax authorities. These returns must be filed no later than January 31 each year and cover the income and taxes paid during the preceding year (2024).
Dr. Subair stressed, “Employers must prioritize the timely filing of their annual income tax returns to avoid penalties. Submitting returns on or before the deadline ensures compliance with the law and supports accurate revenue tracking, which is essential for Lagos State’s fiscal planning and sustainability.”
To simplify the process, LIRS has transitioned to a fully digital filing system. Employers must file their annual tax returns exclusively through the LIRS e-Tax portal at https://etax.lirs.net. Manual submissions are no longer accepted. Mr. Subair described the e-Tax platform as secure, user-friendly, and designed to provide employers with a convenient way to manage their tax obligations.
Employers are reminded to include the Payer ID of all employees in their returns. Employees without a Taxpayer ID are advised to generate one immediately on the e-Tax platform to prevent disruptions during the filing process.
To assist employers, LIRS has deployed staff across its offices to provide guidance on using the e-Tax portal and addressing related concerns. Employers are encouraged to act promptly to meet the deadline and ensure compliance with tax laws.
For further information or assistance, employers and taxpayers can use the following support channels:
GOCOP applauds Gov Okpebholo for appointing Edomaruse, SA, Int’l Development
AJAGBE ADEYEMI TESLIM
SPONSORED BY: H&H
The Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) has applauded Edo State governor, Mr. Monday Okpebholo for the appointment of Mr. Collins Edomaruse as his Special Adviser, International Development Partners (IDP).
Collins Edomaruse
President of GOCOP and Publisher of RealNews Online, Ms Maureen Chigbo described Edomaruse’s appointment as a welcomed development.
Chigbo in a press statement by GOCOP Publicity Secretary, Ogbuefi Remmy Nweke, also congratulated Edomaruse for this appointment assuring of support from over 110 members of GOCOP in carrying out his duties.
Until his appointment, Edomaruse who is a founding member of GOCOP and the Secretary General of the body of reputed online publishers is also a member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), among others.
Edomaruse doubles as the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of METROWATCH, and has held several senior editorial management positions in THISDAY, including Group News Editor, Group Politics Editor, Deputy Editor, Daily, Saturday and Sunday titles respectively, as well as the Editor, Nation’s Capital/Abuja Bureau.
Also known as ‘General’ because of his mastery of the Defence Beat, his records in THISDAY have remained unbeaten, where he ranked the best among the editors.