Nigeria have replaced injured striker Odion Ighalo with Galatasaray forward Henry Onyekuru for an upcoming 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against South Africa.
China-based Ighalo, who plays for Changchun Yatai, is the leading scorer in the Nations Cup qualifiers with six goals.
But a hamstring injury that has sidelined him for five weeks means Onyekuru comes off the standby list to take his place in the Super Eagles squad, said the Nigeria Football Federation.
NFF spokesman, Toyin Ibitoye, said he expects the players who will replace key absentees like Ighalo, Shehu Abdullahi, Francis Uzoho and Wilfred Ndidi to rise to the occasion.
“It’s a massive blow to be without a player who has scored six goals in the last three matches for the Eagles,” Ibitoye said.
“So it’s a big challenge to fill this role, but we have a lot of options in this regard and it is left for the other players to rise to the occasion.
“Other players need to prove themselves worthy to the coaches and Nigerians that they can do it.”
Group E leaders Nigeria face second-placed South Africa on November 17 in Johannesburg.
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.