Finance
N434.5M Contract: CCT Denies Wrongdoing, Says Mischief Makers At Work


The Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) has denied reports that it couldn’t justify payment to contractors to the tune of N434.5 million.
It said the report was laced with mischief as projects with which the said fund was released in 2019 have been well executed and put to use.
The CCT management recalled its appearance before the Public Accounts Committee of the Senate and that of the House of Representatives on the basis of the audit report by the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation (OAuGF) and defended the said capital expenditure for the 2019 satisfactorily.
A statement by the Spokesperson for the CCT, Atekojo Samson Usman on Thursday in Abuja, said, “the Tribunal which has the sole power to adjudicate on conducts of public officers has only its head office in Abuja, the nation’s capital handling the entire public officers through the federation.
“A task too over burden with pendency of cases for long period of time, hence, it thought it wise to open offices across the six geopolitical zones of the country.
“It was based on that, that members of CCT recommended the opening of States offices, i.e. Calabar, Enugu, Kaduna and Bauchi and which eventually necessitated construction of office accommodations.”
Denying any wrongdoing as reports would want to portray the Tribunal, the statement explained that due process was followed in the handling of the projects.
It said: “In line with the public procurement act, the projects were competitively bidded after calling for expression of interest and bidders emerged through due process before the award of contracts to winners. It’s worth noting that the bidding was conducted in most transparent manner with the presence of some Civil Society Organisations and media coverage.
“It’s gratifying to note that every bit of documents involving the 2019 expenditure are available for record purposes including those of payment vouchers.
“The CCT is categorically putting on record that the said N434.5 million was for 2018/2019 capital projects. The projects are verifiable in Calabar, Enugu, Kaduna and Bauchi as the projects have been completed and are now being used.
“The likelihood diversion of the said capital projects fund by the CCT as reported was not only mischievous, but a figment of imagination of some elements within, but working in cahoots with outsiders who wanted the agency flattened in order to sustain their corruption against the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“Meanwhile, the audit report, the latest in the OAuGF’s annual series, titled, ‘Non-compliance/Internal Control Weakness Issues in Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the Federal Government of Nigeria for the Year ended December 31, 2019’ was not the latest exercise that perused the financial transactions of CCT.
“The same auditors from the AuGF’s office have carried out the 2020 exercise and found no in financial infraction in the agency.
“The CCT paid out the sum of N434.5 million to contractors after the projects were satisfactorily executed in Calabar, Enugu, Kaduna and Bauchi and it remain to be known when it’s wrong to pay for projects executed in Nigeria.
“Moreso, at the time of auditors’ visit, original payment vouchers, Bill of Engineering Measurement and Evaluation (BEME), Consultants Interim Payment Certificate (IPC) and other relevant documents that would have aided the auditors were in custody of Tenders Board Secretary who was bereaved and was unavailable.
“The documents were later assembled and forwarded to the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation, while their report is being awaited.
“The Justice Danladi Umar-led CCT was currently carrying out reforms that would make the Tribunal foremost in discharging its adjudicative responsibility, a development that has seen to the provision of the 2022 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) for execution of virtual court proceedings and automation of court system”, the statement concluded.
Finance
Tinubu Launches Personal Income Tax Calculator to Improve Compliance, Fairness
By ORJI ISRAEL


President Bola Tinubu has launched a Personal Income Tax Calculator to help Nigerians work out their tax obligations under the new tax law.
The tool is expected to make compliance easier and improve transparency in the system.
In a post on his X page, the president said the calculator shows how the recent reforms protect low-income earners while ensuring fairness.
“A fair tax system must never punish poverty or weigh down the most vulnerable. With the new tax laws I recently signed, taking effect from January 2026, we have lifted this burden and created a path of equity, fairness, and true redistribution in our economy,” Tinubu said.
Some months ago, he signed four major tax bills into law to bring Nigeria’s scattered tax system under one framework. These include the Nigeria Tax Administration Law, which sets out a uniform process for tax administration across federal, state, and local governments; the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, which replaces the current Federal Inland Revenue Service Act with a stronger, more independent revenue agency; and the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) and Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Bill, which creates a formal structure for cooperation between revenue bodies at all levels.
The introduction of the tax calculator, together with these reforms, is expected to reduce confusion for both individuals and businesses, while also making it easier for them to meet their obligations and contribute to national growth.
Tinubu added that the reforms are part of building renewed hope for the economy and urged Nigerians to trust in the country’s future for themselves and their families.


The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) says that no fewer than 1,000 companies, representing 20% of total eligible firms, have begun integrating its newly launched electronic invoicing (e-invoicing) system less than two weeks after it went live.
The FIRS e-invoicing platform, which went live on August 1, 2025, after a successful pilot phase that began in November 2024, was designed to modernise Nigeria’s tax administration, curb evasion, and enhance transparency in revenue generation. It also provides the FIRS with real-time visibility into commercial transactions, ensuring authenticity and completeness of invoices.
According to a statement by Dare Adekanmbi, special adviser on Media to FIRS Chairman Zacch Adedeji, at least 1,000 companies, representing 20% of more than 5,000 eligible firms, have already adopted the system and begun integrating with the FIRS platform.
Adekanmbi noted that the initiative, also known as the Merchant-Buyer Model, will be rolled out in phases. “Large taxpayers, which are companies with annual turnover of N5 billion and more, are expected to be the first to be onboarded on the platform,” he said.
FIRS revealed that MTN Nigeria was the first taxpayer to transmit live electronic invoices to the platform, while Huawei Nigeria and IHS Nigeria have concluded test transmissions and are expected to go live soon.
The agency added that the initial compliance deadline of August 1, 2025, has been extended by three months to accommodate companies currently facing onboarding challenges. The new deadline is now November 1, 2025.
Finance
NGX Boss, Umaru Kwairanga, to Chair Business Journal Fintech Roundtable 2025
By Our Correspondent


Dr. Umaru Kwairanga, Group Chairman, Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX) will Chair the 2nd Business Journal Fintech & Financial Inclusion Roundtable 2025 scheduled for Friday, August 29, 2025 at Oriental Hotel, Lekki, Lagos. Time is 10-am prompt.
The theme of the Roundtable is: Fintech & Financial Inclusion: The Opportunities & Challenges for Nigeria.
In a statement, Prince Cookey, Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Business Journal Media Group said the choice of Umaru Kwairanga to chair the event is a reflection of his immense and chequered journey in the Nigerian economic system over the years.
“Dr. Umaru Kwairanga is a noted player in the Nigerian economy and financial services sector. Over the years, he has carved a positive niche in driving the narrative in national policy formulation, implementation and review. He remains a worthy point of reference and role model to current and future players in the Nigerian economy.”
Alhaji (Dr.) Umaru Kwairanga, Sarkin Fulani Gombe and Group Chairman, Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX), is a notable player in the Nigerian corporate world, a thorough-bred professional and a prominent community leader in Gombe State and the North East region.
He has served at the highest levels of the banking, pension, investment, manufacturing and commercial sectors of Nigeria’s economy. He is the current Chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group Plc, Nigeria’ oldest stock exchange and also Chairman of Tangerine General Insurance Limited.
The NGX Chairman is also a Director on the Boards of First Bank Senegal Limited, Tangerine Apt Pensions Limited and the Group Managing Director of Finmal Finance Services Limited.
He is a past Chairman of Ashaka Cement plc and previously served on the Boards of Jaiz Bank Plc, Central Securities Clearing System Plc, Lafarge Africa Plc and First Bank Mortgages Limited to mention a few.
Professionally, Alhaji Kwairanga is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers, Chartered Institute of Directors of Nigeria, the Certified Pension Institute of Nigeria and the Abuja Commodities and Securities Exchange.
He is also a Council Member of the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers; the Chartered Institute of Directors and he is the current President of the Certified Pensions Institute of Nigeria.
Kwairanga is a holder of the prominent traditional title of Sarkin Fulani Gombe and has led several initiatives for peace and development in Gombe State and the North East region in general.
He has also been involved in policy and strategy formulation in the public sector as a Member of the Vision 2020 Committee, the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Nigerian Industrial Revolution Plan and several committees of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
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