The Week In Review: VAT ‘Wahala’, Buhari Vs IPOB In Imo, Sheikh Gumi Again And More…

President Muhammadu Buhari paid a one-day working visit to Imo State despite IPOB Sit-at-home order; Rivers State, Lagos State battle FIRS over VAT; Controversial Islamic Cleric Shiekh Abubakar Gumi advocates on bandits behalf again.

We are reporting these and more as we review the past week!

States, Federal Government battle over Value Added Tax

Wike/Sanwo-Olu

Rivers State and the Lagos State Government this past week made a forward push in resting the collection of VAT under the state control.

The move started by Governor Nyesom Wike was mostly met with applause as many see it as a leap towards fiscal federalism or restructuring.

Though the Court of Appeal had asked parties involved to maintain the status quo until the matter is determined, that did not stop the Lagos state government from signing the VAT Bill into law or Wike from establishing a VAT collection commission.

The last has not been heard from this as the case is expected to go up to the Supreme Court with many states likely to follow Rivers and Lagos.

IPOB Sit-at-home? Buhari not bothered

Buhari in Imo State

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) had asked Imo residents to observe a sit-at-home as President Muhammadu Buhari is not welcomed to the state.

Imo State which has in recent times had its fair share of insecurity became the talk of the nation over the president’s visit.

Ignoring threats from the outlawed IPOB, Buhari touched at the Sam Mbakwe Airport in Owerri, about 09:30 a.m on Thursday, and was welcomed by the state Governor, Hope Uzodinma, and other dignitaries.

Buhari had commissioned some projects which include Naze-Nekede-Ihiagwa-Obinze Link Road Phase One, an underground tunnel on D-Tiger Road Owerri, the Egbeada Bye-Pass and the new State Executive Council Chambers at the Government House, among others.

But all that was overshadowed by the attire of the nation’s Commander in Chief.

Buhari rocked a colorful traditional Igbo attire, Ishiagu, but his trouser which looked bigger and shorter got social media talking.

Sheikh Gumi makes a case for bandits again

Controversial Islamic cleric Abubakar Ahmad Gumi started the week with renewed calls for amnesty to be given to bandit terrorist kidnapping and killing innocent citizens in the northwest.

The Kaduna-based scholar had in a post on his Facebook page stated that the bandit terrorists are going nowhere and the action of the military will only worsen the situation in the northern part of the country.

Gumi said the security issue can only be resolved by active engagement of the government with the agitators, just as the ENDSARS agitation was managed.

Angered by the cleric’s statements, Buhari’s media adviser, Femi Adesina, while describing Gumi as a bandit lover, said criminals have missed the chance to repent and the offensive by the military won’t stop until the criminals are destroyed.

Not willing to back down, Gumi fired back, calling Adesina as a bootlicker.

The cleric who insisted that he knows and fully understands what he is doing and saying as regards the activities of bandit terrorists in Nigeria said some highly placed persons benefitting from insecurity are the ones blocking the results of his efforts.

Armed robbers steal DSS case file

DSS/Sunday Igboho

Nigerians were shocked by reports that armed robbers stole the case file of a major trial belonging to the elite Department of State Services, DSS.

In court over a human right violation suit filed against the DSS by Sunday Igboho’s aides, counsel to the secret police, Idowu Awo, had told the court that his case file was stolen by ‘one chance’ robbers.

That however did not stop Igboho’s aides from suing the DSS for ₦100 Million for violating their fundamental human rights and parading them as criminals when a competent court has not pronounced them so.

The Yoruba activist aides asked the court to declare their detention beyond 48 hours and their media parade without a court conviction, constituted a breach of their fundamental rights.

They also sought an order of perpetual injunction restraining the DSS from interfering with their personal liberty and freedom of expression.

That will be all for this week! Next week is another time