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NSITF, Plateau govt agree for out of court settlement as Fund remits N62m
The Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund(NSITF) and the Plateau State Government have agreed to withdraw their tax dispute from the Tax Appeal Tribunal and subsequently set up a four-man technical committee to resolve the matter.
The members of the committee include Paul Yakubu and Markus Chollom from the Plateau State Internal Revenue Service (PSIRS) and Kwatmen Mattias as well as Oche Samson of the NSITF. The committee was given a week to deliver on the assignment.
This comes as the NSITF paid the backlog of Pay As You Earn Tax (PAYE) of its regional and branch staff members to the tune of Sixty-two Million Naira (N62,000,000.00) to the Plateau State Internal Revenue Service (PSIRS)
Speaking while receiving the management of the Jos regional and branch offices of the NSITF in his office in Jos, the Executive Chairman of PSIRS, Mr. Jim Pam Waya commended the new management of the Fund for its renewed commitment to clearing the decade-long arrears of PAYE remittances to the state and accepted a request by the fund for an out of court settlement of the dispute which has been lingering at the Tax Appeal Tribunal. He further assured that PSIRS will support the NSITF towards the implementation of the Employee Compensation Scheme(ECS) to the benefit of workers in the state.
He expressed dissatisfaction that PSIRS reneged on its 1% contributions to employee compensation since registering for the scheme in 2012 and assured the NSITF of redress.
“This social security scheme is for the benefit of workers and their dependants in case of accident or death in the course of work. As the new Executive Chairman of PSIRS, my vision is to reposition it by aligning with programmes that promote our primary service to the state in terms of revenue generation as well as key into schemes such as the ECS which will uplift the welfare of our staff.” He stated that PSIRS would revisit its status on ECS and start payment soon.
A statement by Nwachukwu Godson, General Manager, Corporate Affairs, NSITF said that earlier in his address, the Jos Regional Manager of the NSITF, Mr. Martins Kuku called for a working partnership between the two organisations, noting that the NSITF as a responsible social security agency would continue to discharge its responsibilities to the government and workers in Plateau State. He argued it was high time the tax dispute between the Plateau State Internal Revenue Service and the NSITF was resolved.
Kuku said, “ it is at this instance that I seek the support of your organisation for the resolution of the lingering PAYE dispute between the NSITF and the Plateau State Internal Revenue Service in the interest of harmonious and inter agency cooperation.
“The time is here and the right decision is for us to withdraw the dispute from the Tax Appeal Tribunal for an out of the Court settlement in line with the ILO Convention on social dialogue and especially in the background of the exceptional commitment to obligations by our new Managing Director, Barr. Maureen Allagoa.
“ In a demonstrable steadfastness to our paradigm shift, the new leadership of the Fund has cleared the backlog of PAYE remittances amounting to over N62,000,000.00 (sixty-two Million Naira) to the Plateau State Internal Revenue Service, giving us a clean bill up to August 2023.
“A cordial relationship between our two organisations is mutually beneficial as it enhances seamless delivery of our mandates and obligations to the citizens of Nigeria. We are full of hope that the PSIRS which you chair toady, will reciprocate the patriotism of the new NSITF leadership and commence contribution to the employee compensation scheme which was abandoned after registration in 2012.”
Kuku said the NSITF has been paying claims and compensations to different enrolees in the state who properly lodged their cases with verifiable documents.
“We therefore cannot stop asking for the cooperation of government agencies to spread the good news of employee compensation which we are empowered to bring to the door step of the of the Nigerian workers.”
Kuku was accompanied to the visit by Yakubu Huseinni, the Jos Branch Manager of the NSITF, Abubakar Shafiu, Emmanuel Auta Anzaku, Mr. Kwatmen Mathias, Oche Oloche and Nanfa Fatip.
News
Turaki-led PDP wins as Court of Appeal affirms Wole Oluyede as duly nominated candidate for Ekiti
Dr. Wole Oluyede has been affirmed as the duly nominated candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the Ekiti State governorship election.
The Court of Appeal, Akure Division, made the affirmation in a landmark judgment, thereby giving validity of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primary election for the same.
In a unanimous decision, the three-man appellate panel led by Hon. Justice Peter Chudi Obiorah, alongside Hon. Justice Jane Esienanwan Inyang and Hon. Justice Peter O. Affen, set aside the earlier judgment of the Federal High Court, Ado-Ekiti.
The justices held that the primary election conducted by the Kabiru Tanimu Turaki-led National Working Committee (NWC) was valid, transparent, and complied with the party’s constitution and the Electoral Act.
On the 13th of January, 2026, the Federal High Court, Ado-Ekiti nullified the Ekiti State Governorship primary election conducted on the 8th and 9th November, 2025.
Dissatisfied with the judgment, the Party appealed to the Court of Appeal and today, the Court of Appeal allowed the appeal and set aside the judgment of the Federal High Court..
The Court further held that the primary election was duly conducted.
This judgment effectively puts to rest the leadership and candidacy disputes that have shadowed the party’s preparations for the 2026 Ekiti State Governorship Election. By upholding the Turaki-led process, the Court has provided the necessary legal finality to ensure the PDP enters the general election as a unified front.
News
India slaps Nigeria, rejects Tinubu’s ambassador-designate
India and some other countries have reportedly declined to accept some of President Bola Tinubu’s recently posted ambassadors-designate due to diplomatic policies that discourage receiving envoys from administrations with less than two years remaining in office.
According to reports in the media, India, where career diplomat Ambassador Muhammad Dahiru has been designated to serve, maintains a standing policy against accepting ambassadors from governments with tenures of less than two years remaining.
India is exercising its discretionary powers to turn down the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ request to accept Dahiru’s posting.
According to sources quoted by the report, the Federal Government was already receiving signals from New Delhi and possibly other capitals about their reluctance to grant agrément.
Agrément is the formal approval given by a receiving country to accept a diplomat designated by the sending country, and it is a prerequisite before an ambassador can assume duty.
“They don’t accept an ambassador from an administration that has less than two years in office. So they are giving us that body language already,” a Presidency official was quoted to have said
The source continued, “Some countries are reluctant to accept some people, not because of the individuals but because of time. They are already seeing the Tinubu government as an outgoing government.
“So their concern is that he has just one year left, so what if he doesn’t win the election? Another government may come and remove them. We also understand that some countries have this policy. Any ambassador from an administration that has less than a year or two in office will not get accepted. And one of such countries is India.”
News
Belonging to two political parties to attract imprisonment
The House of Representatives on Wednesday amended Section 77 of the recently assented Electoral Act 2026 to prescribe two-year jail term or N10 million fines or both, for anyone who knowingly maintains membership of two political parties at the same time.
Lawmakers during the committee of the whole presided by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Okezie Kalu, made amendment to section 77 of the 2026 Act by inserting three new clauses 8, 9 and 10 which were considered and approved by lawmakers after a heated session of back and forth debates.
According to the new clauses approved by lawmakers, any party member found to be registered as member of more than one political party at the same time will have his or membership of the said parties voided.
Clause (8) of the approved amendment stipulates that “A person shall not be registered as a member of more than one political party at the same time.”
Clause (9) stipulates that “Where it is established that a person is registered as a member of more than one political at the same time, such dual membership shall be void, and the person shall cease to be recognised as a valid member of any political party pending regularisation in accordance with the provisions of this Act and the constitution of the political party concerned.
Clause (10) stipulates that “A person who knowingly registers or maintains membership in more than one political party at the same time commits an offence is liable on conviction to a fine of N10,000,000 or to imprisonment for a term of two years, or both.”
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