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Khrushchev Ekwueme collapses at Olaniwun Ajayi annual party, dies in hospital

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A foremost Lagos Lawyer, Dr. Khrushchev Ekwueme, has died after slumping during his legal firm’s end-of-year party on December 21, 2022.

The Enugu State-born lawyer, 56, was a Partner in the Dispute Resolution Practice of Olaniwun Ajayi LP.

After he slumped, Dr. Ekwueme was rushed to the First Cardiology Hospital, Lagos, where he was later confirmed dead. The cause of his sudden death is yet to be formally established.

Tributes have been pouring in from friends and associates of the departed legal expert.

One of the mourners, Dr Peter Mbah, Enugu State governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), whose Campaign Organisation he served as a facilitator, extolled him as “one of Nigeria’s finest, globally renowned, peerless lawyer in international maritime, arbitration, dispute resolution and public interest litigation”.

Mbah described Ekwueme’s sudden death as a great loss to state and legal profession, where he distinguished himself with many indelible contributions to his credit.

“Dr Ekwueme’s sudden demise is, indeed, a devastating blow and a colossal loss to the legal profession, in which he had immensely expanded the frontiers of knowledge as an author, litigation counsel and visiting research scholar at the Harvard Law School, United States.

“He was an epitomised humility, dedication, commitment and integrity in his pursuit of justice for all.

“He was a rare gem, whose positive impact in our society will continue to resonate hope, justice, equity and selfless service to humanity,” Mbah said in a statement signed by his media aide, Dan Nnomeh.

Late Dr. Ekwueme went to Imo State University for his BL and LLB before travelling abroad for a Master’s from the University of Hamburg and a PhD from Hague Academy of International Law, Humboldt University School of Law. He was called to the Bar after attending the Nigerian Law School, Lagos.

A Visiting Researcher at the Harvard Law School, Dr. Ekwueme was an expert in International Economic Law, International Dispute Resolution, International Commercial Arbitration, Public Interest Litigation and White Collar Crime Prosecution.

He was fluent in German and a member of the Expert Group of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) on Transboundary Infrastructure Projects in Africa.

Group says Tinubu will transform Nigeria into Africa’s “smart nation”

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Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the APC flag bearer in the 2023 presidential election, has outlined his plan for a digital revolution that will transform Nigeria into Africa’s first smart nation.

Tinubu’s plan was made known in a statement on Saturday in Abuja issued by Mr Josh Audu, the Director-General of “Youths In Technology Support Organisation."
He said the APC standard bearer had set up a smart nation programme office and website to lead the change in reviving the nation with the initiative.

“This is a continuation of my plan and policies for a new Nigeria. I am in charge of the national rebirthing agenda, which aims to champion the new Nigeria of our dreams.

“This is aimed at establishing goals, such as becoming Africa’s first world-class tech-driven state and a transformation plan to become a smart nation, utilising technology to transform how our families, businesses.

“We must lead the way in envisioning, imagining and innovating in Nigeria if we are to fully appreciate the boundless opportunities that come with the smart nation and digital realities,” Audu quoted Tinubu as saying.

Audu said the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Centre for Smart Nation Initiative confirmed Tinubu as a master builder and visionary.

He said the APC flag bearer would take Nigeria to a new height, with his love for technology and creativity.

Audu disclosed that a website had been built for volunteers to sign up to become smart nation ambassadors and learn soft skills as well as help spread smart nation awareness in their neighbourhood.

He urged volunteers to register for their preferred role at www.batcentre.org to help make Nigeria a better place in 2023 and beyond.

NEWS AGENCY OF NIGERIA

APC reacts to Yahaya Bello’s rift with Tinubu

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The All Progressives Congress, APC, has dismissed reports that Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State is no longer backing the party’s presidential candidate Bola Tinubu.

Mr Bello is a member of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, PCC.

The Kogi governor was one of the presidential aspirants before Tinubu won the ticket in June 2022.

A statement on Sunday by the APC said there are “imagined political permutations” on the Kogi governorship election scheduled for November.

National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka labelled the speculations “maliciously false and a figment of the imagination of its author and sponsors.”

Morka said Bello, who serves as the National Youth Coordinator of the PCC is a solid, resourceful and committed campaigner” for Tinubu.

Mr Morka said that “the fake news” seeks to float a rift between Bello and Hon. James Faleke, secretary of the APC PCC.

“It is the desperate and disgraceful conjecture of opposition elements unsettled by our Party’s giant campaign strides.

“Both loyal party men are unquestionably committed and working tirelessly for the resounding victory of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in next month’s presidential election,” Morka added.

Mr Faleke is reportedly Tinubu’s choice for the Kogi APC ticket, while Bello reportedly favours incumbent deputy Edward Onoja.

LIRS says January 31 is tax deadline

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[Tag Ayodele Subair]

The Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) has announced that January 31, 2023, remains the deadline for filing the annual tax returns by employers of labour.

The LIRS Executive Chairman, Mr Ayodele Subair, made this known in a statement signed by the Head, Corporate Communications of LIRS, Monsurat Amasa, on Sunday

According to the LIRS Executive Chairman, all businesses and employers of labour residents within Lagos State must file their annual income tax returns on or before January 31, 2023, as failure to comply with the directive would attract penalties as well as other statutory sanctions as stipulated in section 81 (2) of the Personal Income Tax Act (PITA) Cap P8 LFN 2004 (as amended).

The Act stipulates January 31st as the deadline for filing annual income tax returns, failing which a penalty accrues.

“For filing the annual income tax returns in Lagos State, the only available platform is the LIRS e-Tax portal, which is built for the convenience of taxpayers and is easy, convenient and safe. All businesses and employers of labour are advised to use the e-Tax portal to file their returns”.

“With the eTax system, corporate bodies are expected to find it more convenient to carry out tax transactions in the comfort of their homes and offices.

‘’Taxpayer ID of all employees is compulsory for the annual income tax returns to be successfully filed on the e-Tax portal. Therefore, all employees and taxable persons within the State are advised to generate a taxpayer ID (where applicable) and file their individual annual income tax returns on the e-Tax portal,” Subair noted.

NDLEA arests blind man, intercepts drugs shipped from Brazil and China

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Desperate efforts to bring into Nigeria 126.95 kilograms of cocaine and skunk concealed in herbal tea packs and imported vehicles by drug cartels from Brazil and Canada have again been thwarted by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, AIIA, Enugu and the Tincan seaport in Lagos.

At the Enugu airport, an Ethiopian Airline male passenger, Eze Christian Ikenna, 42, coming from Brazil via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia was intercepted on arrival at the airport at about 12:30pm on Friday 20th January. A search of his two bags revealed 19 big sachets which he claimed to contain herbal tea but were later found to be cocaine weighing 16.20 kilograms.

In the same vein, a joint examination carried out on a container marked TCLU 7799237 from Montreal, Canada at Sifax Okota Bonded Terminal by NDLEA operatives attached to Tincan Command of the Agency on Wednesday 18th January led to the discovery of 110.75kgs of cannabis Indica concealed in two of the four vehicles in the container: a 2011 Toyota Sienna and a 2011 Honda Pilot SUV.

Deliberate efforts to cut access to illicit opioids by the Agency again paid off on Tuesday when a consignment of Tramadol NDLEA operatives have been tracking for some months was eventually traced to a warehouse at Greenfield estate, Amuwo Odofin area of Lagos. When the store was opened, a total of One Million Six Hundred and Forty Five Thousand Five Hundred and Sixty (1,645,560) pills of Tramadol 100mg, 200mg and 225mg were recovered.

Another 60,000 pills of Tramadol 250mg were equally recovered from a wanted drug dealer, Diugwu Alphonsus in Bariga area of the state same day while raids carried out in Akala area of Mushin on Wednesday 18th and Friday 20th January led to the recovery of 781.7kgs of cannabis.

In Osun state, NDLEA officers on Friday 20th Jan. took into custody a blind 67-year-old grandpa, Aliyu Adebiyi, in whose house they found 234 kilograms of cannabis at Sokoto village, Owena Ijesa, Atakumosa East LGA. In his statement, he said a drug dealer kept the consignment with him for a fee of N6,000 per month and paid for three months upfront.

Similarly, a leper notorious for drug dealing, Haruna Abdullahi, 45, was arrested at Garko town, Kano on Thursday 19th Jan. while 2.2kgs of cannabis and various quantities of Diazepam and Exol were recovered from him.

No less than 370kgs of cannabis were recovered from a sawmill at Ilale, Owo in Ondo State when operatives stormed the industrial plant following credible intelligence. In Edo state, 261 kilograms of the illicit substance were seized from a suspect, Uche Monday at Uneme-Osu, Ososo Road in Akoko Edo area of the state with another 74kgs evacuated from a bush at Okpela fertiliser community in Etsako East LGA.

In Abuja, NDLEA operatives on Monday 16th January raided Lugbe area of the FCT based on credible intelligence that a dealer was operating in a batcher on the outskirt of the town. A search of the batcher led to the recovery of 42.9kgs cannabis, 15grams cocaine, 137grams Methamphetamine, and a cash of Two Million One Hundred and Forty Eight Thousand, Five Hundred Naira (N2,148,500) only, believed to be proceeds of the criminal trade.

While reacting to the seizures and arrests by the Lagos, AIIA, Tincan, Osun, Kano, Ondo, Edo and FCT Commands in the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) CON, OFR, DSS commended all the officers involved in the operations and charged them and their compatriots across the country to remain steadfast and focused on winning the war against substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking in Nigeria.