News

Benin City’s Slaughterhouses of Neglect, Filth, And Health Hazards

Published

1 month ago

May 16, 2025

By Osehobo Ofure

There are many slaughterhouses, or abattoirs, in Benin City, the Edo State capital, where animals are slaughtered daily for meat meant for public consumption. Some of these abattoirs are owned and operated by local governments, while others are privately managed.

One of the main government abattoirs, located near the swamps of the Ikpoba River, is over 65 years old.

At the abattoir, cows are slaughtered on bare floors, while butchers work without protective gear. With the borehole long out of service, they rely on water from a nearby house to wash animal parts, which often ends up mingling with stagnant pools of blood and dung infested with maggots just a few feet from the slaughter scene.

Waste from the slaughtered animals and their entrails are dumped in heaps nearby, occasionally collected by farmers as manure. The cold room installed decades ago is locked up and remains nonfunctional due to a lack of electricity.

According to Comrade Sunny Omokaro, National President of the National Butchers Employers Union of Nigeria, the abattoir generates about ₦1,000 per slaughtered cow daily for the local government council.

Despite this steady revenue, the facility remains in a state of decay, with the council making no effort to maintain it.

“We have made several representations to the council on this matter without any response beyond empty promises. It is a very pathetic situation,” Omokaro lamented.

Bright Omokaro, a butcher with over three decades of experience, explains the process: “Once the cow is brought in, a Muslim is present alongside a veterinary doctor who inspects and approves the cow for slaughter. The Muslim offers prayers and slaughters the cow, after which the veterinary doctor inspects it again before it is butchered.”

On what happens if an animal is declared sick or pregnant, he said, “If it’s sick, we kill and bury it. We even pour chemicals over it to ensure no one exhumes it to sell to unsuspecting members of the public.”

Kingsley Balogun, Secretary of the Butchers, emphasized the critical role of veterinary doctors.

“Without them, meat cannot be slaughtered or sold for public consumption,” he said.

He recounted an incident where a woman complained about meat swelling in her pot.

“When she told us, we asked where she bought it. She admitted it was from the roadside. We told her we couldn’t help because it wasn’t from us. Meat from licensed abattoirs is 90% safe. People should shun roadside meat and illegal abattoirs.”

An official of the Edo State Ministry of Agriculture, who pleaded anonymity, confirmed that local governments have health inspectors trained to approve animal products from slaughterhouses for public consumption.

Comrade Omokaro, who recently toured slaughterhouses in the South-South geopolitical zone, decried the state of these facilities. “I discovered that, except perhaps in Rivers State where the government intervened, there is nothing to write home about. Nationwide, the state of slaughterhouses is appalling. The environment is unhygienic and unfit for what goes on there. A lot of Nigerians would stop eating meat if they saw these places.”

He also criticized local governments in Edo State for arbitrarily issuing licenses to unqualified individuals to operate abattoirs.

“Butchery is a profession. I was under my uncle’s tutelage for seven years, underwent medical tests, and only then was I issued a butcher’s license. These days, it’s not the case. Local governments must assess facilities before licensing them. In Edo, less than 20% of private abattoirs are fit for purpose.”

Omokaro warned about the acute shortage of veterinary doctors. “By law, every animal must be inspected before and after slaughter. But in Edo State, over 70% of animals are not inspected at all because we have only eight veterinary doctors—four in the field and four in the office. This is dangerous. If there were an epidemic today from meat consumption, it would be impossible to trace its source.”

“In the past, veterinary doctors were stationed at abattoirs, waiting to inspect animals before butchering. Ideally, each abattoir should have a resident veterinary doctor. Government must act fast before it’s too late.”

News

EYIF: Utilize N2m Grant Provided By The Govt, Edo Deputy Gov Urges Youths

Published

4 hours ago

June 27, 2025

Editor

…says 1,500 applicants screened, 30 met requirements

Deputy Governor of Edo State, Hon. Dennis Idahosa, has urged youths in the state to make the best use of the N2 million start-up grant provided by the state government under the Edo Youth Impact Forum (EYIF).

Idahosa added that the youths must be innovative as they tapped into the two million start-up grant.

In a statement, the Chief Press Secretary to the Deputy Governor, Friday Aghedo, said Idahosa made the remarks during an incubation class of EYIF.

The Edo number two citizen, while noting that EYIF was parts of the government’s drive to build a new generation of entrepreneurs that would impact and shape the state’s financial economy, showed them how to position themselves in the entrepreneurial space to boost the local economy.

Idahosa encouraged the youths to put behind their challenges and make the best of the opportunity provided by the Senator Monday Okpebholo-led government.

According to him,
though 1,500 applicants got screened ahead of the finale scheduled for July 2, 2025, only 30 met the requirement and thus scaled the initial process.

“This number has again been pruned to 10 participants today and will eventually be reduced further to five finalists at the end of the day.

“Irrespective of who emerges as finalists, I want you to know that you are all winners. We are here as a government to encourage the youths because any society that strives to grow must have an active youth involvement,” Idahosa reiterated.

Earlier, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Finance, Investment and Revenue Generation, Mr. Kizito Okpebholo, presented the participants to the deputy governor.

News

Things To Know About Nigeria’s New Tax Laws

Published

5 hours ago

June 27, 2025

Editor

President Bola Tinubu on Thursday signed four new tax laws aimed at modernising and streamlining the country’s tax system.

In the new tax law, the Value Added Tax rate remains at 7.5 per cent despite initial proposals to increase to 12.5 per cent, but its scope is expanded.

Essential items—such as food, education, healthcare, public transport, residential rent, and exports—are zero-rated to ease inflationary pressure.

For revenue allocation is restructured: now 30 per cent of VAT proceeds are distributed based on consumption (rather than contribution), 50 per cent equally among states, and 20 per cent to population-based allocation.

With the latest development, it is expected that state revenue streams will increase, and it will also discourage tax evasion.

Overview of the four new laws

Nigeria Tax Act: Consolidates various tax rules into a single, simplified code, eliminating over 50 small, overlapping taxes. This reduces complexity and duplication, making it easier for businesses to comply.

Tax Administration Act: Establishes uniform rules for tax collection across federal, state, and local governments, ensuring consistency and reducing administrative conflicts.

Nigeria Revenue Service Act: Replaces the Federal Inland Revenue Service with the independent Nigeria Revenue Service, aiming for greater efficiency and autonomy in tax administration.

Joint Revenue Board Act: Enhances coordination between different government levels and introduces a Tax Ombudsman and Tax Appeal Tribunal to handle disputes fairly.

Key objectives of the new tax rules

Simplify Tax System: Reduces bureaucratic hurdles and overlapping taxes to make compliance easier, especially for small businesses and informal traders.

Increase Revenue Efficiency: Aims to boost Nigeria’s tax-to-GDP ratio from 10% (below the African average of 16–18%) to 18 per cent by 2026 without raising taxes on essential goods.

Reduce Financial Burden: Provides relief for low-income households and small businesses while ensuring high-income earners and luxury consumers contribute more.

Fund Public Services: Increased revenue will support infrastructure, healthcare, and education, reducing reliance on borrowing.

Who benefits and how
Low-Income Households:
Individuals earning up to ₦1 million ($650) annually receive a ₦200,000 rent relief, reducing taxable income to ₦800,000, exempting them from income tax.

VAT exemptions on essential goods and services (food, healthcare, education, rent, power, baby products) lower living costs.

Small businesses:

Businesses with an annual turnover below ₦50 million ($32,400) are exempt from company income tax.
Simplified tax filing without requiring audited accounts reduces compliance costs.

Large businesses:

Corporate tax rates drop from 30 per cent to 27.5 per cent in 2025 and 25 per cent thereafter.
Tax credits for VAT paid on expenses and assets allow businesses to recover the 7.5 per cent VAT.

Charitable, educational, and religious organisations:

Tax incentives for non-commercial earnings, encouraging community-focused activities.
Impact on different groups
Low-Income Earners: Benefit most from income tax exemptions and lower costs for essentials, increasing disposable income.

Small Businesses and informal traders: Simplified rules and tax exemptions encourage compliance and reduce financial strain, potentially formalising more businesses.

High-income earners and luxury consumers face higher VAT on luxury goods and premium services, plus capital gains tax on large share sales.

Government: Expects increased revenue for public services without overburdening vulnerable citizens.

Why reforms were needed

Nigeria’s tax system was outdated, inefficient, and disproportionately harsh on low-income groups.
The low tax-to-GDP ratio (10%) limited funding for critical services like healthcare and infrastructure.
Overlapping taxes and complex rules deterred compliance, especially among small businesses and informal traders.
Public and expert reactions

Positive sentiment: Small business owners welcome tax exemptions but seek clarity on enforcement to avoid unexpected levies.

Low-income earners appreciate relief on essentials but remain cautious about implementation.
Taiwo Oyedele, head of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reform Committee, claims 90% public support, emphasising that success depends on awareness and trust.

The reforms align with Tinubu’s administration’s goal to reduce economic inequality and boost fiscal capacity without overburdening citizens.

By encouraging voluntary compliance and reducing reliance on loans, Nigeria aims to strengthen its economy and fund development projects.

These reforms mark a significant step toward a fairer, more efficient tax system, with a focus on supporting vulnerable groups while fostering economic growth. However, their success hinges on transparent enforcement and public trust. For further details, you can refer to official statements from the Nigerian government or credible news sources covering the reforms.
(PUNCH)

News

US S’Court Limits Judges’ Power, Boosts Trump’s Executive Authority

Published

6 hours ago

June 27, 2025

Editor

The US Supreme Court handed President Donald Trump a major victory on Friday by curbing the power of lone federal judges to block executive actions.

In a 6-3 ruling stemming from Trump’s bid to end birthright citizenship, the court said nationwide injunctions issued by district court judges “likely exceed the equitable authority that Congress has granted to federal courts.”

The top court did not immediately rule on the constitutionality of Trump’s executive order seeking to end automatic citizenship for children born on American soil.

But the broader decision on the scope of judicial rulings will remove a big roadblock to Trump’s often highly controversial orders and reaffirm the White House’s power.

“Federal courts do not exercise general oversight of the Executive Branch; they resolve cases and controversies consistent with the authority Congress has given them,” said Justice Amy Coney Barrett, author of the opinion.

“When a court concludes that the Executive Branch has acted unlawfully, the answer is not for the court to exceed its power, too,” Barrett said in an opinion joined by the other five conservative justices on the court.

The three liberal justices dissented.

The ruling has far-reaching ramifications for the ability of the judiciary to rein in Trump or future American presidents.

The case was ostensibly about Trump’s executive order signed on his first day in office ending birthright citizenship.

But it actually focused on whether a single federal district court judge has the right to issue a nationwide block to a presidential decree with a universal injunction while the matter is being challenged in the courts.

Trump’s birthright citizenship order has been deemed unconstitutional by courts in Maryland, Massachusetts and Washington state, leading the president to make an emergency appeal to the Supreme Court in an effort to get the top court to strike down the use of nationwide injunctions.

The issue has become a rallying cry for Trump and his Republican allies, who accuse the judiciary of stymying his agenda against the will of voters.

Trump’s executive order on birthright citizenship is just one of a number of his agenda items that have been blocked by judges around the country — both Democratic and Republican appointees – since he took office in January.

During oral arguments in the case before the Supreme Court in May, both conservative and liberal justices had expressed concerns about the increasing use of nationwide injunctions by district courts in recent years.

– ‘Nuclear weapon’ –

Justice Samuel Alito, an arch-conservative, said nationwide injunctions pose a “practical problem” because there are hundreds of district court judges and every one of them is “convinced” they know best.

Solicitor General John Sauer compared injunctions to a “nuclear weapon,” saying they “disrupt the Constitution’s careful balancing of the separation of powers.”

The Trump administration had asked the Supreme Court to restrict the application of a district court’s injunction solely to the parties who brought the case and the district where the judge presides.

Past presidents have also complained about national injunctions shackling their agenda, but such orders have sharply risen under Trump, who has seen more in two months than Democrat Joe Biden did during his first three years in office.

Trump’s executive order on birthright citizenship decrees that children born to parents in the United States illegally or on temporary visas would not automatically become citizens.

The three lower courts ruled that to be a violation of the 14th Amendment, which states: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States”

AFP