News
Soludo’s Tax Policies Choking – Schools, Traders Protest
The tax policies of the Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo has come under intense focus again.
Last Friday, there was pandemonium at Kings Planet International School as gun wielding security operatives invaded the school, on the pretext of enforcing tax payment.
Also, foodstuff traders in Awka have protested the high tax imposed on them, threatening to stop operations in Anambra if the practice was not stopped.
The management of Kingsplanet International School, Awka, on Tuesday protested the action of the security operatives, alleging that its staff and pupils were bullied, while others were traumatised.
DAILY POST gathered that the incident happened last Friday, as an enforcement team from the Anambra State Signage Agency (ANSAA) in the company of gun wielding security men invaded the school to enforce the payment of N100,000 for signages belonging to the school.
READ ALSO: Why Gov Soludo Suspended Betting Outfits, Casinos, Others In Anambra
When DAILY POST visited the school, some members of staff of the school, which runs a creche, nursery and primary arm, confirmed the incident, saying that the school was in session last weekend, when the team arrived.
“Because they were carrying guns, we decided to close the doors of the classrooms, to avoid the children seeing gun-wielding security men barging into the school premises, but the security men forced the classroom rooms open and commanded all the children to leave, saying that they have orders to shut the school.
“All the children were crying and running helter-skelter, including the creche section, which consists of very tender kids, but they showed no mercy at all.
“In the process of the pandemonium in the school, there was power outage, but we tried to put on the generator, so we can use the CCTV in the school to monitor the movement of the children, but the security men refused,” said Modesta Odu, a teaching staff of the school.
The assistant manager of the school, Mr Emmanuel Emeka, lamented the level of trauma experienced by the pupils as a result of the incident.
“We begged them not to go ahead with their action as it will traumatise the kids, but they refused. You needed to be here to see how security men overran this place.
“Most parents who heard of it moved in to withdraw their children. Up till this moment, some of the children still feel bad when we have visitors in the school. We had to reach out to some parents to beg them to bring back their children.
“We are really disappointed if this is how the Soludo government intends to go about tax. The team were in our school earlier to demand payment of N100,000 for four signboards. We told them we didn’t have up to that number of signboards, so they left, saying they will verify and get back, and the next thing we saw was the security men.”
The school management called on the Anambra State Governor to rein in the excesses of some of his aides.
When contacted, the Managing Director of ANSAA, Mr Tony Ujubuonu, insisted that the enforcement was as a result of a court order obtained against the school.
He alleged that the proprietor of the school has been maligning the agency on social media over the enforcement, but insisted that the Anambra State government will not relent in ensuring that the right thing was done.
Meanwhile, foodstuff dealers in Anambra State on Thursday protested heavy taxation imposed on them by the State government. The traders threatened to stop supply of goods to the State if the government continued with the tax regime. They alleged that the State government had been imposing heavy taxes on them for bringing in foodstuff to the State from the north.
The Chairman of Eke Awka Foodstuff Dealers Association, Mr Chukwuemeka Onyemechi, during a peaceful protest on Thursday said some hoodlums allegedly working with government’s agents came to the market and stopped them from off-loading their goods unless they paid N30,000 per truck as against N8,000.
“They also insisted that we pay N20,000 for a truck with six tyres as against N5,000 and the sum of N6,000 for a Datsun truck as against N500 per truck. After the off-loading of goods, smaller trucks were forced to pay N3,000 as against N300 before the goods would be allowed to leave the market,” he lamented.
The traders would not be the first to complain about the tax policies of the State government.
READ ALSO: Soludo Imposes N100,000 Levy For Pasting Of Burial Posters, Banners
A lawyer, Mr Jude Eze who spoke on the perceived excessive tax said: “I do not think this is the best thing for the governor to do. Nigerians are not so exposed to taxes, so they need to be pampered and not this kind of chastisement we see everyday in the State.
“Soludo must realise that the economy is very hard, so he cannot be billing the people for waste, business premises, and several others, just because he needs money, which he told us he can get from relevant agencies, during his governorship campaigns.”
News
N5m, N10m Zero-interest Loans: SheVentures Opens Applications For Women Entrepreneurs
First City Monument Bank (FCMB) has opened a new round of applications for its SheVentures proposition, offering zero-interest loans of up to ₦10 million to women entrepreneurs to ease access to working capital and support business growth.
The facility provides loans ranging from ₦500,000 to ₦5 million under a general category, and ₦5 million to ₦10 million for sector-specific businesses, with funding capped at up to 50% of an applicant’s average monthly turnover.
At the centre of the offering is a 0% interest rate, with all charges embedded in a transparent structure.
Repayment is structured over four or six months, allowing businesses to match obligations with their cash flow cycles.
READ ALSO:I’ve Been Blacklisted In Music Industry For 13 Years – Seun Kuti
Yemisi Edun, Managing Director and Chief Executive of First City Monument Bank (FCMB), said the initiative reflects a deliberate approach to inclusive growth.
“Inclusive growth requires access to capital and the right conditions for businesses to deploy that capital effectively.
“Women-led enterprises are critical to economic activity, yet they face structural barriers.
This intervention aims to help close that gap by providing financing that supports job creation, business expansion, and long-term sustainability for women entrepreneurs.”
“Access to affordable finance remains a major constraint for women entrepreneurs,” said Nnenna Jacob-Ogogo, Group Head, SheVentures and Impact Segments at First City Monument Bank (FCMB).
READ ALSO:My Beef With Wizkid Is For Life – Seun Kuti
“By removing the cost barrier and offering quick, flexible funding, this zero-interest loan is designed to safeguard existing jobs, enable businesses to invest in growth initiatives, and foster resilience in challenging economic conditions.”
Women-owned businesses account for a significant share of Nigeria’s small and medium-sized enterprises but continue to face high borrowing costs and limited access to credit.
Through these efforts, SheVentures tackles persistent financing gaps facing women-led businesses, combining targeted funding with broader support to empower women entrepreneurs, encourage business innovation, and enhance their ability to compete on a national scale.
Applications for the zero-interest loan are now open.Apply now.
News
Xenophobic Attacks: Oshiomhole Tells FG To Retaliate Against South African Companies In Nigeria
Senator Adams Oshiomhole has called on the Federal Government to retaliate against South African businesses operating in Nigeria following the recent attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.
Speaking during plenary on Tuesday, Oshiomhole said the Federal Government should consider revoking the working license of South African owned companies such as MTN and DSTV.
He argued that Nigeria must respond firmly to what he described as persistent hostility against its citizens.
READ ALSO:South Africa To Investigate ‘Mystery’ Of Planeload Of Palestinians
“I am not going to shed tears. If you hit me, I hit you. I think it is appropriate in diplomacy. It is an economic struggle,” Oshiomhole said.
He argued that while some South Africans accuse Nigerians of taking their jobs, Nigerians should return home and take over employment opportunities created by major South African companies operating in the country, including MTN and DSTV.
“When we hit back, the President of South Africa will not only talk but will also go on his knees to recognise that Nigeria cannot be intimidated.
READ ALSO:South African Ambassador Found Dead Outside Paris Hotel
“We will not condone any life being lost. If a crime has been committed under the South African law they have the right to bring any such person to justice, but to kill our people as if we are helpless, we will not allow that,” Oshiomhole added.
DAILY POST reports that several Nigerians in South Africa have reportedly been attacked, and their businesses destroyed, in ongoing xenophobic attacks in the country.
News
IGP Orders Officers Display Name Tag On Uniform, Gives Update On State Police
The Inspector General of Police, IGP, Tunji Disu, has ordered all police personnel to always have their name tags on their uniforms for easy identification.
Disu disclosed that only police personnel who are undercover are exempted from displaying their name tags.
Speaking on Tuesday, Disu said: “All police officers should have their name tags. All of us on the high table have our names apart from the undercover among us so if you look at all the Commissioners of Police we have our name tags, so it’s not our standard.
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“All the Commissioners of Police are here and that is why we called this meeting, we have list of things like this that we will want to discuss with the Commissioners of Police, we have told them earlier and we will still let them know that every that happens within their area of jurisdiction falls under their control.”
On the issue of state police, the IGP said: “Since we got the signal that the Federal Government of Nigeria intend to establish State Police and since we are the federal police, we decided to take the bull by the horn and put down our own side of what we believe on how the state police should be run.
“A lot of things were taken into consideration, a lot of comparative analysis was done and it has been transmitted to the National Assembly.”
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