THE current Monkey pox outbreak has again exposed Nigerians to the dangers of preventable and treatable diseases. Lassa fever, Cerebrospinal Meningitis, CSM and Cholera are just a few of the emergency epidemic outbreaks the country has so far witnessed this year.

A RECENT report by the Federal Internal Revenue Service, FIRS and the Joint Tax Board, JTB, revealed that only 40 super-rich Nigerians pay correct taxes on their incomes. The report, apart from being incomplete, merely revealed the extent to which governments of Nigeria (both Federal and the states), the FIRS and the JTB have failed Nigerians over the years.

Amidst increasing pressures on the three levels of government to increase revenue generation, albeit, non-oil for the federal government and Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, for states and local governments, more unintended   negative consequences are surfacing.

A REPORT recently released by Quantum Global Research, a global organisation tracking plans for Foreign Direct Investment, FDI, in various countries should worry all Nigerians.

NIGERIANS have continued to shower encomiums on the Super Eagles since our national football team became the first African side to secure qualification for the 2018 World Cup holding in Russia. The team achieved this feat by beating the visiting Chipolopolo of Zambia 1-0 on Saturday October 7, 2017 at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

THE Lagos State Government, penultimate week, commissioned its DNA (Deoxyribo Nucleic Acid) forensic laboratory. It is the first state-owned DNA laboratory in the country. Governor Akinwunmi Ambode had, last year, approved the DNA laboratory project as part of the criminal justice sector reforms designed to solve crimes through technology.  

TRUE to its promise, the National Judicial Council, NJC, has constituted the Corruption and Financial Crimes Cases Trial Monitoring Committee, COTRINMCO, for the special courts designated to handle corruption cases as earlier announced by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Walter Onnoghen, last month.

A GOLD fish, they say, has no hiding place. Within the context of the socio-economic and geo-political firmament of Nigeria, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, the venerable former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations, exemplifies this saying.

THE Federal Government appears determined to open more space for the public to play bigger roles in infrastructure construction and management.

IN June, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr Audu Ogbe, flagged off with fanfare the first batch of 72 tonnes of yams being exported to Europe and America from the shores of Nigeria. It was another bold step to expand the base of our foreign exchange earning beyond crude oil.

LATEST news on Nigeria’s troubled road infrastructure is the Federal Government’s concession of road projects to the private sector in exchange for tax holidays, and the request by state governments to take over federal roads in their domains.

THE Federal Government’s decision to harmonise the highly proliferated biometric-based identity systems in the country is long over due. Nigeria lacks a centralised national database unlike other countries. Virtually all Federal agencies and private sector operators have their respective biometric data of citizens.

THE recent exchange of visits by some Northern and South East leaders has undoubtedly reignited the spirit of brotherhood which reckless acts of some elements in authority and youths in the wider society had sought to break over the Biafra agitation.

THE outcome of the recent 2017 fifth Monetary Policy Committee, MPC, meeting of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, was not surprising. The Committee voted to leave all policy rates unchanged (by a vote of six to one), with the Monetary Policy Rate, MPR, at 14%, the Cash Reserve Ratio, CRR, at 22.5% and Liquidity Ratio at 30%.

WITH the nation getting ready to embrace campaigns and elections in the next few months, some people seem determined to politicise efforts being made to resettle Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, in the Boko Haram-ravaged North East, especially Borno State.