Idolised for his immense skill on the field, four-time World Footballer of the Year Lionel Messi’s squeaky-clean image off the pitch will come under scrutiny on Friday when he faces a judge accused of tax evasion.

Dangote Flour Mills, DFM, Plc has recorded a pre-tax and after tax losses of N2 billion and N1 billion respectively for the half year period ended June 30, 2013.

ON Tuesday, July 30, 2013, a bizarre drama played itself out at the Benin City airport when passengers coming into or leaving the ancient city found to their dismay both the entrance and exit points under lock and key.

THERE are indications that President Goodluck Jonathan may have ordered all Federal Government agencies in Edo state to pay the over N2.5billion owned to the state government from Pay As You Earn (PAYE) tax so as to avoid such crisis that led to the closure of the Benin Airport last week.

The high rate of corruption in the land can be attributed to the inability of people to do their duties well and worse still those who fail to obey the law are not punished. It is a binding duty for all to pay their taxes, partake in environmental sanitation exercise, use the pedestrian bridges while crossing the express ways and other civic duties. But to many, the Nigerian factor where anything goes has taking the upper side to the extent that when you see one who wants to follow due process, the person is regarded as not normal.

BENIN—Two days after Edo State Government and Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, bickered over tax payment, the Tax Appeal Tribunal, TAT, South-South Zone, has ordered Global Marine Baltic Incorporation, a multi-national oil company to pay $1,770,995 (about N279.8 million) tax due to the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS.

The Federal Government earned about N522.1billion from Petroleum Profit Tax, PPT, royalties and domestic crude oil and gas sales in May 2013, according to data released by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.