FGN VAT    BREAKING: TAX: FG Mandates 7.5% VAT on Mobile Transfers and USSD From Jan 19 FG Announces Implementation of 7.5% VAT on Selected Electronic Banking Services From January 19 The Federal Government has announced that a 7.5% Value Added Tax (VAT) will be applied to selected electronic banking services, including mobile Moniepoint MFB Explain in details What FGN VAT is all about and Want Can and Can Not Be Tax.  What is VAT.   (Value Added Tax) is a Government-mandated tax applied to the supply of certain goods and services in Nigeria. Moniepoint collects it on behalf of the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) and remits it to the Government. 2. Why am I seeing VAT charges now? The Law now requires VAT at 7.5% to be applied to certain banking fees of  financial institutions such as commercial and microfinance banks and electronic money transfers operators. This is not a Moniepoint price increase. 3. Which services attract VAT? VAT applie...

  Dressing the Moment: An Ibibio–Efik Reflection on Comfort, Conduct, and Culture Among the Ibibio and Efik people, dressing has never been a casual afterthought. Long before modern fashion, what one wore spoke of character, upbringing, and respect for the community . Our elders understood that attire is language—silent, but powerful. In today’s world, easy-going dressing has found wide acceptance. T-shirts, jeans, slippers, and relaxed outfits reflect a fast, informal lifestyle. In informal spaces, this is not wrong. Even in Ibibio homes, elders recognize that comfort has its place. After all, “Idim ke idem,” a home is a place of ease. But our culture also teaches that comfort must never erase decorum . Traditionally, an Ibibio or Efik person knew the difference between inside the compound and outside before elders and the public . One would not appear before Mbong Ekpuk (family council) or attend a serious gathering dressed carelessly. Dressing properly was part of showing...

KPMG Tax Report   When Expertise Speaks and Hesitates: The KPMG Tax Report, International Benchmarks, and Nigeria’s Policy Challenge In serious policy environments, controversy is rarely about analysis alone. It is about what happens after analysis meets power . The episode surrounding KPMG Nigeria’s review of the new tax reform laws is a textbook example. KPMG Nigeria titled its report “Nigeria’s New Tax Laws: Inherent Errors, Inconsistencies, Gaps and Omissions.” Those words were not inserted by journalists or critics—they were chosen, reviewed, and released by the firm itself. The press merely reported what the report said. Yet, when backlash came, KPMG reportedly sought to clarify in Abuja that the report was misconstrued . That moment, not the report, is the real story. Words Are Not Accidental In tax and legal advisory work, language is deliberate. Terms such as errors , gaps , and omissions are technical judgments, not casual descriptors. If KPMG intended to signal ...

      Happy New Year To You All Our Readers Sights and Sounds of Ndon-Eyo II Etinan As the old year bows out and a new one steps forward, Sights and Sounds of Ndon-Eyo II Etinan extends warm New Year greetings to the resilient, thoughtful, and ever-engaged people of Etinan, Akwa Ibom State, and our readers across Nigeria and the world. A new year is not just a change of calendar; it is a renewed opportunity to reflect, to question, to demand better, and to celebrate the truths that shape our communities. Etinan has always been a land of voices — voices of culture, conscience, creativity, and courage. Our platform remains committed to amplifying those voices, documenting our realities, and preserving our stories without fear or favour. In the year ahead, we reaffirm our dedication to grassroots narratives, critical commentary, cultural heritage, and people-centred journalism. We will continue to ask the hard questions, spotlight the unheard, and hold power accountable...

        THE MERCY COVENANT A Policy and Clerical Reform Manifesto for Islamic Scholars in the 21st Century Preamble Islam stands at a defining moment. Across the world, violence committed in its name—often without scholarly authority, lawful mandate, or ethical restraint—has distorted public understanding of the faith and endangered innocent lives, including Muslims themselves. This manifesto affirms that preserving life ( hifz al-nafs ) is a higher objective of Shariah than militant ideology , and that unchecked reinterpretation of jihad by non-state actors is a theological emergency . This document is a call for scholarly courage, moral clarity, and institutional reform . I. FOUNDATIONAL DECLARATION We, Islamic scholars and religious leaders, affirm that: Human life is sacred without qualification “Whoever kills a soul… it is as if he has slain all of humanity.” (Qur’an 5:32) Violence is not the default condition of Islamic faith Peace ( sulh ), merc...

    Anthony Joshua Involved in Lagos–Ibadan Expressway Crash; Reports of Fatalities Emerge Nigerian-British boxing icon and former world heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua , was involved in a road accident on Monday at Makun , along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway in Ogun State , sparking widespread concern across Nigeria and the global boxing community. Eyewitness accounts indicate that the accident occurred when the Lexus SUV conveying the boxer, with registration number KRD 850 HN , collided with a stationary truck under circumstances that remain unclear and are currently under investigation by relevant authorities. A source involved in the rescue operation told The PUNCH that Joshua sustained minor injuries , but confirmed that the crash was fatal for others, stating that two persons died on the spot . Another eyewitness, Adeniyi Orojo , said the incident happened just before Danco Filling Station on the busy expressway. As of the time of filing this report, the Ogu...