President Bola Tinubu on Friday commended the Nigeria Governors’ Forum for their unanimous support of the four tax reform bills presently being reviewed by the National Assembly.
The President noted that the dialogue between the NGF and the Presidential Committee on Tax and Fiscal Policy Reform highlights the power of constructive conversation in resolving differences.
He said “Thursday’s productive consultation between the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and the Presidential Committee on Tax and Fiscal Policy is a commendable example of cooperation between the Federal and State governments.”
Tinubu particularly extended special commendations to the Chairman of the Governors’ Forum, Kwara State Governor Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq, for galvanising support among his peers for these transformative tax bills to rejuvenate the national economy and enhance Nigeria’s investment climate.
The President also commended the Progressive Governors Forum, the Northern Governors Forum, and all other groups that made the bipartisan resolution of the controversy stirred by the tax bills possible.
He underscored that the primary aim of the Tax Reform Bills, which is pro-poor, is to promote national interests, improve the competitiveness of Nigeria’s economy, and attract both local and foreign investments.
He said updating the country’s outdated tax laws is essential to the endeavour.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu further urged other stakeholders with ideas and suggestions for refining the Tax Bills to engage with the ongoing legislative process at the National Assembly.
He also noted the governors as vital contributors to nation-building, while affirming his commitment to partnering with them to promote economic growth, national harmony, peace, and stability.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
