Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) says some taxpayers have failed to capitalise on the measures introduced to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on businesses and the economy.

Muhammad Nami, executive chairman of FIRS, made this known in a statement on Monday.

Nami said the service noted that despite series of palliatives for waivers of penalties and interest on outstanding taxes, some taxpayers are yet to take advantage of the palliative windows opened.

In light of the above, he said the service has fixed December 31, 2020, as the last day for the waiver of outstanding penalties and interest on all taxes.

“After the expiration date of December 31, 2020, the service shall recover all outstanding debt with penalties and interest, in accordance with the provisions of the extant tax laws such as ‘the power of substitution’ conferred on it by Section 31 of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (Establishment) Act 2007,” the statement said.

“The service has issued a series of palliatives for the waivers of penalties and interest on outstanding taxes arising from desk examinations, audit exercises, investigations or all other forms of tax assessment.

“However, the service has observed that some taxpayers are yet to take advantage of the palliative windows opened to cushion the effect of the challenges of the economy on taxpayers.”

Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF), has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to step down, adding that lives under him have become worthless.

In a statement by the Director of Publicity and Advocacy of the Forum, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, the forum said the appropriate thing for the president to do is to resign since he can no longer guarantee the safety of Nigerians.

The forum also berated the presidency over its response to Boko Haram’s killing of over 40 rice farmers in Borno State.

Recall that Garba Shehu, the spokesperson for the president, had said the farmers were killed because they did not get military clearance before going to their farms.

Baba-Ahmed, in a statement, described Shehu’s remark as ‘most insensitive’.

The statement reads: “Northern Elders Forum (NEF) joins Nigerians in expressing outrage at the killings of farmers in Borno State and many other people on a daily basis in many parts of the North. Our voices have been raised without pause for a long time against pervasive insecurity in our region.

“These particular killings have been greeted by the most insensitive response by spokespersons of the President. The lame excuse that farmers had not sought permission from the military to harvest produce merely exposed the misleading claims that our military had secured vast territories from the insurgency.

“Under this administration, life has lost its value, and more and more citizens are coming under the influence of criminals.We do not see any evidence of a willingness on the part of President Buhari to honour his oath to provide security over Nigerians.

“In civilized nations, leaders who fail so spectacularly to provide security will do the honourable thing and resign.”

The Nigerian Governors’ Forum Chairman and Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, has said security challenges are beyond the Nigerian military.

A statement on Wednesday quoted him as saying this during his visit to Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State to condole with the government and people of Borno over an attack by the Boko Haram insurgents, where over 40 farmers were slaughtered.

The statement was titled, ‘Governors Forum: Security challenges are beyond military’.

He was accompanied by the Governor of Sokoto and the Vice Chairman of the Forum, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Governor of Kebbi State, Atiku Bagudu, and that of Niger State, Abubakar Bello.

Fayemi said soldiers are overwhelmed and needed support to tackle the security situation affecting many parts of the country – insurgency, banditry, kidnapping, and armed robbery.

He said, “But what happened in the last three days is by far beyond any imagination, it was a massacre and it was one that none of us could come to terms easily.

“The reality we can all say, and I personally as security scholar, the reality I can see is that our military is overwhelmed. Our military is no longer in a position to single-handedly tackle this menace effectively.

“It is not a criticism of our military, if one were to suggest a coalition beyond that will even include our neighbouring countries, who are probably more experienced in fighting an asymmetrical war. It will not be a loss of our pride as a country.”

The governor also said governors are frustrated with the level of insecurity in the country.

“This is not a visit to gratify ourselves, no, it is an expression of also our own frustration.

“We can’t bring back the people we have lost in the last couple of days, but if we do not take the necessary steps the entire nation will be consumed by this insurgency,” Fayemi added.

Zulum said, “We need to address the underlying causes of the insurgency while appreciating the effort of the federal government in implementing some policies that are geared towards addressing poverty in the entire nation, Borno State deserve more.”

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim as the new Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).

This was disclosed in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media & Publicity), Garba Shehu, on Tuesday.

“A holder of BSc (Sociology), Masters of Arts (Management) and Masters of Business Administration (MBA) degrees, Mrs Sulaiman-Ibrahim, hails from Nasarawa State,” the statement read in part.

Until Mrs. Sulaiman-Ibrahim’s new appointment, Shehu said she was a member of the Nasarawa State Economic Advisory Council as well as Special Adviser on Strategic Communication to the Minister of State for Education.

She is to replace Julie Okah-Donli, who was appointed by Buhari in 2017.