The international cable television network, GOTV, has been accused of forcing Christian televangelism on Nigerian Muslims.

The allegation was made by an Islamic human rights organization, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC). In a widely circulated press release signed by its Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, the organization demanded stoppage of the use of ‘Faith’ channel on the first Channel of GOTV with immediate effect, describing it as offensive, nauseating and denigrating.

The full press release says:

“A plethora of complaints has flooded the headquarters of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) in the past 30 days concerning the disturbing allocation of a prime channel on the popular international cable television network, GOTV, to ‘Faith’, a popular Christian programme used for televangelism.

“According to the complainants, the first channel on GOTV which used to feature the advertisement of programmes on its other channels has now been dedicated to ‘Faith’ alone such that users of GOTV are compelled to watch the Christian channel willy-nilly once they switch on their television sets.

“This is an obvious extension of trammadolised religiousity to a provocative level, a strangulation of Nigerian Muslims with a Christianised hangman’s noose and a grinding subjection of the totality of the Nigerian Muslim psyche to trauma, assault and derision. It is offensive, nauseating and denigrating.

“GOTV is taking undue advantage of its licence, abusing its priviledged position and infringing on Allah-given fundamental human rights of Muslims to use of television, choice of programme and freedom to navigate television channels.

“On behalf of more than 130 million Nigerians, MURIC demands immediate cessation of the ‘Faith’ programme on this prime channel and its return to its former channel or any other of GOTV’s choice.

“By allocating its first channel to the Christian ‘Faith’ televangel programme, GOTV has made Christianity its numero uno agenda in the country and relegated Islam to the bottom of the pyramid. It is religious apartheid and Nigerian Muslims will not accept relegation to third class citizenship in a country where they enjoy comfortable demographic lead.

“For a starter, Nigerian Muslims will be forced to start de-subscribing from GOTV if this obnoxious, prejudiced and ill-advised practice is not halted within seven days counting from Monday, 2nd December, 2024. Other peaceful, legitimate and constitutional anti-GOTV actions may follow as deemed necessary if the service provider fails to comply.

“Meanwhile, MURIC appeals to Nigerian Muslims to continue to exercise patience and to remain peaceful and calm. We must not give in to provocation, lawlessness and violence. The law is on our side and we have the right to reject a service provider that has no respect for our faith or for its Muslim customers.”

“GOTV will also do better by returning to its original practice whereby the last station watched by consumers opens immediately they switch on their television sets. Nigerians are going through enough stress and GOTV has no right to escalate tension in the nation’s anatomy.”

Oduduwa News has gathered that an 18-passenger bus which took off from Ado-Awaye yesterday, was involved in a gbastly accident along Kaduna Highway.

It was reported that some people have been reportedly dead while several others injured and are in critical condition.

According to an indigene of Ado-Awaye who spoke on the condition of anonymity to Oduduwa News, the said bus owned by a Fulani man identified as Habeeb and gave it to someone to be using it for a commercial purpose.

“We have called Habeeb and his Dad and we confirmed he was not the driver that drove the car, probably some other Fulani people drove it themselves going to Kaduna to buy rams”, said by by an indigene.

Oduduwa News gathered that the bus suddenly collided with a truck on Kaduna Expressway and resulted to immediate loss of lives of yet-to-be identified people while several others sustained serious injuries.

As at the time of filing this report, official statement on the accident has not been made by Federal Road Safety Corps.

Details later.

To further decongest Correctional formations in Ogun State, the Ogun State Chief Judge, Justice Mosunmola Dipeolu has again freed 14 Awaiting trial inmates across the Correctional Centers in the State.

The freed Inmates were released during the Jail delivery exercise held at the State Judiciary Complex, Abeokuta on Friday, 29th November, 2024

Justice Dipeolu who described the Jail delivery exercise as a crucial component of the justice system noted that It is aimed at reviewing cases, expedite justice, rehabilitate, and, most importantly, promote and reintegrate into society individuals who have faced unnecessary lengthy pre-trial detention.

“However, these numerous challenges within our justice system demand our urgent attention and innovative solutions, like the periodic Jail delivery exercise, awarding of non-custodial sentences for minor offences, restitution, and compensation to victims of crimes, among others.” His lordship added.

The Chief Judge further stressed that challenges faced by the Justice System in the recent years include overcrowding in Correctional facilities and delays in court proceedings which according to her, were caused by many factors.

While justifying the importance of the exercise, His Lordship said “the main essence of this program is to ensure that our system promotes reintegration rather than mere punishment for inmates with prolonged stay in custody without their case being determined within the time frame stipulated under the law.”

The Chief Judge concluded by saying that the exercise represents another step towards addressing these challenges in compliance with the Constitutional duty of her office as the Chief Judge of the State, which allows for the review of cases to identify those ready for release, particularly inmates with prolonged detention or serious health issues”.

It will be recalled that 48 inmates were also freed during April, 2024 Jail delivery exercise at Ilaro, Oba and Ibara Correctional Centres of the State.

While releasing the deserving inmates, His Lordship implored them to be of good conduct as they go back into the society and desist from any act that could lure them back into commting crimes.

The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has directed workers in 14 states to proceed on an indefinite strike from Monday to press home the implementation of the new minimum wage.

The affected states are: Ekiti, Oyo, Abia, Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi, Enugu, Federal Capital Territory, Imo and Nasarawa.

Other states are Sokoto, Yobe, Katsina and Zamfara.

The General Secretary of the NLC, Emmanuel Ugboaja in a November 29,2024 circular to Presidents  and General Secretaries of  NLC affiliates said  the industrial action to “compel implementation of the new national minimum wage should commence in any state that has not complied by the end of November 2024. This position was reinforced by the CWC in Kano on the 27th of November 2024.

“Flowing from the above it is our information that some states have not commenced the said implementation as workers are still being paid on the old structure and there is no subsisting agreement to show a date of commencement of implementations They are as follows: Abia, Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Enugu, Federal Capital Territory, Imo, Nasarawa, Kaduna, Katsina, Oyo, Sokoto, Yobe and Zamfara states.

“We therefore request that you direct your state councils in the following states to proceed on the said needed actions to compel the implementation as resolved by the NEC & CWC.

“Please do oblige us with copies of your letters to your state councils in this regard for effective mobilisation.”

The new Minimum Wage of N70,000 per month came into effect in July when the bill to that effect was signed into law by President Bola Tinubu.

Chairman, Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Taiwo Oyedele has said Nigeria still uses the stamp duty law of 1939.

He stated this at a session with the Senate to discuss the tax reform bills.

He said, “Many of the laws we have today, we inherited from our colonial masters. For example, the Stamp Duty Law is a law of 1939. In 1939, the world had not envisaged that there would be the Internet. Trying to apply a law of 1939 in 2024 does not show that we are a people that are ready for the next generation.”

Oyedele explained that there is a need to write new tax laws as the old ones no longer apply in 2024.

“Because of this, we decided that instead of amending our old laws that we inherited from our colonial masters, why don’t we write new ones for ourselves. This has been done in many countries across the world,” Oyedele stated.

He also said that the committee is trying to harmonise many taxes into fewer high-revenue-yielding ones.

“This is what led to us trying to harmonise so many taxes we have in Nigeria into a few high-revenue broad-based taxes and eliminate those taxes that impose a burden on our poorest people and small businesses so they can have the opportunity to thrive.

“It is when our people are prosperous, that they will have the ability to pay taxes. Our findings reveal that the fiscal system we have today inhibits growth in my private sector experience before my current role, I was involved for over a decade in looking at tax systems in more than 180 countries worldwide and I can tell with all forms of responsibility, Nigeria’s tax system is one of the most backward in the world.

“This cannot help us with our vision of a great country, which is what we desire and truly deserve. We also found out that the Government can do much better in terms of the priority and quality of spending as well as how we borrow in addition to issues around harmonisation of taxes,” he said.

It would be recalled that Oyedele is leading the charge for the controversial proposed Fiscal Policy and Tax Reform Bill as President Tinubu had in October sent the tax reform bill, which he said aligns with ongoing financial reforms of the Federal Government to the National Assembly.