Ikpeazu’s tax certificate wasn’t forged-  ASIRS

Following last Monday’s judgment by Justice Okon Abang of the Abuja High Court, sacking Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, over alleged false disclosures in his tax certificate presented before he ran for the April 11, 2015 gubernatorial election, the state’s Internal Revenue Service, has insisted that the tax certificate it issued Ikpeazu was not fake. Ikpeazu Ikpeazu Recall that in his judgment, Justice Abang had sacked Ikpeazu as governor, ruling that the Independent Electoral Commission. INEC, immediately issues Certificate of Return to Dr. Uche Ogah, who came second in the December 8, 2014 primary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Justice Abang had also ruled that the Chief Judge of Abia State, Justice Theresa Uzokwe, do immediately administer the oath of office and swear-in Ogah. But the Abia State Internal Revenue Service, ASIRS, in a statement on Monday, by its Executive Chairman, Udochukwu Ogbonna, clarified and insisted that the tax certificate issued to Ikpeazu was not fake, adding that neither the court nor the plaintiff Dr. Ogah invited (subpoenaed) the Revenue Board as witness to state the authenticity or otherwise of the tax papers in issue, during the pendency of the subject suit. The statement read: “The attention of the Abia State Internal Revenue Service has been drawn to a court judgement of the Federal High Court Abuja on the tax clearance certificate issued to Dr. Okezie Victor Ikpeazu by the Service, and hereby makes the following clarifications: 1. That the tax clearance certificate referred to in that Judgment was duly issued to Dr. Okezie Victor Ikpeazu by the Service, and was therefore not fake. 2. That the taxes for the years 2011,2012 and 2013 were PAYE taxes deducted at source from his personal emoluments by his employers (Abia State Passengers’ Integrated Manifest Scheme and Abia State Environmental Sanitation Authority respectively) and remitted to the service in the relevant tax years 3. That the dates on the tax receipts of the relevant years (2011, 2012 and 2013) did not suggest that they were paid on those dates, but only reflected the date

People mocked me for returning N2.8m

Mohammed Ogbanago, a security guard with the United Bank for Africa,  who returned $10,000 (about N2.8m) has said he was ridiculed for the action.He explained that he returned the money to show that all Nigerians were not corrupt and to set a good example for Nigerian youths,  Kogi State indigene earns N30,000 (about $100) per month, he found the $10,000 close to the main gate of the Oba Akran branch of the UBA, where he worked as a security guard.

The money was said to have fallen from an $84,500 withdrawn by a bank customer. The security guard was said to have taken the money to the bank’s operation manager, who then handed it over to the customer when he revisited the bank.

 Tony Elumelu, The bank’s Chief Executive Officer and management board  hosted him  at the bank’s corporate headquarters on the Lagos Island.  He was reportedly applauded by the bank’s leadership for the action, which it said was exemplary.

 The bank repeatedly has promised to give him a letter of commendation. The CEO at the meeting with Ogbanago, said “When I heard about this story, I knew I had to meet the man, who despite facing rising petrol and transportation prices and ‘tomato Ebola,’ returned such a huge sum of money.”

The guard, who graduated from the Kogi State College of Education in 2012, said good upbringing helped him to resist any temptation to abscond with the money and he added that the story of an airport cleaner (Josephine Agwu), who returned the N12m she found at her work place, also inspired him.

He said he had boasted to his friends that he would do better if he had the chance.He said, “And my chance came on that day. I was coming from inside the bank when I saw the money on the ground and I decided that the best thing was for me to take it to the operation manager. The owner of the money later came to ask for it. “After I did that, some people started ridiculing me that I shouldn’t have returned the money and that I should have considered my meagre salary before letting go of such a huge sum of money. But I felt I did the right thing. If I had, for instance, taken the money away and fled to my village, it would not be a case of misplaced money again, but stealing, and I could even be declared wanted.”  Although my salary may not be enough for my upkeep, especially with the current economic situation in the country, it is no excuse to take what is not mine. He said “I have been campaigning that to make Nigeria great, we all must prove to be good Nigerians in our small corners. Not all Nigerians are corrupt.

“I am happy I had the chance to prove myself and I want other Nigerian youths to learn from it. I want our youths to know that a good name is better than riches,”

 

People mocked me for returning N2.8m

 

Mohammed Ogbanago, a security guard with the United Bank for Africa,  who returned $10,000 (about N2.8m) has said he was ridiculed for the action.He explained that he returned the money to show that all Nigerians were not corrupt and to set a good example for Nigerian youths,  Kogi State indigene earns N30,000 (about $100) per month, he found the $10,000 close to the main gate of the Oba Akran branch of the UBA, where he worked as a security guard.

The money was said to have fallen from an $84,500 withdrawn by a bank customer. The security guard was said to have taken the money to the bank’s operation manager, who then handed it over to the customer when he revisited the bank.

 Tony Elumelu, The bank’s Chief Executive Officer and management board  hosted him  at the bank’s corporate headquarters on the Lagos Island.  He was reportedly applauded by the bank’s leadership for the action, which it said was exemplary.

 The bank repeatedly has promised to give him a letter of commendation. The CEO at the meeting with Ogbanago, said “When I heard about this story, I knew I had to meet the man, who despite facing rising petrol and transportation prices and ‘tomato Ebola,’ returned such a huge sum of money.”

The guard, who graduated from the Kogi State College of Education in 2012, said good upbringing helped him to resist any temptation to abscond with the money and he added that the story of an airport cleaner (Josephine Agwu), who returned the N12m she found at her work place, also inspired him.

He said he had boasted to his friends that he would do better if he had the chance.He said, “And my chance came on that day. I was coming from inside the bank when I saw the money on the ground and I decided that the best thing was for me to take it to the operation manager. The owner of the money later came to ask for it. “After I did that, some people started ridiculing me that I shouldn’t have returned the money and that I should have considered my meagre salary before letting go of such a huge sum of money. But I felt I did the right thing. If I had, for instance, taken the money away and fled to my village, it would not be a case of misplaced money again, but stealing, and I could even be declared wanted.”  Although my salary may not be enough for my upkeep, especially with the current economic situation in the country, it is no excuse to take what is not mine. He said “I have been campaigning that to make Nigeria great, we all must prove to be good Nigerians in our small corners. Not all Nigerians are corrupt.

“I am happy I had the chance to prove myself and I want other Nigerian youths to learn from it. I want our youths to know that a good name is better than riches,”