Newscast - Africa

The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative has been revealed that 77 oil and gas companies operating in Nigeria are indebted to the country to the tune of N2.659 trillion.
The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative attributed the debt to their failure to remit petroleum profit tax, company income tax, education tax, value-added tax, withholding tax, royalty and concession on rentals.
The Executive Secretary of the organisation, Dr Ogbonnaya Orji, stated that when converted to a dollar, the government was being owed $6.48 billion at today’s official exchange rate of N410.35.
He noted that a breakdown of the figures showed that a total of $143.99 million was owed as petroleum profit taxes, $1.089 billion as company income taxes and $201.69 million as education tax.

The summary of the evidence of Mr Dieye Willie-Harry, an expert witness hired by the Lagos State Government to investigate the shooting incident at the tollgate shows that live military-grade ammunition was fired at some point by yet to be identified persons.
The Executive Director of a UK-based forensic and ballistic company, Oxgene Consulting UK Ltd, Mr Willie-Harry says from the examination and research surrounding open-source imagery and news reporting along with the individual injuries and medical reports, live military-grade ammunition, may have been discharged at some point at the Lekki Toll Gate on 20th October 2020, after 21:00 hrs.
He says it could possibly be aimed at the road surface in front of protesters, which ultimately caused the projectiles to ricochet resulting in the core breaking out of the jacket and hitting the majority of the victims in the lower limbs at much reduced kinetic energy but with enough energy to fracture the long bones without exiting the victims’ bodies.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, has admitted that the Nigeria Police Force is not properly funded, attributing it as the major challenge facing the security agency.
Osinbajo says the Federal Government worked with the National Assembly to enact the Police Trust Fund Act.
Osinbajo, however, maintained that despite the challenges, the Federal Government is committed to improving the livelihood of police personnel.
He explained that President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration has been developing the Niger Delta region through the Niger Delta Development Commission.

The Nigerian Navy has called for concerted efforts to end the proliferation of small and medium arms in Nigeria.
The Director of Legal Services, Nigerian Navy, Commodore Jemila Malafa, says Chadian soldiers sell guns for as low as $20 and this endangers Nigeria’s security.
She says the developed countries in the name of assisting them fight are compounding the problems in Nigeria.
She says they should either enact laws to govern the handling of these arms and ammunition or build an armoury for these countries.

Officials say Thailand is to cut the quarantine for vaccinated travellers to seven days starting in October, as it seeks to revive its battered tourism industry.
Authorities say that starting on Friday, the quarantine period for fully jabbed visitors will be seven days, halved from the current 14-day period — provided they have a vaccination certificate.
Visitors without certification will have to quarantine for 10 days if they enter by plane and 14 days if they come overland. All will require at least two negative Covid tests.
Government deputy spokeswoman Rachada Dhanadirek waved off concerns about unvaccinated travellers entering the kingdom.

A plan to tax online content creators in Egypt has sparked mixed reactions.
The country's tax authority asked YouTubers and bloggers to register and declare their annual income.
The government is targeting those earning more than 500,000 Egyptian pounds annually.
The AFP news agency reports that some people on social media have been supporting the new taxation while others are opposed to the move citing high internet costs
The AFP quoted Mohamed al-Gayyar, a senior tax authority official says anyone who makes a profit in Egypt must be fairly taxed whatever their field of work is.

Prime Minister Choguel Kokalla Maïga says Mali's elections meant to usher in a return to democratic rule and set for next February could be postponed by two weeks, two months, a few months.
Mr Maïga says it was better to organise peaceful elections, recognised by all, rather than to organise elections that will be disputed.
The government could also use the planned withdrawal of French forces from the country to justify an extension of the transition period.
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says the Malian government was turning towards private Russian companies to boost its security, seemingly confirming reports that Bamako may be about to sign a security agreement with the controversial Wagner group.

Sudan's foreign minister says Sudan has not taken any significant steps to normalise relations with Israel since April when its cabinet repealed a decades-long boycott of the country,
Mariam Sadiq al-Mahdi says there's not any sign of normalisation with Israel and there are no talks at any official level adding that abolishing a law on boycotting Israel does not mean that they will consider opening an Israeli embassy in Khartoum.
She added that improving relations with Israel was necessary to improve relations with the US and said it was tied to support for Sudan joining the World Trade Organization after nearly two decades of failed attempts.

Guinea’s military junta has barred its members from running in the next elections that will mark a return to civilian rule.
The charter also provides for a government headed by a civilian prime minister and a national transitional council that will temporarily act as a parliament.
The council will have 81 members drawn from society including business leaders, political parties, religious organisations, diplomats and professional organisations. They are also barred from running in the next local or national elections.
At least 30% of the council members must be female and will include a president and two vice-presidents.

US President Joe Biden has nominated Dr John Nkengasong to lead a public health programme on combating HIV/Aids, known as the President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief.
Dr Nkengasong is currently the head of the Africa CDC - the agency leading the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.
The US government initiative has been without a leader since February last year. Its former leader Deborah Birx left to join the US coronavirus task force.
Experts say that many people were not getting tested while others were not able to take their medicine due to the interruption of supplies.