Daily Watch – Ghana denies jihadists’ presence at border, Nigeria Assembly mulls 50% tax cuts for “good bosses”

Nigeria’s National Assembly is considering a bill that will introduce a 50% tax relief for companies that increase salaries or offer transportation allowances to low-income workers. The proposal is contained in an executive bill, titled “Nigeria Tax Bill 2024.” According to the bill, companies will be allowed an additional 50% deduction in their relevant years of assessment for costs incurred during the 2023 and 2024 calendar years. The bill added that the qualifying expenses range from wage increases, transportation subsidies, or transport allowances granted to workers, whose gross monthly earnings are brought up to ₦100,000 or less. However, the provision stipulates that any additional salary increase granted to employees earning above ₦100,000 monthly will not be eligible for the tax deduction.

Nigeria’s mobile subscriber base fell 30.09% to 153.32 million in September 2024. This is as telecommunication companies lost 65.98 million subscribers to the Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) plus National Identification Number (NIN) linkage, which ended in September 2024. According to official figures seen by BusinessDay, Nigeria’s total number of active lines fell to 153.32 million on 14 September 2024, from 219.30 million in March 2024. This decline was attributed to the removal of all SIMs not linked to a verified NIN by 14 September 2024. This was after the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) reported that 153 million lines had been linked to NINs. “To date, over 153 million SIMs have been successfully linked to NINs, reflecting an impressive compliance rate of 96%, a substantial increase from 69.7% in January 2024,” the regulator said in August.

Ghana’s government on Saturday rejected Reuters’ report that Islamist militants in Burkina Faso are discreetly using northern Ghana as a logistical and medical base for their insurgency. In a statement, Ghana’s security ministry said there were no “non-aggression policy” or tacit agreements with militant groups. “The ministry strongly rejects the portrayal of Ghana as a ‘supply line’ for militants. Ghana’s counter-terrorism efforts are rightly commended by her partners in the relentless regional and global fight against terrorism,” the statement said. It added that national security forces were actively engaged in counter-terrorism efforts, particularly along Ghana’s northern border. “The Government of Ghana, through its State Security and Intelligence agencies, conducts continuous operations to prevent any terrorist infiltration or cross-border movement of militants and has been doing so over the years with notable successes,” the statement said.

Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) killed at least 124 people and injured 100 in Al-Sireha village in El Gezira State last Friday, the Wad Madani Resistance Committee, a pro-democracy group, said on Saturday. In a statement last Friday, the RSF accused the army of arming civilians in Gezira and of using forces under Keikal’s command, prompting its attacks. “The RSF militia is raiding east, west, and central Gezira, and committing extensive massacres in one village after another,” the committee said. “The people of Gezira are facing genocide by the Rapid Support Forces and it is impossible to treat the injured or even evacuate them for treatment. Those who have left on foot have died or are faced with death,” said the Sudanese Doctors Union, calling for safe passage.