Former Military Head of State, Yakubu Gowon, on Wednesday disclosed that ex-President Muhammadu Buhari is not inclined to worldly and materialistic overtures.

Gowon said nobody can doubt the fact that Buhari has the interest of Nigeria at heart and has guarded his integrity.

He disclosed this on Wednesday during the public presentation and book launch of “According to the President: Lessons from a Presidential Spokesman’s Experience,” authored by Garba Shehu, the former Senior Special Assistant, Media and Publicity.

Commending Shehu for the book, Gowon said communication plays a vital role in governance and nation-building.

According to Gowon: “I know General Buhari to be a staunch believer in the Nigerian project. I know him as a person not inclined to worldly or materialistic overtures.

“I also know that he will do everything to keep his integrity intact. If the truth must be told, Gen. Buhari is a man of austere lifestyle.”

Abia State Secondary Education Management Board, SEMB, has disclosed that some teachers who are supposed to be teaching in the state’s senior secondary schools are abroad, but still collecting salaries.

This is even as SEMB said that only 1,700 teachers were available in senior secondary schools in the state before the recent recruitment exercise carried out by Governor Alex Otti.

The Director in charge of SEMB, Mrs. Ngozi Onwubiko, made this known on Wednesday in her office while speaking to journalists about the range of reforms introduced by her Board.

Mrs. Onwubiko, who explained the reasons for the ongoing physical verification for senior secondary school teachers in Abia, said, “Do you know that some of these teachers are abroad and they will be taking salary?”

She pointed out that the verification, which is being done in coordination with the offices of the Head of Service and Accountant General, is designed to ensure that only qualified and available teachers remain on the payroll.

Mrs. Onwubiko also said that SEMB enforces a zero-tolerance policy for absenteeism and truancy among teachers, warning that any staff of the Secondary Education Management Board found or confirmed to be extorting teachers for preferred postings will be queried and punished severely.

The Director, who expressed gratitude to Governor Otti for the recruitment of more than 2,000 new teachers for senior secondary schools, said that the last employment of teachers for secondary schools in Abia took place in 2007.

Mrs. Onwubiko, however, said that 4,000 more teachers are needed in the secondary education system to meet the current demand in science and technical subjects of the 260 active schools.

The SEMB Director announced that some schools that closed down in the past have been revived by Governor Otti, with students back to study, adding that weekly sports in secondary schools would prepare students for future employment opportunities and dissuade them from deviant acts.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has lauded the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) for making significant strides in tax administration and institutional reform, describing the agency’s progress as commendable and impactful.

Speaking on Wednesday during the opening session of the IMF-supported Headquarters Mission at the FIRS headquarters in Abuja, Paulo Paz, a Senior Economist at the IMF Fiscal Affairs Department, said the Fund recognizes the “good work” FIRS is doing under the leadership of its Executive Chairman, Zacch Adedeji.

Paz emphasized that the Bretton Woods institution remains committed to supporting the agency, particularly in navigating challenges arising from the four newly signed tax reform laws. He said these laws have further elevated FIRS’s role in national development and revenue mobilization.

“We want to know how we can best support you with this new challenge. Our take on the four tax laws is first recognition of the excellent work that FIRS has been providing to the citizens,” Paz said.

“You have, at the same time, the recognition and new responsibilities with these very powerful laws, which will increase the relevance of the tax administration in Nigeria.”

He assured FIRS of continued IMF support, saying: “We congratulate you for the good results so far. There is more to come, and we are here to help.”

In his response, the FIRS Chairman Zacch Adedeji, represented by his Chief of Staff, Tayo Koleosho, expressed appreciation to the IMF for its sustained partnership with the agency

He noted that the collaboration had been particularly beneficial in areas like portfolio management, digital transformation, VAT automation, and compliance improvement.

“IMF has gone on this journey with us, and I think we are in a good place to continue the journey together,” Koleosho said.

He also stated that the partnership would continue even as FIRS transitions to the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) next year.

Also speaking, Mrs. Bolaji Akintola, Coordinating Director of the Corporate Services Group at FIRS, reaffirmed the IMF’s critical role in driving Nigeria’s domestic revenue reforms. She noted that with IMF support, the agency conducted two Tax Administration Diagnostic Assessment Tool (TADAT) evaluations between 2018 and 2023.

She highlighted that the 2023 TADAT results showed marked improvement over 2018, citing it as evidence of FIRS’s commitment to institutional excellence.

“If another TADAT is conducted today, the result will be better than that of 2023,” she added, noting that several weak indicators flagged in the last assessment have now been addressed and codified in President Bola Tinubu’s tax reform legislation.

The IMF-FIRS mission is expected to continue with consultations on how best to support Nigeria’s evolving tax landscape amid growing demands for efficient domestic resource mobilization.