ONE WORD

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) is proposing to collect excise duty on soft drinks, abolished in 1993 by the interim national government. Appearing before a joint committee of the senate on finance and national planning on Thursday, Hameed Ali, comptroller-general of the NCS, said the federal government should lift the tax waivers for companies producing soft drinks within the country. Ali argued that if companies producing alcoholic beverages and tobacco could pay taxes, those producing soft drinks could do the same. “We have been pushing for the expansion of our own excise collection. During the (Ernest) Shonekan regime (in 1993), excise was stopped for carbonated drinks manufacturers, like Coca-Cola,” the retired colonel said. “The only one approved for us are tobacco alcoholic beverages. The understanding then was that tobacco and alcoholic beverages affect the health of citizens and should be taxed. “But we know that carbonated drinks are also injurious to the health of the peop

- Nehemiah Adejoh, the suspect who drove the car that ran over Tolulope Arotile has said his action was a mistake - The suspect told a Kaduna magistrate court that he never intended to cause her death - The court has remanded him in prison pending further hearing Nehemiah Adejoh, the suspect who drove the car that killed Nigeria’s first female combat helicopter pilot, Tolulope Arotile has said he never intended to kill the flying officer. The suspect told a Kaduna magistrates court on Thursday, August 20, that he mistakenly ran over the deceased, Daily Trust reported. Adejoh was reported to be the one behind the steering of the vehicle that knocked down Arotile on July 11 before she was pronounced dead at the Nigerian Air Force hospital. Driver says he killed female helicopter pilot, Arotile by mistake  he, however, denied having any premeditated plan to kill her in his cautionary statement. He explained that on sighting the deceased walking along the roadside at the Air Force base, he