SGF George Akume
By JOHN ONAH, Abuja
The Secretary to the Government of the Federatio (SGF), Sen. George Akume, has received the annual honour as “Man of the Year” by Top 10 Magazine.
Akume was honoured along with President Bola Tinubu’s daughter, Chief Mrs Folasade Tinubu-Ojo, who was also awarded Woman of the Year, and an array of nineteen other distinguished personalities who received awards of excellence.
The ceremony, which was graced by dignitaries, policymakers, business leaders and ordinary Nigerians, in Abuja on Saturday, marked the Magazine’s ninth year of celebrating people and organizations that attained excellence in the various sectors of national development.
Receiving the award on behalf of Akume, the Chief of Staff to the SGF, Hon Christopher Tarka, thanked President Tinubu for the opportunity accorded him to serve under his administration.
Tarka said the award was for all Nigerians and the political structure through which the SGF has risen to where he is.
Delving into national issues, he noted that Tinubu has started on a right course and Nigeria will be better under his leadership, adding that already security was better in the Northeast as farmers were now returning to farm.
According to him, the president has addressed the issue of framer herder conflicts by establishing the Ministry of Livestock and recently signed a pact with the Brazilian Government that will enhance livestock production.
He called on Nigerians to support the President in his mandate to ensure the development of the nation.
Earlier, the publisher of Top 10 Magazine, Mr Tony Iji, praised the consistency of the publication, since its debut in 20016, in promoting excellence and celebrating people.
Iji noted that the magazine has become a flagship for many comers to the industry to copy from.
Chairman of the award ceremony and General Manager of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Salihu Abdulamid, noted the consistency of Top 10 Magazine in the nearly one decade of its operation.
Represented by Oganya Simon, Abdulamid noted that the Magazine has consistently recognised high performing individuals in different sectors of the country.
He assured Top 10 Magazine of NTA’s continuous support through media coverage of its events and to play its role in whatever is good for national development.
He also urged the awardees to continue with the good work they have been doing.
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On his part, the former Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, Muhammad Nami, stressed the need for Nigeria to align its tax system with global best practices, saying outdated tax laws were impeding national progress.
Nami said Nigeria stands at a critical juncture, and tax reform is the key to securing its economic future.
He therefore called for accelerated passage of the tax reform bills before the National Assembly as reform in tax administration is a long-overdue step toward economic sustainability.
“Doing the same thing and expecting different results is economic suicide. For decades, Nigerians have clamored for economic prosperity, better infrastructure, and improved social services.
“These reforms present us with an opportunity to turn aspirations into reality,” he said.
Nami stressed that passing the tax reform bills was only the first step, emphasizing that implementation would be the real test of Nigeria’s commitment to financial independence.
“If we fail to implement these reforms effectively, we will remain shackled to a cycle of debt and financial uncertainty.
“But if we succeed, we will position ourselves as a truly sovereign nation—one that funds its own development without excessive reliance on creditors.
“In our hands today lies a defining choice. We either continue our overreliance on borrowed funds to finance our national budget, or we take decisive action to reform and strengthen our tax system,” he said.
According to him, the country’s debt profile had soared to N143.3 trillion as of mid-2024, with external debt alone projected to exceed $45.1 billion by year-end.
Nami warned that without urgent action, the country could find itself at the mercy of the International Monetary Fund, IMF, World Bank, and local creditors, a scenario that could further strain the nation’s sovereignty.
While acknowledging the controversies surrounding the Tax and Fiscal Reform Bills currently before the National Assembly, which have sparked heated debates among key stakeholders, he called for more stakeholder engagement.
He asserted that the bills before the National Assembly would modernize Nigeria’s tax system, improve revenue collection, and reduce dependency on external borrowing.
“But let us not throw away the baby with the bathwater. We must carefully assess the concerns surrounding these reforms and ensure that they serve the collective interests of all Nigerians,” he said.
Nami said the country has a choice to continue down a path of endless borrowing or to take bold steps toward fiscal sustainability, adding that Nigeria’s economic future depends on the decisions it make today.
