Okoli Emeka Christopher

What Every Nigerian Should Know

Udoh’s Credit Alert and the New Tax Law:
Udoh’s phone buzzed just as he was settling down after dinner.
“₦250,000 CREDIT ALERT.”
He smiled. The money was from his elder sister in Ibadan, sent to help cover their mother’s hospital bills.
But almost immediately, a thought crossed his mind.
“With all this new tax law wahala… will this money be taxed?”
If Udoh feels confused, he’s not alone.
Many Nigerians now worry that every credit alert means tax. But that’s not how taxation works—and the new tax laws actually make this clearer than ever. Here’s what Udoh discovered.
1. Not All Money Is Income
The first thing Udoh learned is very simple:
Tax is not based on money entering your account.
Tax is based on income.
In other words, not every credit alert is income, and only income is taxable.
Many people get worried—not because they’re doing anything wrong, but because they misunderstand what the money represents.
2. The Description Matters More Than the Alert
A few days later, Udoh checked his bank statement and noticed something important.
Every credit had a description.
That’s when it clicked.
If money looks like income, the system may treat it as income—even when it isn’t. But when money is honestly and correctly described, you only pay tax where tax truly applies.
Let’s look at the types of money Udoh receives—just like most Nigerians.
3. Family Support Is Not Income
That ₦250,000 from Udoh’s sister?
It was family support.
As long as it is genuinely a gift or assistance, it is not taxable. Money sent to help parents, siblings, or relatives does not become income just because it entered your bank account.
Correct description: Gift / Family support
Tax: None
4. Refunds and Reimbursements Are Not Income
Another time, Udoh’s office refunded money he had spent on transport during a work trip.
That wasn’t profit.
It wasn’t salary.
It was simply his own money coming back to him.
Correct description: Refund / Reimbursement
Tax: None
5. Moving Your Own Money Is Still Your Money
Udoh sometimes transfers money from his savings account to his current account. Sometimes he sends money to himself using different banks.
That does not create income.
Correct description: Personal transfer / Savings
Tax: None
6. Loans Are Not Income
When Udoh borrowed money from a cooperative to fix his car, it also came as a credit alert.
But borrowing does not make you richer—you must pay it back.
Correct description: Loan received
Tax: None
7. Business Capital Is Not Business Income
Udoh’s cousin runs a small printing business. When she added her personal money to the business to buy new equipment, the money entered the business account.
That was capital, not profit.
Correct description: Capital contribution
Tax: None
Why This Matters Under the New Tax Laws
The new tax laws are not saying:
“Every credit alert must be taxed.”
They are saying:
“Money should be described honestly and accurately.”
If you wrongly label money in a way that makes it look like income, you may end up paying tax you don’t actually owe.
One Important Warning
All these descriptions are tax-free only when they are true.
Calling income a “gift” when it is actually payment for work is illegal and can attract penalties. The law protects honest taxpayers, not false descriptions.
The Lesson Udoh Learned
That night, Udoh relaxed.
He hadn’t done anything wrong. His money was clean, legal, and properly described.
The new tax laws didn’t come to punish him. They came to make one thing clear:
Always describe your money accurately and legally.
That way, you pay only the tax you truly owe—and nothing more.
And honestly, that’s something every Nigerian can agree with.

The Lagos State Police Command has launched an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct against Senior Pastor Chris Okafor of Mountain of Liberation and Miracles Ministries. The probe follows widespread social media outcry and public concern. Police have been directed to invite Okafor for questioning and contact alleged victims, even without a formal petition, according to a police spokesperson.

Mr. Magaji, a lawyer involved in prosecuting the former Kano State Governor Ganduje and his children over a port ownership scandal, was arrested in his office by the police and taken to Abuja. This unfolding situation raises significant legal and political implications, given Ganduje's prominent role and the controversy surrounding the port's ownership. The news was reported by Premium Times.

The FCT Administration under Minister Wike has reiterated its ban on the use of smart phones during work hours, stating that only 'torch light phones' will be permitted. This decision aims to enhance productivity and minimize distractions among workers in the Federal Capital Territory. The announcement comes in response to ongoing concerns about the impact of personal mobile devices on work performance. For more details, visit Sahara Reporters.

WHERE IS THE HEART OF MAN?
Where is the heart of man?
Once tender… once homely… once stirred by another’s cry.
Where is the heart of man?
Lost in the fog—
buried under strife, choked by hatred’s dust.

Where is the heart of man?
Dragged from the place the Creator carved for it—
Caught in deceit,
Puffed up in pride,
Beating no more for life but for power.

Where is the heart of man?
Check the chest—
you won’t find it in the warm, living room of the ribs.
Not behind the sternum,
not nestled between the lungs,
not resting quietly between the 2nd and 5th rib.

Where is the heart of man?
It has been uprooted…
shifted…
descended—
Now found where filth gathers,
where shame hides,
where humanity ends.

Where is the heart of man?
Far from where God placed it.
Far from mercy.
Far from us.

Title: When Will Peace Come?

Day by day, we pitch our tents
too close to fate,
as though the wind will warn us
before it blows us away.

We stand —
fear in our bones,
hope in our mouths,
dreaming of a peace
we have never truly tasted.

What shall we say
when the ones who call themselves masters
won’t listen?
When their voices thunder
and our desperation scatters
like frightened birds?

When will this sorrow pack its bags?
When will a shadow of peace
stretch across our roofs
and stay the night?

When will two eyes finally close
without fear
lurking at the window?

Our children —
still unborn —
march toward a future
cracked open
by the selfish fists of men
who think longevity
belongs only to the roofs
that shelter their greed.

And so we lift our voices
— shaking, tired, trembling —
and whisper,
“Oh God…
is it You alone?”

Yet even in the whisper,
even in the trembling,
You answer.

In the quiet.
In the brokenness.
In the courage
we didn’t know we still had.

And maybe peace is not far —
maybe it is walking
slowly, painfully,
towards the tents we pitched
near our fear,
waiting for the day
we rise again
as a people
who refuse to stop dreaming.