A suspected bomb explosion has left the people of Umuneke Obazu Mbieri in Mbaitoli LGA, Imo State, devastated as they woke up on Sunday morning to witness the incident.

Confiding in journalists, a community leader, Emeka Arimanwa, narrated that at about 1 am, a suspected drone was seen hovering over the community and its neighbouring Umunjam and Amaulu in Ihitte Mbieri autonomous communities, a scene he said was unusual.

He further explained that within 10 minutes of sighting the object, a loud explosion was heard, leading to the destruction of one building and causing varying degrees of damage to other nearby buildings.

Arimanwa hinted that the effect of the explosion had created apprehension in the community, as such an incident had never occurred in the area before.

He called on security agencies to visit the scene to ascertain the level of destruction caused by the explosion and investigate its cause.

The DPO in charge of Mbieri Police Division, Superintendent of Police Wet Ben, had visited the scene but did not make any official statement regarding the cause of the explosion.

Visiting the scene of the explosion, the chairman of the local government, Ifunanya Nwanegwo, addressed residents of the area and urged them to remain calm, assuring them that everything was being done to unravel the cause of the explosion.

The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has called for constructive dialogue with the Federal Government regarding the Tax Reform Bill, especially its implications for the workforce across the nation.

NLC President, Joe Ajaero, made this call at the weekend during the unveiling of CNG buses for the Southwest chapters of the Union in Ibadan

Ajaero stressed the urgency of addressing critical concerns within the Bill.

“Collaboration with the government is essential to clarify and resolve certain issues outlined in the Bill. For instance, the Bill proposes zero taxation for workers earning below N800,000 annually.

“However, it’s important to note that many in the public service earn above the levels that fall under this threshold.

“If we consider a baseline of N70,000 per month, there are hardly any worker on Level 1, Step 1 who earns this amount. This suggests that virtually all workers in Nigeria could be affected by the proposed tax structure. We need clarity on these matters, and a dialogue is necessary to highlight where the concerns lie,” Ajaero stated.

Contributing to the discussion, a tax expert from Lead City University Ibadan, Professor Godwin Oyedokun, acknowledged the importance of taxes in societal development, warning against imposing taxes on those who cannot afford to pay, a practice he termed taxing poverty.

According to him, the new tax initiatives should focus on individuals with luxurious lifestyles, ensuring they contribute fairly to the system.

He underscored the significance of reforming tax policies to capture revenue from informal sectors and digital businesses.

The tax expert also encouraged the NLC to pursue constructive negotiations with the government, rather than outright opposition to the reforms, suggesting that resistance might stem from self-interest.

After hours of towing, a German maritime emergency team brought the oil tanker Eventin to safety off a Baltic seaport. The vessel, part of Russia’s aging “shadow fleet,” suffered a full blackout late Friday.

The stricken oil tanker Eventin, which had run adrift in the Baltic Sea north of the German island of Rügen, arrived at a safe position off the coast of the harbor of the German port Sassnitz early on Sunday.

The tanker — with around 99,000 tons of oil and said to be part of Russia’s shadow fleet of vessels used to skirt Western sanctions — is to remain in place until a decision is reached on how to proceed.

What we know about the operation

The Eventin is being held in position by two tugboats in a roadstead around five kilometers (around three miles) off the coast, said a spokesman for the maritime emergency command. A roadstead is an anchorage where ships can wait safely at anchor outside a port.

It is still unclear when and where the 274-meter-long (about 900-foot) tanker with 24 crew members will be repaired.

The ship suffered a total system failure, a so-called blackout, in the night heading into Friday and drifted without control on the Baltic Sea for hours.

Rescue teams managed to set up tow connections to the tanker on Friday afternoon.

A specially trained team of experts was lowered onto the stricken vessel from a helicopter. They were tasked with ensuring that the ship’s load was evenly distributed among the tugs.

A spokeswoman for the emergency command said the ship was watertight and that there was no danger to the environment. Several tugs towed the ship from early Saturday morning, initially towards a sea area northeast of Rügen.

However, with numerous wind turbines in the sea near the original destination, the plan was changed to a position further around the island near Sassnitz.

Already showing technical defects

The environmental organization Greenpeace has the “Eventin” on its list of the Russian shadow fleet. It said the almost 19-year-old ship, which sails under the Panamanian flag, had technical defects even before the blackout and was inadequately insured.

According to the organization, this meant that in the event of a serious accident such as an oil spill, the taxpayer would likely have to bear the costs.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Friday criticized Russia’s reliance on rundown tankers in its “shadow fleet,” warning it was a threat to European security.

“By ruthlessly deploying a fleet of rusty tankers, [Russian President Vladimir] Putin is not only circumventing the sanctions but is also willingly accepting that tourism on the Baltic Sea will come to a standstill” in the event of an accident, Baerbock said, describing the tankers as “dilapidated.”

rc/ab (dpa, AFP)