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JARIGBE DRIVING GRASSROOTS DEVELOPMENT IN C/RIVER NORTH

Published

4 years ago

November 21, 2020

Cyril Ogar

The race for the replacement of late Senator Rose Oko in the National Assembly has continued to gather momentum as the two major parties contending for the seat are mobilizing forces to ensure that they grab the Cross River Northern Senatorial District seat.

The race is a straight battle between the candidates of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Rt. Hon. Jarigbe Agom and that of the All Progressives Congress, Joe Agi, SAN has witnessed new and stronger campaign strategies since the postponement of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC as a result of the #EndSARS protest in the country.

Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe, currently a member of the House of Representatives, who represents Ogoja/Yala Federal Constituency is not giving up the battle for the ticket of the PDP for the election. He believes that he won the primary and should be the party’s flagbearer.

He is seen as a candidate who stands out in the popularity contest and the candidate to beat in the election.

Elected into the Green Chambers in 2015, Hon. Agom has kept in touch with those who elected him to serve via his legislative outreach and constituent’s involvement in the smooth running of the federal constituency.

In his desire to make life meaningful for his people, the lawmaker took a need assessment tour within his constituency where he engaged his constituents to exray their myriads of challenges. This tour resulted in the provision of some critical infrastructure, facilitated by the lawmaker for improved living standards and economic growth.

Within his first term in office, the young lawmaker ran an open-door policy, with the help and support of his constituents, and a lot was achieved. Hon. Agom influenced, through recommendation, the employment of many constituents into various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, including the Civil Defense, Federal Road Safety, Nigerian Army, Police, EFCC, Banks, Department Of Petroleum Resources, to mention but a few.

AMONG SOME OF HIS PROJECTS INCLUDE:

Electrification of Idum, Adum, and Igbo in Wanihem ward. Yala LGA (REA) Supply and Installation of a 500kva transformer in Wanibolor. Yala LGA ( Fed. Mins. of Power Works & Housing), Drilling and Installation of Motorised borehole in Okuku. Drilling & Installation of 1No Motorised borehole in Yache.

The home town of Dr. Stephen Odey, Drilling & Installation of Solar Powered borehole in Ikajor Ward Ishibori in Ogoja Drilling & Installation of Motorised borehole in Nkum Irede, Ibil in Ogoja, Drilling & Installation of 1No Motorised borehole in Idum Mbube. Electrification of Mbube East from Benkpe, Supply & Installation of 500kva transformer in Oboso, Mbube (Fed. Mins. of Power Works & Housing), Empowerment & training of over 250 youths in vocational skill acquisition in his constituency over 8million was giving out in cash for startups, He facilitated the construction of the (old) Union Bank Road, Igoli-Ogoja LGA- NDDC 2016 Budget and many others.

On his first primary assignment as a lawmaker, Jarigbe has sponsored 10 bills and four motions on the floor of the green chambers for the benefit of Cross River State and Nigeria in general

Others include:

University of Calabar Act (Amendment) Bill 2017(Amendment of cap U5 LFN 2004), A Bill for an act to provide for the establishment of a Federal University of Technology, OGOJA and for other matters connected therewith 2018, A Bill for the establishment of a Federal Polytechnic in Yala 2018.

MOTIONS:

Call for Rehabilitation of the Road from Yahe-Ukelle in Yala LGA of Cross River State to Igede in Oju LGA of Benue State, 25/11/2015.

Urgent Need to Investigate Acts of Procedural Breach by the Management of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), 08/03/2016.

Urgent Need to Investigate the Huge Debts Owed to PPMC by Major and Independent Oil Marketers/Sabotage by Some Oil Marketers, 29/09/2016.

Urgent need to investigate the mysterious death of the Late Joy Odama; Crutech Student, 21 years, from Yala, who died controversially in the house of one Alhaji Usman Adamu in Abuja.

It is worthy to note that one of Hon. Jarigbe’s Bill, HB 262 University of Abuja Act (Amendment) Bill, 2015 has passed the third (3rd) reading and was assented to by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It is now gazetted as one of the Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (LFN).

He has also intervened in several cases, especially through cash donations, gifts, cars, tricycles, sewing machines, funding of small scale businesses, procurement of farm inputs for farmers, construction of solar-powered boreholes, skill acquisition training, scholarship to deserving constituents, and many others.

Following his outstanding legislative performance and constituency development, Hon. Agom was re-elected for a second term to consolidate and sustain the tempo of his outreach. On marking the first year of his re-election for a second term, the pragmatic lawmaker sent out a touching message to his constituents.

He wrote: “I come on this platform to thank the Ogoja/ Yala people for the confidence reposed in me, exactly one year ago. My greatest joy is that my brother and friend who contested on the opposite platform is one of my closest allies today. We’ve long moved on. He didn’t emerge because he had special skills but because it’s God’s chosen time for me to serve our people.

“We are mere mortals and can’t assume invincibility.

Your continued support is invaluable and my promise to you is that- I AM POISED to delivering on this MANDATE you graciously gave to me in Trust. I remain eternally indebted to you all for this rare opportunity. God bless you all”.

Barely Seven Months from the inauguration into the 9th Assembly for a second term, Rt. Hon Jarigbe Agom has done the following.

Rt. Hon Jarigbe Agom has empowered over 200 Constituents from across the 24 wards of Ogoja/Yala with Birds, Feeds, and Vaccines.

He has done free medical outreach across Ogoja/Yala with Over 5,000 constituents as beneficiaries.

He has also empowered over 50 constituents with motorcycles, over 25 Tricycles, mechanized farm implements,s and 5 Cars to people across Ogoja/Yala.

Supply and Installation of 2,500kva transformers in Ogoja.

He has also extended his hand of goodwill by giving out N250,000 to youth from Ijibor in Bekwarra local government area to start up a business.

Rt. Hon Jarigbe Agom made a passionate appeal for a fire truck to be made available for the fire Department in Ogoja.

Rehabilitation of Borehole in Ochochi Okpudu in Okpoma, in Yala LGA.

Presented wrappers and cash to all the widows in the constituency during the Yuletide season. (2019).

Rt. Hon Jarigbe Agom facilitated the entrepreneurship development training for more than 400 constituents to enable them to access the CBN AGSMEIS Loan of N10m. The training fee was over N5m

He has organized skills acquisition training for youths across the 24 wards of Ogoja/Yala where cash was also given for start-ups.

He has purchased 240 jamb forms for Jambites across the 24 wards of Ogoja/Yala.

Hon Jarigbe Agom has affected the payment of Bursary to constituents across Ogoja/Yala which is ongoing.

With the mandate bestowed on him by the electorate, he sees himself having a commitment and a social contract of service for the overall interest of his people.

Hon Jarigbe, the voters have already decided, they approve of his philosophies and have chosen to place their trust in him; that allows him not only to represent by listening but also to represent by leading, by shaping opinions. He possesses the passion, experience, disposition, and sagacity to satisfactorily represent his people.

As a lawmaker, he is appealing to the best instincts of your constituents, he ran for a legislative office to make a difference, a difference for the better; and yes, he is putting the people first by his utmost commitment to their needs, in a very special way.

Legislative service is one of democracy’s worthiest pursuits. It is an important duty that deserves time, attention and dedication, in all of these tight engagements, you are never far from your people, hence your doors are open and accessible to your constituents far and near and even others in the diaspora

Besides, he has made the job of a lawmaker a lot more interesting to your supporters because you really know the people you represent. He used his skills and office to help communities find solutions. He returns phone calls, answers e-mails and letters, has town hall meetings, and replies to chats; this is awesomely encouraging and commendable.

Representation requires a bond of trust between citizens and their representatives; this bond, he holds in high esteem because enjoys the support and goodwill of his constituents in view of his openness, transparency, worthiness, accountability, and accessibility.

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Business

Tax Reform Bills: The Verdict of Nigerians

Published

1 week ago

March 6, 2025

The Gleamer

Ismaila Ahmad Abdullahi Ph.D

The public hearings conducted recently by the two Chambers of the National Assembly have elicited positive responses from a broad spectrum of Nigerians, cutting across regional interest groups, government agencies, civil society groups, concerned individuals, the academia, and Labour Unions, among diverse others. Contrary to a few dissensions hitherto expressed in the media, almost all the stakeholders who spoke during the week-long sessions were unanimous in their declaration that the hallowed Chambers should pass the tax reform bills after a clean-up of the grey areas.

The public hearings were auspicious for all Nigerians desirous of economic growth and fiscal responsibility. They were also a watershed moment for the Federal Inland Revenue Service, which had been upbeat about the tax reforms. Indeed, the public hearings had rekindled hope in the tenets of democracy that guarantee freedom of expression and equitable space for cross-fertilisation of ideas. Without gainsaying the fact, the tax reform bills have been unarguably about the most thought-provoking issues in Nigeria today, drawing variegated perspectives and commentaries from even unlikely quarters such as the faith-based leaders, student bodies, and trade unions, which speaks much about the importance of the bills.

In the build-up to the public hearings, not many people believed that the bills would make it to the second reading, much less the public hearings. Even the Northern stakeholders who seemed unlikely to support the passage of the bills have softened their stance and have given valuable suggestions that would enrich the substance of the bills. The Arewa Consultative Forum came to the public hearings well-prepared with a printed booklet that addressed their concerns. It concluded with an advisory that the bills should be “Well planned, properly communicated, strategically implemented and ample dialogue and political consensus allowed for the reforms to be accepted.”

The concerns of ACF ranged from the composition of the proposed Nigeria Revenue Service Board as contained in Part 111, Section 7 of the bill, the unlimited Presidential power to exempt/wave tax payment as proposed in Section 75(1) of the bill, the family income or inheritance tax as contained in Part 1, Section 4(3) of the bill, to the issues around development levy and VAT. On the development levy, the ACF stated that unless the Federal Government is considering budgetary funding for TETFUND, NASENI and NITDA, it does not see the “wisdom behind the plan to replace (them) with NELFUND”.

The position of the North was equally reinforced by the Supreme Council for Shariah in Nigeria, Northern Elders Forum, Kano State Government, Professor Auwalu Yadudu, and the FCT Imams. Like the ACF, these stakeholders lent their respective voices to the Section on the Inheritance Tax in Part 1 of the bill and the use of the term ‘ecclesiastical’, which, in their views, undermines certain religious rights and beliefs. The Kano State Government, represented by Mahmud Sagagi, affirmed that “we support tax modernisation” but cautioned that “we must ensure that this process does not come at the expense of states’ constitutional rights and economic stability”. Professor Auwalu Yadudu, a constitutional law professor, drew attention to the use of the ‘supremacy clause’ and cautioned that the repeated use of “notwithstanding” in the bills would undermine the supremacy of the Nigerian constitution if passed as such.

Other stakeholders that made contributions at the sessions included the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas, Fiscal Responsibility Commission, Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria, Nigeria Customs Service, and a host of others. While most of their concerns bordered on technical issues requiring fine-tuning, they were unanimous in their support for the bills. They aligned with the position of the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, Zacch Adedeji, Ph.D. and the Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Mr Taiwo Oyedele, which is that the extant tax laws and fiscal regulations are obsolete necessitating reforms aimed at creating a fair and equitable tax and fiscal space to grow Nigeria’s economy.

In one of the sessions, Dr Zaach Adedeji expounded on the criss-cross of trade activities in the Free Trade Zone whereby companies misuse tax waivers as exporters to sell their goods or services in the Customs Area at an amount usually less than the price the operators in the Customs Area who pay VAT and other taxes sell theirs thereby disrupting business transactions. This way, the operators in the Free Trade Zone shortchange the government in paying their due taxes by circumventing extant regulations, which are inimical to the economy’s growth.

Overall, the presentations were forthright, foresighted, and helpful in elucidating the issues contained in the bills. According to the statistics read out at the end of the hearings at the Senate, 75 stakeholders were invited, 65 made submissions, and 61 made presentations. At the House of Representatives 53 stakeholders made presentations. By all means, this is a fair representation. Given the presentations, it is evident that the National Assembly has gathered enough materials to guide its deliberations on the bills. As we look forward to the passage of the bills, we commend the leadership of the National Assembly for their unwavering commitment to making the bills see the light of the day.

Abdullahi is the Director of the Communications and Liaison Department, FIRS.

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