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CIPRMP Inducts NYSC DG, Lauds ‘Great Impact Of Scheme’

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By Joel Ajayi

In recognition of his immense contribution toward the Integrity patriotism, unprecedented growth and development of National Youth Service Corps NYSC in the country and beyond, the Chartered Institute of Public Resources Management and Politics (CIPRMP), Ghana has awarded the Scheme director Major General Shuiabu Ibrahim into its 2021/2022 fellowship hall of fame.

The CIPRMP, was established in 1995 is an international institute which is professionally structured to strategically advance entrepreneurship proficiency, cultivate management excellence, and also enhance the drive towards zero tolerance for corrupt practices in the various sectors of a nation’s economy, both in the public and private sector.

Speaking at on Tuesday in Abuja during the investiture and decoration ceremony of Major General Ibrahim into hall fame the CIPRMP, Ghana, the leader of the delegation who is the Executive Director of CIPRMP, West African Region, Richards Kpoku said the award came as a result of positive impact of DG’s and outstanding role towards the transformation of the scheme into its current state.

According to him, the institute is really proud to recognize you given your strategies in service delivery at the scheme.

“We commend your leadership dexterity; we also commend your leadership integrity. That is the reason why the institute has singled you for the award.

“The NYSC has made great impact under your watch as the director general. You have initiated great and positive national awareness, making very outstanding strides in the scheme.

“Without doubt, your contribution to the scheme cannot be quantified within the shortest period of time, NYSC under your watch embarked on youth oriented initiatives that is no measure contributing to the growth and development of Nigerian youth.

Speaking shortly after he received  the award, the institute Major General Ibrahim who was earlier decorated and dressed in academic gown and presented with  an award, reiterated his commitment to always motivate the younger generations to imbibe nationalistic ethos, culture of discipline and unblemished service to the nation.

He said that other African countries are learning from the scheme to have similar establishments.

DG said, NYSC remains one of the oldest agencies in Nigeria and the Corps Members are doing so well within the four cardinal programmes designed to uphold the national unity and integration which include orientation course, Place of Primary Assignment, secondary assignment also known as Community Development Service and the winding-up and passing out parade.

Major General Ibrahim further revealed that the scheme will soon unveil its television and radio stations, saying “despite the achievements, we still have our challenges that is why we are pushing for the establishment of NYSC Trust Fund the ensure the sustainability of the Scheme because we teach corps members skills so that at the end, as they are leaving the scheme they we have start capitals to make them self-reliance instead of running after white collar jobs,” he said.

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Tax Reform Bills: The Verdict of Nigerians

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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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