The suffering Orumba residents

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The suffering Orumba residents

Gov. Obiano of Anambra State

The great Igbo adage has it that, suffering does not in any form or manner nourish anyone's body. I believe it makes one lose his mental alertness and sense of belonging; this is to prove how grievous suffering is to human life. This is true, considering the dictionary definition of the word to "suffer." It is to feel pain or great discomfort in body or mind.  This definition can only best describe the kind of mental and bodily torture the residents of Orumba North and South council areas have been subjected to these past years when it comes to electricity supply.
     Electricity supply to them has become a mirage; it is like a tale in the moonlight. There case has become like that of the biblical saying: "who will go for us?" I should think that is why our medium, The Ogene Newspaper, came on board - to speak for the voiceless!
      We must talk about it until our voices get to the authorities concerned. We can’t keep quiet at this time. It was Jane Austen, an English novelist, in his great work, “Pride and Prejudice,” who once said, and I quote: “Nobody can tell what I suffer! But it is always so. Those who do not complain are never pitied.” How can we be pitied if we do not speak up? The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) people are human beings; they have ears, and I believe this is the time for them to hear us.
      The Orumba people are not happy at all. How can they be happy when they are subjected to untold hardship and agony – an agony that is unequaled? To them happiness is far-fetched! When it comes to electricity supply, they have never known what is real happiness. Borrowing the words of the French author, Alexandre Dumas, in his book, “The Black Tulip,” and I also quote: “Sometimes, one has suffered enough to have the right to never say: I am too happy.” How can they be proud to say they are happy when they are perpetually subjected to inhuman treatment? I may be tempted to say like the Bible said of the Israelites in the land of Egypt that their cry of suffering in the land of bondage had reached heaven. This may not be out of place in describing what the Orumba people are at present passing through. Can one imagin the situation of people who have not known what it is to have a 24-hour supply of electricity for about a decade now? This is very disturbing and should attract the attention of the providers of electricity. They should act before they all die in silence – God forbid!
     While major cities are enjoying the present improvement in power supply, the rural dwellers especially in Orumba are yet to share in it. They are yet to see that miracle performed in their domain. The scenario is very dangerous, why? Because other Nigerians who are enjoying the dividends of democracy in this dimension will never get to comprehend that others are languishing in perpetual suffering. It is only he who wears the shoes that knows where it pinches. Orumba people have been perpetually suffering as a result of poor electricity supply. They have been dehumanized and shortchanged at the same time. Rural electrification in Orumba to me is a huge failure to say the least.
      In my former write-up, I defined infrastructure as the basic equipment and structures (such as roads and bridges) that are needed for a country, region, or organization to function properly. Considering this definition again, one will still observe that an infrastructure is meant to function optimally, and also to serve the people to whom such infrastructure is provided. Suffice it to say that problem only comes when the reverse is the case. We all know that the government has invested a lot of fortune just to ensure that Nigerians enjoy continued power supply, but all that has become but utopia in this part of the country, a dream world, that can only be imagined!
       Orumba people have for so long been marginalized and traumatized. They are yet to understand the much ado about the dividends of democracy. They are crying, but their tears have not run enough for the authorities to notice their cry and predicament. My question is always this, has it become a curse to become a rural dweller? I am saying this considering the government insistence that people should avoid urban migration by living in the rural areas to help in its development. Or do they want to convince us that this call is just a mere lip service and cosmetic, one not coming with good intentions? If not,  tell me why for over  a decade now, Orumba people (North and South) are yet to enjoy for once, adequate electricity supply. This perennial and reoccurring dilemma of the people has warranted so many of them to migrate to the so-called urban areas in search of greener pasture, if there is ever one anywhere.
        One can feasibly see frustrations on their faces. The artisans in the area are even worse hit. This is because they are supposed to make use of electricity on a daily basis for their work. Some of them do not even have the resources to acquire generating sets to boost their businesses, making them to experience an unending agony and frustration. To make their case and others worse, is the fact that they are subjected to pay for the service they do not even make use of. Why would they not pay since there are no pre-paid meters anywhere in the area?
        In almost all the communities I had the privilege to visit, I could not even sight anything like meters at all (pre-paid or analog). The billing method in most Orumba communities is still the estimated bill. So what the EEDC staff do is to come around with their crazy and arbitrary bills at the end of the day, and subject the people to pay whether they like it or not. The irony of it all is that they are even threatened of losing the service they have never enjoyed. Why should they not pay, do they have any alternative? They have made desperate efforts to get the pre-paid meters to enable them at least pay for the actual service they consumed, but the EEDC will never comply. The reason is simple – to shortchange the people. They have decried and condemned these inconsistencies and anomalies, but the authorities will never harken to their cry. Something must be done, and done urgently!
      In most cases, bills paid by the people do not get to the government coffers, but rather, they end up in the pockets of the EEDC staff, and no one accounts for that, and no receipts are issued for bills paid. All one notices is some EEDC staff coming along; collect the bills with no document to show any payment and off they go till another supposedly billing time. The questions are, for how long will this continue? Can’t the authorities of EEDC respond to the plight of these Nigerians, who are supposed to be direct beneficiaries of the so-called dividends of democracy? Do they want the people to carry placards and start demonstrating or picketing their offices before they can respond to their cries?    
        One Orumba resident, a native of Ndikelionwu, in recounting his ordeals in the hands of EEDC, told me how he got fed up with their service, went to their Ekwulobia office and ordered them to come and recover all their service wires. They insisted he must pay the past estimated bills sent to him, which he never consumed, before he could disengage. He did, and EEDC came and recovered all their wires. The man today “enjoys” his generating sets more than the so-called electricity supply. The man could act this way because he can afford the pains of purchasing petrol to fuel his generating set. What of the very poor ones who cannot afford it? They are all languishing in perpetual agony and suffering.
      You see, the problem with Nigerians, especially the authorities, is insensitivity and unresponsiveness to the plight of the people. They are never proactive when it comes to issues like this. They always wait to see the worst happen before they start to run helter-skelter. Our system believes so much in fire brigade approach, instead of nipping the problem at the bud before it escalates. Something concrete must be done now to alleviate the suffering of the Orumba people. I, therefore, call for a state of emergency to be declared in the electricity supply in the area. It has come to that extent!
       To the vast majority of Orumba people, the existence of EEDC in the area is just a mere window dressing exercise. They are yet to feel their impact. To some of them, their problem pre-dates the emergence of EEDC; it is traceable to the days of National Electric Power Authority (NEPA), Power Holdings Company of Nigeria (PHCN), and to the present era. This is a people who do not know what it is to have a full-day electricity; they are yet to see that fulfilled in their lives.
      As mentioned earlier, small, medium and even large businesses in the area are immensely suffering and complaining of loss of income that is supposed to be accrued to them if electricity has been steady. Hotel owners, hairdressing salons, and other artisans have been counting their losses as a result of this perennial problem. This really contradicts government’s efforts in promoting entrepreneurship in the country. To me, it is both an irony and a paradox, and if urgent steps are not taken to forestall this anomaly, government’s efforts will continue to be sabotaged by the same government that promotes and encourages entrepreneurship. Here I rest my case, thanks and God bless! 

Interview segment

Transparency has been my hallmark –Achina PG, Ezechukwu

The hallmark of every leader should be transparency in leadership. Hon. OCJ Ezechukwu, the President General of Achina Town Union (ATU), is one leader who ensures there is marked transparency in his leadership style. In this interview with our Editor-in-Chief, SUCCESS UCHIME, he examines this and many more. Excerpts.

Hon. O.C.J Ezechukwu

Question: May we meet you sir?
Answer: My name is Hon. Obiora Chukwuemeka John Ezechukwu (JP). I am the President General, Achina Town Union (ATU) in Aguata Local Government. I also work as the Supervisor of Education at the Aguata Local Government Area.

Question: For how long have you been the PG?
Answer: Well, I have been the PG of Achina people for three and half years now. We have just four years tenure, so very soon, I will leave office. There is a zoning arrangement in Achina, and after my tenure, which is the tenure of Umueze village, it will go to another zone, which is Umuleke.
Question: How has it been being the PG?
Answer: Really, it has been very challenging in many aspects. You see, as a PG, and as in leadership generally, you need to know what your people want and therefore go for it. We are having financial challenges. You know how things are in the country today, so it is reflecting on my people. The communities are not like the government thing where revenue comes to you at the end of the day. But we have to talk with the people, and convince them why it is proper for them to bring money. So it takes a lot of trust and if they are convinced, they will definitely bring the money to support your projects. To be candid with you, it has not been too easy at all.
Question: Do you have ongoing projects at present?
Yes, for sure. We started off in 2011, and we have so many projects. For instance, our town hall is ongoing now and our people are responding well. By the grace of God, we have got to the roofing level, but we have not commenced the roofing yet. It will definitely start in no distant time. We started the digging of catchment pits here and there because as you know, we have this erosion menace ravaging us. The catchment pits are for gathering water. So what we did was to mobilize our people, and as a matter of fact, we have spent well over N2 million on that.
Question: Did you get any grant for the projects?
No! My people raised the fund by themselves. Some philanthropists in the town contributed. You know we also have a community levy which is N1, 000 yearly per adult, so all that helped in raising the fund.
Question: To give money requires trust from the people. Do your people trust you enough to entrust such money into your hands?
As a leader, all you do is to be transparent. Anyway, prior to my becoming the PG, I have been the Secretary General of the town union for four years, that is from 2003 to 2007, and by 2011, I was elected the PG. All the while, I was operating from the background. So throughout my service to my people, it has been my style to let them know what I am doing, so transparency has been my hallmark. Because you are talking of transparency, what we used to do is to type all the account and distribute to the people. Every quarter, we do this to all the branches, we have 35 branches of the town union scattered all over the places. So we hold what is called the Central Working Committee (CWC) of our town union comprising the Secretary General and all the branch chairmen. We hold this meeting by Easter, August and December, and at the meeting, we summarize all we have done, put them on paper and share them with the people that attended the meeting. So as we did that, the people became surprised because that had not happened before. As a result of that, each time we request for money, the people will give because they saw the transparency in action.
Question: Anyway, let us move to the traditional institution. Some people suggest that the traditional ruler should be responsible for cultural aspects, while the PGs should be responsible for development projects. Do you share that view of separation of responsibility?
Answer: Yes, I do, but it should not be entirely exclusive. At times, there is an overlap. You do not leave the culture to the Igwe alone. For instance, in Achina, we usually organize what we call the Idegwu Day celebration. Idegwu is another name for Achina, it is the war name, and it is celebrated every three years. It comes up every December 31^st, and the aim is to mobilize our people to come back home from anywhere they may be. The town union organizes it, not our Igwe per say. You know people usually leave their towns to different places, so every three years, at least, they will come back home to rejoin with their relatives. We organized the last one and we are also organizing the one of this year. It is incumbent on the town union to organize it not the Igwe. But the pivot of it is that the person behind it is our Igwe because he is the custodian our culture, so we do accord him that respect.
Question: So what are you expecting in this year’s Idegwu Day?
Answer: Oh! It is going to be fantastic. Our people as usual are going to come back massively. It will be colorful, and if you come to Achina, you cannot see where to park your car. People are coming from here and there, because it is not an annual thing. Again, our Igwe will be celebrating his Ofala on the December 29 this year, and after that we start the Idegwu Day on the 31st. So, all roads lead to Achina on that very day.
Question: In some towns we hear of some friction. So what is your relationship with the traditional institution?
Answer: It is for some people who do not understand how things work. Ours is very cordial, in fact roles are spelt out in the constitutions of communities, and as such there is no need for frictions. You see, when there is an overlap of responsibilities, all we do is help the Igwe to achieve his objectives. So there is no rift in Achina between us and our Igwe. We have never seen a situation where the PG quarrels with the Igwe. Remember, if we quarrel with the Igwe, it is the people that will suffer for it.  So all we try to do is to ensure a peaceful co-existence between us.
Question: In Nigeria today, there is this issue of security challenge everywhere. So how has it been in your community security wise?
Answer: I think it is the same thing everywhere. You see, what happens in Anambra State is that the governor, Chief Willy Obiano has invested so much in security to curb crime. In fact, it started from Mr. Peter Obi and then to the present era. So there is minimal challenge, and the vigilante is always standing bye. We have a-20 man vigilant committee, and be reminded that they are being paid N10, 000 monthly by the government. Again, we have this security levy in our community paid by the people which we use to support the government’s efforts. We have a different account for that, different from that of the town union, and it is being managed by our Igwe and the PG who are signatories to the account. So if there is any security challenge, that is where we usually get the funds to intervene.
Question: Do you believe in the autonomy of the local government areas?
Answer: That is the panacea for grassroots government. I am calling for the autonomy of the local governments as that will enable the local government chairmen to optimally discharge their civic responsibilities to the people. The reason for local governments is to better the lots of the common man at the grassroots. So the chairman knows the people more than any other person, and he will be challenged to perform if the fund is given to him directly, and he should be able to know what to do with it. There is a lot for them to do in developing their various communities.  They know where the shoe pinches, so let the funds be left in their hands.
Question: As the PG of your people, what are your remarkable achievements so far?
Answer: They are monumental. You see the catchment pits we dug are helping our people in this erosion that is ravaging our people. Luckily enough, we approached the former local government chairman of our council, we told him of our erosion challenges, and he assisted us in building four culverts. Again, in order to check erosion, what we did was to ensure that no water goes out from any compound. It is a law in Achina, go to any household, you will see well-dogged wells where water is collected. You must dig and cover it properly so nothing falls inside it, and if you fail to comply, you will be fined N20, 000. In Achina, we have 23 quarters, and when the water comes from your house it flows to the one dug by the quarter. Each quarter has an erosion committee with a chairman and secretary to ensure compliance. They are under the PG, and enforce the law. They ensure that all quarters open the pit between January and March every year to evacuate the rubbish in there so water can flow very well.  You do not just see water anyhow and it is all about the incessant flooding and erosion we have in our community, and we need to checkmate it, we need to be proactive. Again, in 2012, we approached the ministry of environment and purchased seedlings up to N10, 000 and we planted them in all the erosion prone areas. That was why Achina was chosen by the state government last year for the tree planting campaign. The governor came to launch it by himself in Achina. I guess he was informed of our earlier effort towards that. Apart from that, we were able to mobilize our people for the town hall we are building. It was built in 1959, and 50 years after, we do not have a befitting place for our meetings and other social activities, it is quite appalling. The former PG did the foundation, but we have taken it to the roofing stage. It is going to cost about N10 million to complete. Our Igwe is also fully involved in it.
Question: What is your call to the entire Achina people?
I want to let them know that there is no other place one can get succor except at home. So I am calling on them to be more patriotic by contributing to the development of our town. Once they do that, they will be assured that the people are saved. So wherever they go, they will be free to enjoy themselves. If their community is not properly in order, they may have problem wherever they go. So let them come back home and help develop our dear town, Achina

Entertainment

Music is in my bloodline – Cenke

I inherited music from my parents. It is in my bloodline. My parents all played music at their levels. These revelations were made by Chukwuebuka Samuel Nwafor, an Ndikelionwu based musician, in this interview with our Editor-in-Chief, SUCCESS UCHIME. Here are excerpts.

Cenke (center) performing during
an event

Question: May we meet you, your name and the name of your group?
Answer: My name is Chukwuebuka Samuel Nwafor, also known as Cenke, and I hail from Arogwe village, Ndikelionwu here. The name of my band is God’s Time Gospel & Highlife Band International.
Question: What kind of music do you play and what kind of occasions do you go to play?
Answer: I play a combination of gospel and highlife music. We feature in weddings and traditional marriages, birthday parties, burial ceremonies, political party functions, house warming etc.
Question: When did you start playing music and what inspired you?
Answer: Well, I started playing some 10 years ago, precisely in 2005 and that was when I finished my apprenticeship, then I came back to Ndikelionwu and joined the choir in the Saint John Anglican Church here in my town, and from there, I started singing for the church. Because I love what they do in the church, so I was inspired to start playing full time. Up till date I still play for the church, because it is from where I drew my strength.
Question: Where are the places you have gone to play?
Answer: We have gone to several places within and outside the state, even up to Lagos State. In fact, we go to wherever we are engaged to play.
Question: Did you inherit music?
Answer: Yes, I inherited it. It is in my bloodline. My father, Sunday Erasmus Nwafor, the one they know as Akpata n’anwu, was playing metal gone for masquerades here in Ndikelionwu, and was a singer also. Even my mother and grandmother were all singers. They sang for the umuada wherever they had a gathering. So, you see that I actually inherited music. It is in our family bloodline; therefore, what I am doing today is not just ordinary. It is God ordained.
Question: Do you have people you are training at present in music and how many are you in your group?
Answer: Yes, I have some people, one is an Ufuma boy. The thing is that I am not the only Ndikelionwu based musician. We have prominent musicians in our town, and they are doing well, but I am the only one based here at home, and am satisfied with that. We are six people in our group playing key instruments, and we are all experts at our own level.
Question: Do you have plans of producing any title of yours?
Answer: Of cause yes, I have to do that when the time comes. It will not be long. It is in my plan; in fact, that is the goal of any musician. I will never stop until I am able to produce a title of my own.
Question: Is music industry in Nigeria a profitable venture?
Answer: I believe it is, only if you have the resources to acquire the right instruments. It is like any workman, if you do not have the right implements, you cannot perform optimally. Again, you need to show a level of skill and talent in it, and if you do, be sure that people will always come from all the places looking for you. If you have a good product, it must sell. The reality is that one has to start from somewhere. Great musicians like Chief Osita Osadebe and others started from somewhere. You do not have to grow overnight. It is slow and steady.
Question: Do you think you have reached your peak in the music industry?
Answer: No, no, I have just started; I have not even gone halfway. I have a long way to go in this music thing. I am only asking God the Father for the grace to get to the top of my profession and I know He will do it for me in no distant time.
Question: Do you have any major challenges as a musician?
Answer: Yes, numerous challenges. In life, there are bound to be challenges, but these challenges are very relative. Finance to acquire good instruments is there as number one. We also have the influence of satanic people. They come in different ways to stop you from going forward especially with this competition that is in the music industry. Everyone wants to outshine the other. It is either they cause your equipment to destroy or they cause one spiritual challenge that will be difficult for one to get through. I have experienced it in practical terms, this is not story. We have seen it happen live, even in this our town here. I will not be able to give you a countdown of such satanic challenges, they are too many to mention here.
Question: Have you got a family of your own?
Answer: Yes, by God’s grace, I just got married some few months ago, and we are looking up to God for the fruit of the womb to follow. We are quite confident He will answer us at the appointed time.

Editorial (Second Edition)

(Editorial)
Let us give community journalism a chance

Community journalism has been defined as the locally oriented, professional news coverage that typically focuses on city neighborhoods, individual suburbs or small towns, rather than metropolitan, state, national or world news. Asan Andrew Ate and Joseph Omoh Ikerodah in their study entitled: “Community Journalism in Nigeria: Global Technological Reflections,” described community journalism as a community-owned, people-oriented and less profit-driven.
   They further alluded to the fact that community journalism has the capacity to facilitate and smoothen effective communication in places where the presence of national media is not well felt, thus fostering development in other media marginalized communities. If these are true of community journalism, we believe it will be wise for us to give it a chance to strive in our community (the old Aguata Local Government Area). Our people need to see the reason for this as quickly as possible. This is so, because the place of community media to the growth and development of communities cannot be over-emphasized. Community journalism is known to be intimate, caring, and personal; it reflects the community and tells its stories; and it embraces a leadership role.
    The Ogene Newspaper, with the rolling out of her maiden edition which has been applauded by most people in our community as timely and novel, is poised to foster effective communication that will definitely usher in the much needed growth and development we need in our community. Effective communication will no doubt bring the much needed unity we need as a people to survive in this age of technology.
     We have in clear and unequivocal terms stated our vision, which is to promote grassroots journalism through unbiased local coverage of news stories within our community. There is no doubt that we are out to pursue this our noble vision. Our maiden edition can attest to that fact.
   This responsibility of ushering a new level of development into our community should not be left to us alone. Our people should join hands with us, if we must be liberated from the underdevelopment and backwardness that is prevalent within our community. The needs and aspirations of our community must be projected for the entire world to hear our cry. We cannot afford to lag behind anymore. We cannot afford to suffer for so long again. We are out to serve as a mouthpiece that will fight for what belongs to us as a people. Criminals and other unscrupulous leaders in the government, town unions and others, who have found our community as a safe haven cannot have a hiding place anymore – they must be exposed, if we must grow and develop. Enough of our being marginalized, this is the time for us to speak up!
     The task ahead of us is herculean and as such, we are appealing for the assistance needed for us to further of our vision and mission. We have a mandate and we are very careful to pursue it. Our people must see us as a breeding place for ideas and opinions within our community.
     Serving the 45 towns that make up our community cannot be said to be an easy task at all as we are bent on covering events and activities taking place in each of the towns. None must be left uncovered, for that is why we as a newspaper was born.
      Definitely, a lot of support will be needed by us for this purpose.  Your support can go into the procurement of vehicles to ease our logistic challenges, equipment and manpower for effective and efficient production of our editions.
     Another important area of support needed by us is on the issue of information gathering. It is very obvious that we cannot be everywhere at the same time. That is why we are also soliciting for timely information which is the key to any media operation. We need people to let us know what is happening in their various towns, as that will help us carry out prompt reporting of events and activities within individual communities – that is our ultimate goal. We are poised to report our community to the world, and the world to our community.
    We are therefore, appealing and urging our people to embrace this worthy cause. We need the support of every member of our community to survive. As we have said earlier, which is a well known fact that no media survives by its cover price alone, even the national media cannot boast of that. It thereby became very pertinent for our people to invest their resources into this vision called The Ogene Newspaper. We need adverts and patronages from the business community, leaders of thought, and other well-meaning old Aguata people.
     The entire old Aguata as a community can boast of seasoned philanthropists, politicians, business people and others, who can trust us with their resources. We need them to survive as a media serving a particular cause. We are out to serve our people to the best of our ability, and we cannot serve effectively and efficiently if we are not supported by our people.
     As a new born baby, we must be given a chance to grow; we must be supported by our people. It is only then that we can efficiently fulfill our civic responsibilities of promoting the general welfare of our community and also being major stakeholders and players in the forces that will help build and celebrate our community by setting laudable agenda for the discourse of every member of our community.

FIRS seeks stakeholders support on VAT

FIRS seeks stakeholders support on VAT

The FIRS has commenced an aggressive campaign to create awareness on issues relating to Value Added Tax (VAT) in the country. It believes that in order to achieve this, various stakeholders in the country need to be carried along. They believe that there is now the need  for the country to start looking inwards in it revenue generation effort instead of over dependence on revenue from crude oil. Our Editor-in-Chief, SUCCESS UCHIME, in this write-up takes a look on the VAT regime in Nigeria.

FIRS Chairman, Babatunde Fowler

 

The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) in its efforts to consolidate and sustain the Value Added Tax (VAT) in the country is seeking the support and cooperation of various stakeholders in the industry. It is also making intensive moves to build a strong partnership with the relevant industry’s players to shore-up Nigeria’s tax revenue and improve on the country’s tax administration.
    This move by FIRS becomes imminent considering the not very common nature of the VAT regime in Nigeria. Many factors have been pushed forward for this scenario, one is that majority of Nigerians are still left in the dark as to its existence, two, the issue of the low credibility of government is also there, and this has made so many Nigerians to scorn the registration and the eventual compliance to VAT.
    Various stakeholders are of the view that adequate enumeration of businesses and their owners be made in each local government and state levels. This they suggest will help the government to keep up-to-date data base on such businesses and their operators. They also suggest that adequate sensitization through seminars and workshops should be organized to carry the people along. Along the same line, functional VAT offices should be established in each of the local government councils to serve as its coordinating offices. Such offices should seek to create better image of the FIRS as most business owners and consumers alike have developed strong skepticism to the proper administration of taxes in the country.
   The stakeholders fear that the greatest challenges facing VAT is the issue of lack of adequate trained personal, mobility to reach remote areas, low level of literacy as well as poor social or political climate. These factors they opined will seriously hinder the effective administration of the tax. Again, they nurse the fear on the ability of FIRS to administer VAT judging from their performance of administering personal income tax and other relevant taxes over the years.
    They pointed that Government should as a matter of urgency put in place working system on how it will retrieve such VATs when deducted from the consumer. For this has been the case with taxes in Nigeria. They believe that it is not just enough to charge VATs on the consumers by business owners, but putting adequate machineries on ground to recover such taxes become very crucial. This it has been proven will encourage the payers to continue to pay. By way of definition, VAT is tax on the supply of goods and services which are eventually born by the final consumer and all the taxes are collected at each stage of production and distribution chain.
     In a study, “A Review of Value Added Tax (VAT) Administration in Nigeria,” by Olaoye Clement Olatunji, he opined that any country seeking to improve its revenue generation should opt for a concept enabling it to best realize its objectives with due regards to its peculiar socio-economic make-up and that one of these ways is by taxation.
     He defined a tax as a means by which, a government appropriates part of the private sector’s income. The accumulated revenue is used in meeting recurrent expenditure. Tax he stated occupies a unique position, because it is an important part of government policies, and that the ability of a government to generate revenue from this sector affects services offered by such a government.
    VAT he observed was first introduced by France in 1954, and that it has been embraced by well over seventy countries all over the world. These include the entire organization for Economic Co-operation and Development of countries, Japan, Canada, the state of Michigan in the USA and many African Countries.
     In Nigeria, he pointed out that the march towards VAT system started with acceptance of the recommendation of a study group on indirect taxation in November, 1991. The decision to accept the recommendation was made public in the 1992 budget speech of the then Head of State. This resulted in setting up the Modified Value-Added Tax (MVAT) committee on 1st June, 1992 as recommended by the study group. The recommendation of the committee that VAT should be administered by an independent commission was rejected by the government then. Tax administration was however given to Federal Inland Revenue Services, which was already charged with the responsibility of administering most other taxes in Nigeria.
     According to him, the introduction of VAT in Nigeria through Decree 102 of 1993 marks the phasing out of the Sales Tax Decree No. 7 of 1986. The Decree took effect from 1st December, 1993, but by administrative arrangement, invoicing for tax purpose did not commence until 1st January, 1994.
     The instrument that introduced VAT spells out goods and services that attract the tax. It shows, for instance that food items do not attract VAT resides, sellers of goods on which VAT is paid must first of all registered with the FIRS, the aim is to ensure that the 5% VAT paid on goods and services is effectively deducted from business owners. But, this is by far exactly what is happening now in the system.
      The chairman, FIRS, Babatunde Fowler, has in a forum said that the government is more than ready to ensure maximum increase of tax revenues pointing out that the era of absolute dependency on oil proceeds is over. According to him, FIRS is poised to take the lead in tax revenue collection in the country.
       He assured of the preparedness of the service to share information and ideas with the States Board of Internal Revenue (SBIR) as this will enable it take tax administration in the country to another level. He said that the issue of revenue collection cannot be realized without the partnership and collaboration of all the players within and outside the system. Building a synergy for a healthy exchange of information between his organization and SBIRs, becomes very paramount to the service.
      Fowler is of the view that the synergy will definitely produce the best form of revenue generation in FIRS and by extension the states as well as ensure that over dependency on oil revenue becomes a thing of the past. He said the service has put machineries in place that will take the country out of the present economic difficulty. One of such is for the Service to raise revenue accruing from tax collection to “records high” so that government programs would be well funded.
    FIRS has maintained that all  goods and services are ‘VATable’, except those that are exempted under schedule 1 of the Act, and the goods include, all medical and pharmaceutical products, basic food items, books and educational materials, baby products, fertilizer, locally produced agricultural and veterinary medicine, farming machinery, and farming transportation equipment. Others include all the plants and machineries imported for use in the Export Processing Zones (EPZs), plant, machinery and equipment purchased for utilization of gas in downstream petroleum operations, tractors, ploughs, and agricultural equipment and implements purchased for agricultural purposes.
    While the services under exemption include, medical services, services rendered by community banks, and mortgage institutions, plays and performances conducted by educational institutions as part of learning, and all export services.
     FIRS also maintained that VAT is leviable at the time of supply of goods and services, and that VAT paid on inputs are creditable against output tax, while tax returns are to be submitted on monthly basis.
     On VAT registration, it said that a taxable person shall within six (6) months of commencement of this Act or within six (6) months of commencement of business, whichever is earlier registered with the Board for the purpose of this Act. While every government ministry statutory body and other agency of government shall register as agent of the Board for the purpose of collection of tax under this Act.
     Again, every contractor transacting business with a government ministry, statutory body and other agencies of federal, state or local government shall produce evidence of registration with the Board as a condition for obtaining a contract. On registration by non-resident companies, it said that the non-resident company that carries on business in Nigeria shall register for the tax with the Board using the address of the person with whom it has a subsisting contract as its address for the purposes of correspondence relating to the tax.
     FIRS in urging businesses to keep proper records and accounts said that a registered person shall keep such records and books of all transactions, operations pertaining to imports and other activities relating to taxable goods and services, as they are sufficient enough to determine the correct amount of tax due under the Act.
     If the issue of taxation in Nigeria should succeed as in other countries of the world, the onus lies on FIRS and it other subsidiaries in other levels of government to pursue this with all diligence, sincerity and transparency it requires. Nigerians should see in practical terms what the income accruing from taxes is used for, as it is done in other developed and developing countries. The funds should not be diverted into private use as has been the case Nigeria. Nigeria’s case should not be different.

General News

Radio Biafra: How Govt. successfully shutdown station
By IKENNA NWOSU

Emeka Mba DG NBC

The Federal Government through its agency Nigeria Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) said it worked with security operatives to track down, neutralize and confiscate transmitter equipment from several locations which was used by the operators of Radio Biafra to illegally transmit over the country’s airwaves.
    It also successfully removed it from the satellite, and also assured it is working to block the transmission of the station via the Internet, while appreciated the concern expressed by Nigerians over the seditious activities of the illegal station.
      In statement by the NBC Director General, Emeka Mba, he said the activities of the illegal station was made worse as they were using frequency agile transmitters through which they hop from one frequency to another. So once you block them in one frequency, they move to another.
     He noted that his agency was able to achieve the feat when they upgraded their capacity to follow and block them wherever they were transmitting adding that the station was transmitting through 104.7 FM Enugu and later moved to 102.1 FM Enugu, but they were able to jammed it at long last.
      He assured: “The national Broadcasting Commission, has effectively neutralized the illegal broadcasts from the seditious pirate radio station that has recently shattered the peace in parts of the southeast of Nigeria with unsavory hate messages.”
     According to Mba, the blocking of the station became a matter of urgent concern when they started appropriating FM frequencies in various cities across the southeast and it became for them an urgent national security matter. “We had to trace them though they were using more sophisticated equipment.”
     “To be honest it was difficult dealing with them because they are on satellite and while we are able to neutralize the terrestrial frequencies on the FM band. Satellite is very a different thing, and they are outside Nigeria where you have different protocols with how you deal with this issue” he stated.
      The illegal radio station was operated by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, who is said to be resident in the United Kingdom (UK), and its activities became a source of concern to the government of President Muhammadu Buhari, as a result of the station’s pejorative reference to the president as terrorist-in-Chief and other derogatory names. The station also metaphorically used the word “zoo” or “zoological republic” in describing the generality of Nigerian who are not pathetic to the Biafran cause.

Boko Haram: 8000 civilians killed
By SUCCESS UCHIME

President Buhari

Despite concerted efforts made by the government to stem the menace of the Boko Haram insurgence, their activities have become increasingly deadly and is one of the critical challenges facing the new administration.
      In a statement by the Washington Director at Human Rights Watch (HRW), Sarah Margon, she noted that an estimated 8,000 civilians are believed to have been killed since 2010, 400 of them since Buhari’s inauguration on May 29, 2015.
      She said that nearly one million people have been displaced, and that there is abundant evidence that Boko Haram forces have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity.
       According to her, Boko Haram has targeted civilians in Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon, and Chad, abducted hundreds of women and girls, and forcibly conscripted young men and boys, and destroyed villages, towns, and schools.
      She also stated: “In responding to Boko Haram, Nigerian government security forces have been implicated in grave violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, including incommunicado detention, extrajudicial killings, and enforced disappearances. The Nigerian police are also credibly implicated in several highly publicized extrajudicial killings of Boko Haram members or suspects.”
        Margon, said that almost no one has been held to account for human rights crimes, and that on July 13, Buhari replaced the national security adviser, the chief of defense staff, and the military service chiefs “American President, Barrack Obama should press on Nigerian President, Muhamadu Buhari to immediately suspend any member of Nigeria’s security forces, including senior officers, for whom there is credible evidence of involvement in serious human rights abuses, and hold them to account in fair trials.

Central Bank’s kick-starts cashless policy charges
By OGONNA UMEH

Godwin Emefiele CBN Gov.

The Apex bank, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has released guidelines for it cashless policy charges which is now in operation nationwide since July.
     In statement by the bank, it noted that charges currently apply to cash withdrawals transaction that exceed the daily cumulative limits in six states of the federation, which include, Abia Anambra, Kano, Lagos, Ogun, Rivers and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
     It noted that individual customers will attract daily cumulative cash withdrawals limit of N500, 000, with 3% charges on excess above daily cash withdrawal limits. While corporate customers will attract N3, 000,000 daily cumulative cash withdrawals limit, with 5% charges in excess above daily cash withdrawal limits.
      According to the statement, the charges will apply to all cash withdrawal transactions within the banks irrespective of the channels through which they were carried out adding that for the purposes of determining the cumulative daily limit, multiple accounts of an account holder will be treated as one.
     “The policy excludes accounts operated by Embassies, Diplomatic Mission, Multilateral Agencies, Aid Donor Agencies, Micro Finance Banks and Primary Mortgage Institutions. The exemption also applies to non-cash transactions carried out through secure and convenient alternative channels like Automate Teller Machine (ATM), Point of Sale (POS), Mobile Banking, Online Banking, among others” it also stated.
      Experts argue that the new policy on cash-based transactions (withdrawals) in banks, will help reduce, not eliminate the amount of physical cash (coins and notes) circulating in the economy, and that it will also encourage more electronic-based transactions (payments for goods, services, transfers, etc.)
     They believe that the move is worthwhile as financial analysts have always argued that it is essential to reduce the amount of physical cash in the economy, and also encourage more electronic-based transactions. This they said will help drive development and modernization of the country’s payment system in line with its vision 2020 goal of being amongst the top 20 economies by the year 2020.
       In addition, the cash policy aims to curb some of the negative consequences associated with the high usage of physical cash in the economy, which include: high cost of cash, high risk of using cash, and high subsidy, informal economy, and inefficiency and corruption in the country.
       It is believed that a variety of benefits are expected to be derived by various stakeholders from an increased utilization of e-payment systems. For bank customers, these include increased convenience; more service options; reduced risk of cash-related crimes; cheaper access to (out-of-branch) banking services, access to credit and financial inclusion.
      For corporations, it will guarantee faster access to capital; reduced revenue leakage; and reduced cash handling costs, while for the Government, it will bring about increased tax collections, greater financial inclusion and increased economic development.

Buhari tasked on non-indigenes
Our reporter

Buhari

The Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to end the divisive state and local government policies that discriminate against non-indigenes in the country. That Government has failed to address the root causes of inter-communal violence which include state and local government policies that exacerbate divisions by discriminating against members of ethnic groups they classify as “non-indigenes” – people who cannot trace their ancestry to what are said to be the original inhabitants of an area.
    The call is contained in a recent report by the Rights group adding that the government should sponsor legislation to expressly bar all federal, state, and local government institutions from such an unlawful act.
       According to Mausi Segun, Nigeria researcher at the Rights Watch, Buhari promised to address the violence, corruption, and injustice that Nigeria’s citizens face each and every day adding that if the people’s hopes are not to be dashed, President Buhari and his government should quickly turn his promises into concrete action and take steps to improve human rights.
      He pointed out that despite Nigeria’s tremendous oil wealth, corruption and weak governance have driven a wide gap between the ruling elite and the population, leaving poverty, malnutrition, and mortality rates among the worst in the world. These problems are most acute in the north – the country’s poorest region – but also in the resource-rich Niger Delta, where widespread poverty and unemployment, exacerbated by environmental degradation and corruption, have created discontent and facilitated the growth of extremist groups.
      “Buhari campaigned on an anti-corruption platform saying that he would fight its scourge in public office and ensure the removal of the constitutional immunity clause that protects the president and governors from criminal investigation and prosecution” he stated.
    Segun further called on Buhari to take immediate steps to strengthen oversight and watchdog institutions such as the Code of Conduct Bureau, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) to permit them to function without interference or partiality.
       He said that the new Nigerian government is expected to request increased international support for its counteroffensive operations against Boko Haram and for its security forces more generally. Given the security forces’ well-documented human rights abuses, donor governments should be very cautious in how they respond and should set clear conditions for helping with security sector reform, such as suspending, investigating, and holding to account senior military officers for whom there is credible evidence of involvement in serious human rights abuses.
     “Buhari needs to end the cycle of violence and take bold action to ensure the judiciary investigates and prosecutes anyone implicated in serious human rights abuses, whether Boko Haram fighters or the military and police. He should start a new chapter in the northeast, and ensure that Nigerian security forces respect domestic law, human rights, and international humanitarian law in all their operations” Segun further stated.
    He noted that violence in Nigeria’s Middle Belt is another pressing problem for the incoming president and that several thousand people – both Muslims and Christians – have died in inter-communal violence in the past six years fuelled by competition for power and access to land between nomadic and farming communities. “Mobs have killed many of their victims based simply on their ethnic or religious identity.”
     Segun observed that Nigerian authorities have rarely prosecuted those responsible, including the police or military who have been implicated in serious abuses adding that security forces killed at least 28 people when they attacked the Langtang and Wase communities following the killings of six soldiers a few days earlier.

Bank verification number: necessity of our time

Bank verification number: necessity of our time

   

For sure the Bank Verification Number (BVN) helps protect customer’s account from unauthorized access. It also gives them unique identity that can be verified across the Nigerian banking industry. What is more, it cuts down fraudulent activities on bank accounts and gives easy access to banking operations.  In this article our Editorial Advise, CHIKE UCHIME, he examines these facts and much money.

 

Mr. Ade Shonubi NIBBS

 

In Nigeria, the banking industry has recorded appreciable growth in the past decade, occasioned by different banking reforms aimed at building up confidence and stability of the system. Certain policies are designed from time to time to address observed deficiencies in the system. These policies help in streamlining banking operations.
     In recent times, the industry had witnessed electronic fraud cases, especially with the introduction of electronic banking, and also identity management challenges. The increase in compromise in the security system of the banking sector where there is supposed to be unfettered access to sensitive and personal information remained a source of worry to many customers.. Through this compromise, many customers had lost their funds. So, there is a great demand for better security of people’s funds.
      In a bid to address these obvious challenges, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), in collaboration with the Bankers’ Committee, introduced the Bank Verification Number (BVN) initiative. The BVN uses biometric technology to register customers in the financial system. It records these physical features which are unique to individuals - fingerprints and the face. The record will be to identify the person afterwards. Once a person’s biometrics has been recorded, the BVN is issued; the account then would be accessed through BVN.
      At its launch on February 14, 2014, the exercise was described as an initiative that would boost financial inclusion. As those who had typically stayed away from mainstream banking due to low literacy levels, would be able to open and access their bank accounts using their biometric information rather than the traditional identification method. The exercise is managed by the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement Systems (NIBSS).
       As part of efforts to boost compliance from Deposit Money Banks (DMB), the CBN had directed the banks to enroll 40 percent of their customers on the BVN platform by December 31, 2014, and 70 percent by March 30, 2015. As part of the initiatives to encourage members of the public to enroll for the exercise, the apex bank also directed banks to only honor transactions over N100 million from customers with BVN effective March 2015. Bank customers were further advised to register and get the BVN by June 30, 2015 and warned them that customers without the BVN would be deemed as having inadequate Know-Your-Customer requirement at the expiration of the deadline.
      There are many benefits associated with enrolling in the BVN initiative. The BVN protects the customer’s account from unauthorized access, and gives him a unique identity that can be verified across the Nigerian banking industry (it is not peculiar to one bank). It cuts down fraudulent activities on bank accounts and gives easy access to banking operations. The BVN will help the banking system reduce situations where loan defaulters, for instance, move from one bank to the other and the banks extends new credits to them without knowing their history. Banks would be able to track transactions across all banks in Nigeria with more ease.
       According to the Managing Director of Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement Systems (NIBBS), Mr. Ade Shonubi, “BVN would allow us begin to build retail credit.” He went further to say:  “Today, banks have concerns over identification in retail lending, that is why the entire retail consumer lending portfolio is targeted at people with formal employment whose employment can serve as a point of reference. There are however a lot of self employed people as well as others working in smaller organizations that require this, but do not have access due to the identification issue, as no bank will take the risk of lending to them considering cases of resignation and eventual run-off. But with the availability of BVN, these set of individuals will also benefit from retail lending as identification and tracking issues will be mitigated. He also argued that the initiative will allow bank customers to be able to authorize financial transactions on ATM or Point of Sales (POS) using their biometrics.
     Similarly, the Managing Director of Dun Merrifield Asset Management Research, Tola Odukoya, said the BVN initiative is a welcome development in the sector as it will help to check cases of fraud in the banking industry: “In my opinion, it is a good initiative that will further reduce the incidence of fraud in Nigeria if it is implemented. The growth of electronic transactions in Nigeria means there will be a consequent exposure to associated risks, and the BVN, given its biometric features, will go a long way in counteracting such risks. For example, the use of biometrics to authentic transactions in the near future is a case in point”
      As the public embraces the initiative with enthusiasm, it should be aware that some fraudsters are trying to undermine the exercise by providing seemingly easier registration options for bank account holders. They request these details online and threaten that the account would be closed if the owner does not provide them with details. Their target is the account holder’s money. The best way of enrolling remains direct communication with one’s bank. In the same vein, CBN is advised, as it complements the BVN initiative, to ensure the security of the data from rogue bankers and also importantly from damage, as has been the experience with other sectors that engaged in biometric enrolments. It should also create measures to punish banks that might exploit the information they have to blackmail customers with whom they have disagreements.
      Finally, the decision of the CBN to extend the BVN exercise by four months, until October 31, has elicited widespread commendations among Nigerians as many described the extension as a welcome development and added that if the initiative was not extended, it would have effectively shut out many Nigerians who could not enroll in the scheme, thereby denying them some banking services.
       According to media reports credited to the Enhancing Innovation and Access, an organization committed to promoting of financial inclusion in the country, out of about 28.6 million adults in the country operating bank accounts, only 14 million were believed to have registered as at Friday before the first closing date of June 30, 2015.
        The penchant of Nigerians to wait till deadline before rushing to participate in certain important exercises has been condemned. This was witnessed in the last days before the first deadline, as bank customers crowded their banks scrambling to have themselves registered, even when they had ample opportunities since last year. Those who have not yet enrolled are advised to seize the window created by this extension and get themselves registered.
        Chike Uchime is the Editor-in-Chief and publisher of the Lagos based Forward Magazine. Tel: 08033444604, 08176856384.