₦airaland Forum

Nigerians With Property In UK Panic Over New Law
By Francis Ndubuisi in Abuja

Nigerians who own properties in the United Kingdom have inundated the Federal Ministry of Finance’s Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS) hotlines with calls, causing the lines to crash last Friday.

A source at the VAIDs office told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the unprecedented level of calls was not unconnected with the new UK regulation on Unexplained Wealth Orders (UWOs). The source disclosed that the VAIDs office have been receiving massive calls and frantic requests from taxpayers based in the UK in the last 72 hours, asking for extension of time to enable them complete their VAIDS declaration forms. The UK Government had last week introduced a new law that requires foreigners who own properties in the country to explain the source of their funds or risk forfeiting them to the government.

According to the new law, the UWOs could be obtained on any property or combination of properties valued at 50,000 pounds ( N25 million) or more, for which the owner is unable to explain a legal source of its funding.

The source said the data already in the possession of the VAIDS office in the Federal Ministry of Finance revealed that many UK property owners had underpaid their taxes before transferring funds overseas to buy properties.
“Concerted efforts are ongoing to restore the hotlines following the crash last Friday.
“Most of the calls received are from high net worth individuals, including company executives, bankers and even a governor.

“All seem to be in panic over the prospect of losing their investments,” said a source within the VAIDS Office. The official said some of the apprehensive Nigerian property investors in UK had even visited the Federal Ministry of Finance requesting to see the minister and also the Head of the VAIDS Office.

The source explained that most of the enquiries were about seeking assurance from the Nigerian government that the VAIDs programme could protect them from potential asset forfeiture to the UK Government.

Others requested to know if their names had appeared on the lists the VAIDS office had obtained from overseas.
The UWO law, coupled with the revelation that many foreign governments are automatically sharing bank and property information with Nigeria, has resulted in an upsurge in enquiries about VAIDs.

VAIDS allows Nigerian taxpayers to restate their income and assets without limit and thus could potentially allow those who own properties that cannot be explained by their previously declared income to regularise by declaring and paying the correct taxes.

hostine316:
Please to those who applied for DAAD grant, what is the outcome so far?

ja2ken:
It seems the Daad online application (PTDF ) option is no longer available. Please is there any other way to apply ??

babagy82:
Madam, we are talking about oil money here not just any organization. I love to have this job more than any other person but that will not make me tell lies to myself. I know i performed very well and the odds are in my favour, but those politicians are not smiling when issue of NNPC and DPR comes on board. They will hardly take 30% of the said 400 on merit i tell you.
We should always tell ourselves the truth no matter how it hurts.

Onyiridike:
Just as our faces are different, so our attitudes. Some people are just euphemistic and ironical in nature.

We shouldn't expect all the panelists across the 4 regions in all the departments to behave the same way.

In my undergraduate, the lecturers that smiled a lot with us and even made us think that we already had 'As' ended up failing many people while I performed excellently in the courses of the so-called serious looking and strict lecturers.

The one that shocked me most was when my own supervisor told me that I did well with a smile. He said " in fact you will see A". When the result was released, I had 'B'. I just could not believe it.

In my 200l practical, my friend and I were caught with last years practical answer booklet. We were taken to the course co-ordinator and our names and reg. numbers were taken down as those who were involved in malpractice. The co-ordinator promised that we have scored zero (0) for that session.

Lo and behold, the result was released and I had an 'A'. God is merciful and wonderful!

In conclusion, I learnt that in life, never put your trust in a man or what a man told you. Be the best you can be and pray to God Almighty.

habakukjss3:
If u understand the mysteries of this world;
u should know that answering all interview questions correctly does not guarantee getting the job
... Also being grounded more than ur interviewers n asking them intimidating questions as being purported is never a criterium
...
Most pple did well, but the final selection will be determined by God almighty

OmaniPadmeHum:
No one will offer him a job that he isn't interested in taking, or that he feels he is too good for. Even if you are Albert Einstein, you can't go to an interview with the mindset that you are all high and mighty and your goal is to show the interviewers that they are dumb. Such body language and smugness is your loss. Then why are you job hunting? Luckily this is the civil service, so who knows, good luck to him. In a private organisation I wouldn't call him back. I can't call you to offer you a job you feel (within the fantastic figment of your imagination) that you are too good for, while there are other highly motivated applicants. I can't offer you a job that you feel I should beg you to take. Secondly, such a person may come with a " know it all", "I am better than you" and, "I shouldn't be here with you fools but let me just manage" mindset and be a problem with the existing team(s), even as an experienced hire.

You wonder why some staff are good choices when companies are downsizing.

Achilles17:
i c a trend here but I'll keep it to myself as I do not want to peddle rumors. But I'd say congrats are in order. Are u GT or EH?

Ferguson0709:
Pls be careful o. Might be a scam. People might have access to the attendance written on interview day and might wanna play a fast one. Just my observation though.

mezebel:
My elder sister has been weeping from 1:30am till now because her name is not among the npower successful pre-selected candidates. We thought someone died,as she locked herself up in a room weeping. She intended to lean tailoring with the first payment and every arrangement of where to lean it had been made its just the money to pay for that is remaining. Npower don Bleep up. We are so disappointed. Thousands of application for job,no invitation. So sad.

Pillyportions:
assuming I request for my unn transcript online to be delivered to me here in Nigeria, for 15k.nw I want to use this delivered hardcopy to apply for m.sc abroad by scanning and sending it to university of choice jst as I did other documents I sent.is it acceptable?.pls any experience?

pstfrancis:
Pls does the New Zealand scholarship include PhD or its just MSC alone?

Thanks for the reaponse

danielarivas:
Hi dear May I ask what was your gpa for your undergraduate?

chaiks:
please can I start applying to Massey university now for September next year? I v all documents except Ielts that I I'll take on Dec 9.is scholarship activated once u apply for admission and is there application fee for Massey university?

daudakarimou4:
Also, something am not sure about is whether we will get the final short lists after this stage because according to the timeline, there is something like submission of IELTS results before final short listing. They only spoke about referees during the interview without any mention of the English language thing and that is also a requirement...

Tigernew:
Anyone notified yet?

Tigernew:
Anyone has an idea about how much is the living allowance (stipend) paid per week for NZDS?
Thanks

danielarivas:
From Latin America

danielarivas:
I didn't remember the thing about the referees. Did you already give them yours? Or they are going to ask for the contacts once they have the final list?

The timeline was accurate in my case I made my interview at the end of July and since then waiting for the results.