₦airaland Forum

Onagoruwa Was a Man of Courage, Knowledge & Grace, Says Acting President
Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, is saddened by the news of the passing of Dr. Olu Onagoruwa, former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, and extends heartfelt condolences to the Onagoruwa family, his friends and associates on behalf of the government and people of Nigeria.

Prof. Osinbajo also condoles with the government and people of Ogun State, the Nigeria Bar Association as well as the human rights community.

According to the Acting President, the life and times of Dr Olu Onagoruwa, an ardent advocate of the rule of law and constitutionalism reflected a combination of profound scholarship, courage in the face of tyranny and admirable grace in conduct and manner, even in grave travails and trials.

The Acting President states that as a lawyer, Onagoruwa served the oppressed and gave voice to the voiceless, fearlessly and selflessly.

He was a tireless proponent of the freedom of the press and a champion of fundamental human rights in Nigeria.
He proved to be principled and forthright both in private practice and as Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.

The Acting President notes that the nation today mourns a true patriot who served his nation and its people with singular zeal and dedication.

Prof Osinbajo believes that his legacy as a scholar, writer, human rights activist, and strong voice for the less-privileged in the Nigerian society will long be remembered.

He prays that the Almighty God will comfort his family, friends and associates and bless the memory of Dr. Olu Onagoruwa.


Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity
Office of the Vice President
July 22, 2017

I Have Seen The Future Of Nigeria's Economy; It's In MSMEs – Osinbajo

``The business of making our country truly great is not just the business of government. Government is transient, it passes away but it is the business of every one of us.’’
``I can assure you that whatever it takes to make our country truly where it should be in the comity of nations in Africa and anywhere in the world, we will give it.’’

Remarks By The acting President Of The Federal Republic Of Nigeria, His Excellency, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, GCON, At The Launch Of The MSMEs Clinics In The FCT Held At The Eagles Square, Abuja On Thursday JULY 20, 2017

Protocols

This has been a very exciting afternoon for me because I have seen the future of the economy of our country and that future lies in the small and medium scale enterprises, many of who are here today advertising their products.

Just today I have come across BIMKAF Palace who produces coconut oil, flour, ginger powder, carrot oil and so on, Cura Foods and Disposables, Euphrates Renewable Enterprises, Bob-ella Décor & Event Management, Nwamaka Ventures and several other MSMEs. The list is far too long to go on mentioning them.

I want to say that all of the businesses we have seen here today, many of them are young men and women who believe in this country and who are using Nigerian products, Nigerian crafted machines in many cases, fabricated and who are producing incredible things with what they have.

A lot of the capital they have is from several of the micro finance businesses that are working with them.

I want to say that the future of our country is in small businesses, medium size businesses doing great things, and that is what we are seeing here today.
But it is not enough for these businesses to produce and manufacture and to work hard as they are doing, it is our business as government to do our part.

That is exactly why we have this MSME Clinics, the reason why we decided to have this clinics in the different states where we have held them so far and now in Abuja, is because we believe that government has a key role to play in creating an environment for businesses to prosper and for businesses to make good.

This is exactly why we are here, the idea came out of conversations I had with Mr. President about how we could develop small businesses quickly.

We recognise that one of the chief problems that small businesses have is with regulatory agencies; being able to access regulatory agencies and get quick and efficient service from regulatory agencies.
Secondly, funding is also an important constraint for many of these small businesses.

So we thought that it would be wise to actually take these regulatory agencies to the small businesses rather than wait for the small businesses to come to the regulatory agencies.

This interaction can sensitize the regulatory agencies themselves to the problems of small and medium scale enterprises.
What we have seen so far is that there has been tremendous improvement in the way that the regulatory agencies respond to small and medium enterprises.

So what we have done for example, is that we have brought NAFDAC which of course as you know is an important agency in the process of approvals for products.

We brought NAFDAC, SON and even the CAC, that is the Corporate Affairs Commission. We brought the Bank of Industry here as well.
These are important agencies for funding and regulation that need to interact with small and medium scale businesses, and we believe that interaction has been very fruitful indeed.

We have done this in Aba, Ilorin, Sokoto, Jos, Kastina and in Calabar, and this in Abuja is the latest one. We are still going round the states and the different geo-political zones with the regulatory agencies and we are bringing about this interaction.

I recently signed two Executive Orders which are closely related to improving the business environment for MSMEs. These Executive Orders are also important in the work we are trying to achieve.

The first makes it easier for MSMEs to get approvals without delays and bureaucratic hassles; the other one is on local content. The first one which makes it easier for MSMEs to get approval, is one where we are seeking to reduce the time that it takes to register companies, reduce the time it takes to get approvals for different types of things that are required in a business.

So, for your NAFDAC approval, we are trying to shorten that process, your SON approval, we are trying to shorten the process and the registration of companies as well.

The other is local content which is absolutely important for us because we believe that just as the President said in his budget speech in December, we must make what we use and we must grow what we eat.

It is our responsibility as a nation and as individuals that we patronise what it is that we need.

Here today, I have seen all manners of products from coconut oil to plantain chips, all sorts of products, yams, agricultural produce, rice, practically everything and it is the desire of our government to ensure that we patronise these local products.

By 2018, we expect to be completely self-sufficient in rice production, we are going to do the same for tomatoes; we are going to do the same for several others of our products. In this Executive Order which was signed barely six weeks ago, we are saying that the Federal Government of Nigeria and state governments must patronize locally produced goods.

So, the first point of call is to patronize locally produced goods. Already the Armed Forces are patronizing those who are making boots and some people who are making fatigues and different kinds of fabrics for the Army. We are going to insist that this should be so in our purchases especially where we have events such as this and where we have state dinners and so on. And it is also our desire that we patronize locally produced clothing as much as we can.

I am extremely proud of the achievements of the Abuja Enterprise Agency. I think that they have done a wonderful thing indeed by organizing this particular MSMEs Clinics and the various other things that we have seen that they are doing. It is great to hear that they are funding some other MSMEs as well, and that they intend to increase this funding which is extremely important and we hope to be able to support what the enterprise agency is doing. I will like to commend the FCT Minister for the excellent work that is going on and to say that we are fully behind you and we will support you in any possible way.

As you know the Honourable Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment is the former MD of the Abuja Enterprise Agency, so don’t be surprised to find that there would be more Ministers coming out from the Abuja Enterprise Agency. (Applause)

I would also like to acknowledge your Excellencies, the governors who are here, and I want to thank you very much for taking the time to attend these MSMEs Clinics. We had a long day at NEC meeting but you also chose to come along and see for yourselves what Nigerians are doing and how well these enterprises are doing; I like to thank you very much for joining me in looking round the stands.

I want to just say that the Federal Government is committed to MSMEs and to developing MSMEs. So, we are going to work very hard to ensure that we don’t just do exhibitions and come round to places like this and see what you are doing, but we are going to follow up; we are going to see that those who require funding, those who have the talents, those who have the creativity, are funded.

It is not an easy task funding MSMEs because sometimes it is difficult to know who is where but one of the great advantages of what we are doing especially the Abuja Enterprise Agency is that we can find you where you are and we know exactly where you are.

I have been speaking with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment that we will do all we can to ensure that you are well funded, that those who require funding are funded, those who require training are trained, that whatever support you require from the Federal Government, you will get it.

The state governments are also committed. They have assisted us as we try to set up one-stop shops in the states that we have been, where the regulatory agencies can have their representatives and ensure that people who need regulatory approval are granted the regulatory approvals speedily.

The business of making our country truly great is not just the business of government. Government is transient, it passes away but it is the business of every one of us, and this country has the talent, this country has the men and women who have the creative ability to make our country greater than any country in the world.

I can assure you that whatever it takes to make our country truly where it should be in the comity of nations in Africa and anywhere in the world, we will give it.

Thank you very much. God bless you.


Released by
Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media & Publicity)
Office of the Vice President
July 20, 2017

Borno Abduction "Atrocious And Cowardly", Says Acting President Osinbajo

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, condemns the atrocious and cowardly abduction of women which occurred recently in Borno State.

He sympathises with the families of the abducted women, and assures that the Federal Government will spare no efforts to ensure the safe and speedy return of all the victims.

The Acting President has therefore directed Nigeria's military and intelligence agencies to take all necessary steps including coordinating with our international partners to rescue the abducted women, as well as to ensure further tightening of security in and around Borno State.

The Buhari presidency assures that the ongoing efforts of security agencies, including the establishment of additional military and police bases in parts of the country, as well as the improved intelligence gathering will continue, and commends some of the recent significant breakthroughs in combating kidnapping and banditry in the country.


Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity
Office of the Acting President
19 July 2017

Southern Kaduna:

"We Will Not Relent," Says Ag. President, Orders Fresh Security Reinforcements After Recent Killings.

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, has ordered further security reinforcements in Kaduna State following reports of communal clashes that resulted in the loss of lives earlier this week in Kajuru, Kajuru Local Government Area of the State.

Prof. Osinbajo commiserates with families of the victims, the government and people of Kaduna State, and wishes the injured victims speedy recovery.

He also commends the prompt response and efforts of the State government, and those of the security agencies which contained the situation and restored the peace.

While condemning the act of violence in strong terms, the Acting President notes that the security challenges in Southern Kaduna which has led to the needless deaths is a source of concern for the Federal government and indeed all well-meaning Nigerians.

Noting previous and ongoing efforts of the Buhari administration to confront the situation, Prof. Osinbajo assures that no effort would be spared in identifying and bringing perpetrators of these dastardly acts, against innocent Nigerians to justice no matter how long or hard it may take.

According to him, Nigerians in the area and everywhere in the country have a right to live in peace, and the Federal Government considers this its sacred duty : ensuring such expectation.

"We will not relent and won't be deterred in our pursuit of securing the lives and property of all Nigerians, everywhere and in every part of this nation. In the end, we will not only secure the peace all around, but we shall enforce justice for the victims and all of those that are affected," he declared.


Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity
Office of the Acting President
19 July 2017

2016 NEC Retreat Resolutions: Council Receives Monitoring Report Citing Progress

· FG to decide on proposed new Ecological Fund criteria
There is considerable progress in the implementation of ideas generated at last year’s retreat of the National Economic Council, according to a Monitoring Report presented to the Council at the July meeting earlier today.

At the NEC meeting presided over by the Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, the report of an Ad-hoc Committee on Ecological Fund was also received with recommendations on how to manage the Fund. Prof. Osinbajo noted the report and stated that the Federal Government will now consider the recommendations and take its decision on the matter

The NEC Retreat which was held in March, 2016 adopted 71 resolutions across six thematic areas, which included; agriculture, solid minerals, investments, industrialization and enabling monetary policy. Others are infrastructure and services, investing in our people and survival of states & beyond.

The monitoring activities started in the 1st quarter of 2017 determined the level of implementation of the resolutions and the extent to which the Federal Government and States have invested towards achieving the objectives of the resolutions.

National Economic Council (NEC) is composed of Governors of the 36 States including the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and the Central Bank Governor.

Below are the highlights of deliberations of the 79th NEC meeting:

NEC (6TH IN 2017) 79TH NEC Meeting – Thursday,
20TH July, 2017

A. Presentation On Reforming Nigeria At The Subnational Level By The Honourable Minister Of Industry, Trade And Investment

· The Honourable Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment made a presentation to Council on Reforming Nigeria at the Subnational level, emphasizing the need to bring Enabling Business Environment Reforms to all tiers of Government and indeed to all Nigeria.

· He informed Council that there is a strong correlation between Ease of Doing Businesses Ranking and Economic prosperity.

· According to the Minister, the Businesses Enabling Environment Agenda being coordinated by the Presidential Enabling Businesses Council is at the heart of Government Agenda, whose mandate is to:

- Removed critical bottlenecks and bureaucratic constraints to doing businesses in Nigeria, aimed at moving the country upwards in global businesses ranking.

- Areas of focus in removing the bottlenecks include; starting a business, entry and exit of people, getting electricity, registering property, getting credit, paying taxes, trading across borders and the ease of getting construction permits.

· Council was also informed that the 4th subnational Doing Business rankings for Nigeria is scheduled for 2018, with the 1st, 2nd and 3rd having taken place in 2008, 2010 and 2014 respectively. Appropriate templates are already being drawn up to prepare States for the exercise.

· Council was informed that some States such as Kaduna, Ogun, Cross River and Anambra have already commenced work to improve the ease of doing business in their respective domains.

· Council were also informed that a National Steering Committee has already been constituted to ensure synergy across all stakeholders to ensure the coordinated delivery of the reform objectives.

Council Decision

Council urged that the Ministry should work with an already existing Committee being chaired by the Honourable Minister of State for Budget and National Planning in this regard.

B. Presentation By The Minister Of State For Budget And National Planning On NEC Resolution Implementation Monitoring 2016/2017 Report:

Background:

Ø The NEC Retreat which held in march 2016 adopted 71 Resolutions across 6 thematic areas
Ø The NEC directed the Implementation Monitoring Committee (IMS) lea by the HMS BNP to monitor the implementation of the 71 resolutions.
Ø The 6 thematic areas are:
· Agriculture
· Solid minerals
· Investments, Industrialization and enabling Monetary policy.
· Infrastructure and services.
· Investing in our people.
· Survival of States and Beyond.

The monitoring activities began in the 1st quarter of 2017.

Today the Monitoring Committee Chairperson, HMSBNP presented the monitoring report to Council
Among others, the objectives/purpose of the monitoring was to:
· Determine the level of implementation of Resolutions.
· Determine the extent to which Federal and State Governments have invested towards achieving the Objectives of the resolution of the Council.
· Determine progress made against planned activities and also asses what was planed and what was achieved during project implementation.
· Identify lessons learnt and provide an opportunity for peer review of knowledge sharing on good policies during project implementation.

Highlights of the exerciser include that:
· IMC monitored 27 States.
· 33 States submitted work plans.
· Almost all the States implemented Resolution 4 and 10, crop production partnership and opening rural feeder roads respectively.
o Intervention funded and partnership projects between States, FG or development partners were successful.
o State based Enterprises (SBES) complained of foreign exchange distortions, irregular power supply and uncertain cash plans as major factors inhibiting performance.

Recommendations

(i) Challenges of rural banking (farmers and vendors etc) CBN and participant banks should be tasked to find innovative, efficient and sustainable means of handling BVN registration and other non traditional banking services to the informal groups are as part of its financial inclusion strategies.
(ii) Work plan – there is need to complete and update the workplan of States to reflect projects and programmes implemented by State for effective planning, result tracking and performance evaluation.
(iii) Peer Review – there is need for increased cooperation among States to achieved economics of scale and maximize comparative advantage.
(iv) There is need for the continuous monitoring exercise and feedback mechanism for improved performance and policy dialogue.
(v) There is need for State/Regional peer reviews.

Council Decision
Council commended the HMSBNP for the report and urged the States to liaise strongly with the Federal Government in the task of National Planning and Development.
Abia State Governor Will Share Brief Experiences On The Above

C. Excess Crude Account And Related Matters
1. Accountant General of the Federation briefed Council on the balances in the following accounts as at 19th July, 2017:
(i) Excess Crude Account (ECA) - USD 2.303 billion
(ii) Ecological Fund Account - N27.466 billion
(iii) Stabilization Account - N2.553 billion
(iv) Development of Natural Resources Account – N77.922 billion

2. Presentation By Governor Of Gombe State
· Gombe State Governor presented a report to the Council on Forensic Audit of Revenue Accrued from Revenue Generating Agencies (RGAs) into Federation Account (FA), Excess Crude Account (ECA) and Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF)
· The Acting President welcomed the Interim Report and noted that Council will await the outcome of the final report and then discuss the Report.

D. Committee On Ecological Fund Submits Final Report- Recommends Robust Governance Structure, Stringent Disbursement Criteria.
· The EL-Rufai led AD-Hoc committee of the Council on Ecological fund set up by the NEC April, 2017 today submitted its report to Council, recommending among other things a robust governance structure and a stringent disbursement criteria to sanitize the management of the fund.

Reccommendations
The committee made the following recommendations:
That disbursement of the fund should be based on the following criteria;
· Physical visitation by the Ecological office team and on the spot assessment and verification of the ecological disaster.
· Technical evaluation of the disaster by experts.
· Community involvement.
· Prior to the disaster, there must be evidence of Advocacy.
· Evidence of existing prompt, Emergency response mechanism in place before the disaster.
· Monitoring and Evaluation framework must be build into the application of Ecological fund as a road map for measuring performance of the fund.
· A feedback team that will review the reports of the disbursement must be in place.
· Adequate publicity of Ecological disaster to create awareness and consciousness in the citizenry to avoid future occurrence is necessary.
· Evidence of cost estimate must be attached to application.
· Adequate justification for the project must be given.
· Due process in vendor engagement must be followed.
· At all times 50% of the FG share or N20 billion must be reserved for emergencies at the discretion of Mr President.

Council Decision
Council commended the El-Rufal Committee for the painstaking job and noted that the Federal Government will consider the recommendations.

E. Highlights of The 2018 – 2020 MTEF By The Honourable Minister, Ministry Of Budget And National Planning
· The Honourable Minister informed Council of the overriding need to return the budget cycle to the January – December calendar year.
· That the 2018 – 2020 MTEF is anchored on the ERGP
· The current Global Economic outlook posited that the country is expecting growth, though there are still some challenges that may impact negatively on growth from now till 2020.
· He listed policy changes in the US and Britain’s exit from EU, the climate change issue, oil price fluctuations as some of the uncertainties.
· Assured that the country is already getting out of recession even as oil prices are still sliding. The non-oil sector is growing.
· Recoveries being recorded in Manufacturing, Agriculture and Services.
· Efforts aimed at achieving peace in Niger Delta yielding fruits.
· ERGP key objectives and the execution priorities will get country back to growth.

F. Presentation On Issues Of Right Of Way/Multiple By The Honourable Minister Of Communication
· Honourable Minister of Communication presented a Memo to Council on need for harmonization of the Right of way charges in respect of telecommunication and related public utility infrastructure on Local Governments, States and Federal Highways.
· Memo spelt out roles/responsibilities of LGCs, States and telecommunication operators in the management of Right of Way (ROW) issues.
· He informed Council that most States are still charging different and higher rates, despite NEC’s resolution that mandate States to adopt and implement Federal Ministry of Works guidelines for grant of Right of Way to ICT service on Highways.
· Current practice in Nigeria where various telecommunication operators design, survey, dig, deploy and manage their individual fibers networks amounts to duplication of efforts, multiple earthworks and treaches as well as increased administrative and licensing costs.
· The Memo invited all stakeholders to consider, adopt and approve the use of shared duct strategy, managed by a designated Agency in all tiers of government for the deployment of public utility infrastructure for effective and efficient service delivery and accelerated socio economic development of the country, particularly the transformation of our various cities, towns and villages to a smart status.

Council Decision
Council asked the Ministry of Communication to liaise with the States and relevant stakeholders for the smooth implementation of the Right of Way project.


Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity
Office of the Acting President
20th July 2017

Fashola Advocates A Housing Economy For Rebuilding Economy, Country

· Minister commends private sector participants in the Housing Sector at the 11th Abuja International Housing Show in the FCT
· Says FG is now building models that respond to nation’s cultural and climatic diversities in 33 states “as a pilot to then interface with the Private Sector”
· “We remain committed and we will deliver and improve what we met”, he declares

The 11th Abuja International Housing Show kicked off in the Federal Capital Territory Monday with the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola SAN, advocating a Housing Economy as a viable means of rebuilding the nation and its economy.

In a keynote address at the International Conference Centre venue of the three-day event, Fashola, who explained the concept of Housing Economy to mean “an economy that delivers on a continuous basis at every spectrum of the value chain”, starting from the construction sites. He said such continuous construction would impact mostly on the lives of artisans, labourers, builders and others at the construction sites, whom he described as “the most vulnerable members of the society”.

Stressing that the society has a duty to support such people, the Minister pointed out that the construction site has provided a major source of income for, not only construction workers such as plumbers, welders, bricklayers, retailers, but also suppliers of building materials and food vendors, adding, “It is the place where we can impact most on peoples’ lives”.

“Those are the most vulnerable members of our society that we must continue to support”, he said adding that the kind of response that could be received from creating a sustainable housing construction through building on a continuous basis would be “almost unbelievable”.

Recalling his inspection of Housing sites in Taraba, Gombe, Ekiti, Oyo and other states across the country earlier in the year, Fashola declared, “the story I can tell you is that plumbers, welders, bricklayers, food vendors, all say, ‘Thank Buhari for us because we are back to work’. And that is the story; that is where it starts”.

Particularly recalling his visit to the Oyo State site where he met a couple working at the site with the husband as a mason and bricklayer while the wife sold food to workers, the Minister, who noted that the couple relocated from Lagos to the site on learning of the project, added, “Let us just continue to build because the opportunities that it provides for rebuilding the economy and for rebuilding our country are simply prolific”.

On plans to include members of the informal sector in the Housing programme, Fashola said his Ministry was currently working on how to expand and register cooperatives and assist people to key into the programme adding that work in that regard has almost been concluded.

The Minister said the plan had become necessary because within the financing sector it had become important to ensure that those who have legitimate assets and income but were not in the formal recorded form could still be assisted to participate in home ownership.

Using the level 07 or 08 Civil Servant, who earns N50,000, as example, the Minister said although the amount may not be enough, he may have other assets like a farm or his wife’s business that they could put together adding that the plan was to expand the frontiers of how to determine what was affordable and the kind of income that could come into the programme.

“What we are currently working on now is how to expand and register cooperatives and assist people; because we have seen that the formal sector has its own structured organization where they contribute money, they help each other to build it. How can we use that to help them to build for themselves? We are almost completing work in that regard”, he said.

Fashola, who acknowledged that there is a challenge in the nation’s Housing sector, however, said the way to solve it was not to look at the size but to focus on how to solve it urging that the size of the problem should not dampen the enthusiasm to seek for solutions.

Debunking the estimated size of the nation’s housing deficit as not based on any audit or accurate census, the Minister, who stated that life without problems was unimaginable, added, “I always say that it is because there are problems that opportunities also arise, whether in public or the private sector”.

“I think the most important thing I want to say here is that the size of the problem should not dampen our enthusiasm to find solutions. Let us focus more on what we can contribute, what we can do rather than how big the problem is”, he said adding, “I will say this in the context of every time I hear 17 million Housing deficit; who did the census; who did the audit?”

The Minister recalled that barely 15 years ago Nigerians needed to get international direct dialling to be able to call somebody outside the country adding that although it was a big problem, the country just focussed on how to find a solution and, indeed, found a solution with many Nigerians now owning phones.

According to him, although not everybody in Nigeria today has a telephone, “But inch by inch, step by step, village by village, community by community we are connecting”, adding, “That must be the same attitude here”.

Still emphasizing the need to focus on solutions, Fashola, who recalled the time in the country when the only television station available was the Nigerian Television Authority, stated that Nigerians now have more channels than they could watch, adding that Nigerians must adopt the attitude that having overcome many problems in the past, the housing problem could be overcome.

The Minister commended Nigerians for their innovativeness pointing out that the banner, depicting the many brands of exhibitors at the Housing Show was a demonstration that Nigerians were not idle. He declared, “Look at all of those brands, it means that Nigerians are doing something. So we are not idle, we are not inactive and step by step we will get to our destination”.

On the theme of the Show, “Solving Nigeria’s Housing Challenges Through Innovative Finance and Infrastructure Solutions”, Fashola, who said the financing problem would remain for as long as humanity, explained that the growth of global population was not proportionate with the increase in availability of funds.

The Minister explained further, “The public Housing programme in the United Kingdom started since 1918. Next year it will be 100 years old. And, you know what, not everybody in the UK owns a house. There are people who still sleep on the streets. They have only managed to achieve about 65 per cent home ownership”.

“And it varies depending on the economy because even home owners also lose their homes. They have reduced rental and increased ownership; but from 1918 till now, not everybody owns a home and that is just about 65million or 70million people”, he said.

Also, according to the Minister, Singapore, with barely five million people, started her Housing programme in 1962 and has achieved a home ownership of 80 per cent of their population after about 60 years while in Hong Kong, one of the biggest financial centres in the world, people live in cages; in flats cut into pieces “because the average cost of a house is 19 times higher than the average wage”.

“And this is the context in which I said the issue of financing will remain for a long time. But within that we can improve the quality of our lives if we focus on what we can do, if we focus on major progress, if we understand that housing delivery is a long time commitment”, he said.

Expressing the commitment of the Federal Government to deliver on its promises of affordable housing for Nigerians, Fashola declared, “We remain committed and we will deliver and improve what we met”, adding that in discussing financing it should also be understood that there are many other problems such as issues of affordability and issues of acceptability.

The Minister declared, “We have empty houses in many states of the Federation. Why are they not occupied? Can people afford them? Where they can afford them, do they like the way they are built?” adding that these were the problems that must be addressed in order to build for the choice and demand of the off taker.

Fashola commended his team in the Ministry for the work they have done in the last one year during which, according to him, “they have designed a National Housing model that responds to the cultural and climatic diversities of Nigeria”, adding that the Ministry was now building in 33 states of the Federation “as a pilot to then interface with the Private Sector”.

Also present at the Opening Ceremony of the Housing Show which is featuring hundreds of exhibitors and stakeholders in the Housing Sector, include, the Minister of State in the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, Hon. Mustapha Baba Shehuri, Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie Oyegun, who was Chairman of the Opening Ceremony, Minister of Labour and Productivity, Dr. Chris Ngige, Legislators, Governors, Traditional Rulers and other stakeholders in both Public and Private Sectors.


Hakeem Bello
Special Adviser,
Communications
To The Hon. Minister
18th July, 2017

This Country Is One Of The Greatest In The World, There Is No Question About That, Says Osinbajo

Remarks by the Acting President, His Excellency, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, today at the palace of the Emir of Gusau, Alhaji Ibrahim Bello, during a one-day visit to Zamafara State.

Protocols

Let me begin by saying that am very honoured by this warm welcome that has been given me and l bring very warm greetings from President Muhammadu Buhari whom l had the pleasure of seeing in London just about this time last week.

It’s important that everywhere in our country is safe for our people to work and live and I am especially pleased to see that His Royal Highness has maintained this within this kingdom and anyone can approach him and everyone can live here.

This l think is very worthwhile and l must commend you for this great work that you are doing.

And we have been around to see the works of his Excellency, the governor and in-fact that’s what we are spending the whole of today doing.

We have been here since 11am in the morning and we have been to Gunmi, we are still going round the state and all of these shows that there is lot of work going on and we are extremely proud of the work that Governor Yari is doing and that our great party, the APC is doing also in this state.

The message that l have is only to say that this country is one of the greatest countries in the world, there is no question at all about that. We see that in another ten years, probably we will be measuring with the 15th largest economies in the world.

A lot of that will depend on how hard we work but more importantly on our staying united. The reason why we are such an important country is that we are a big country and we are diverse, we have arable land everywhere, solid minerals everywhere, even here in Zamfara State.

The Federal Government is committed to developing all of the mineral resources especially here in Zamfara State. We intend to work very hard on developing mineral resources and we must ensure that all of these places are safe to live and to do business.

Our country's size is important and the diversity of our people and resources are important. But we must stay together to be able to reap the fruit of our size and the development of this country. We must remain united to reap the fruit.

There are many countries in Africa, some of them are not bigger than Zamfara State, infact many of them are not as big as Zamfara State and they are countries in Africa.

When you look at the sheer size and the diversity of Nigeria, we have the potentials of becoming one of the truly great countries of the world and l think that with the hard-work that we are seeing and with the right leadership, leadership committed to the people, committed to delivering services to the people, we can really make a difference, we can become what God has purposed and planned for us to be.

I want to thank you again, Your Royal Highness for this warm welcome and to say that we remain solidly with you and will work with you to ensure peace and stability in this place and also to thank you for all that you are doing to support the governor for ensuring that this place is safe for all to live in.

Thank you very much, God bless you.


RELEASED BY:
Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant on Media & Publicity to the President
Office of the Acting President.
July 17, 2017

Buhari Sends "Heart-Felt Condolences" To Chief Bisi Akande
President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed "heart-felt" sadness over the death of Madam Omowunmi Bisi Akande, wife of the founding chairman of the governing All Progressives Congress, APC.

In a letter penned by him on the heels of an earlier telephone call to the bereaved party chieftain on Wednesday, President Buhari described as "irreparable" the loss by Chief Akande of his wife of 50 years.

The President's message reads as follow: "I received the very sad news of the death of your dearly beloved wife, Madam Omowunmi Akande this morning. I am following our phone call with this letter of condolence, which comes from my heart.

"To lose a wife, a dear wife after 50 years, a constant and loving companion through good and bad times, is a blow only a man of unshakeable faith can withstand. Please extend my personal condolences to the immediate and wider Akande family and to friends of the family for this irreparable loss.

"May Allah give you the strength and Iman to endure her passing away."


Garba Shehu
SSAP (Media and Publicity)
July 13, 2017

Extortion: Four Policemen Attached To Ogun State Command Dismissed From Service
· IGP Ibrahim Idris vows to “flush out” unethical officers

In line with the fight against corruption and ensuring adherence to the “Change Begins With Me” campaign of the Federal Government, the Nigeria Police Force has approved the dismissal from service of four police officers attached to Ijebu-Ode Area Command in Ogun State.

They are (1) AP. No 122800 Inspr. Mufutau Olaosun, (2) F/No. 366127 Sgt. Adebayo Temitope, (3) F/No. 455593 Cpl. Bakare Taiwo and (4) F/No. 455554 Cpl. Adesoye Ayokunlehin who were charged, tried and found guilty in an Orderly Room conducted at the Area Command Headquarters, Ijebu-Ode for two offences against discipline as provided for in Paragraphs E (iii) Discreditable Conduct and C (ii) Corrupt Practice under the First Schedule of Police Act and Regulations Cap. P19. Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

The Case Against The Dismissed Policemen
On the 12th of June, 2017 the Public Complaint Rapid Response Unit (PCRRU) received a complaint via WhatsApp number 0805 700 0003 which states thus;

“Good morning sir, My name is (Withheld), living in ijebu ode, on Wednesday afternoon I went to withdraw money from the bank and am been sent by my boss when going back to the office some policeman car just double cross me and collect my phone telling I stole the phone I should follow the to the station and the took me to igbeba police station here in ijebu asked me to do frog jump from outside to a room, which I did to afford being beating. After gotten there they started calling a internet fraudster which I told them am not that am an (withheld) and they started beating slapping me and forcing me to write a statement which they are the one telling me what to write and after that they collected 50,000 from me( from my boss money which I went to withdraw before ealizing me. Sir that’s my story. All this are not good and policeman are meant to protect us but this nowadays police officer have turn this to another thing by using their power to ride civilians, maltreating and harassing civilian.

The officers name who headed the squad are been called which I overhead are name: one is Omo Alaja while the second is called AY but don’t know the name of the other 2 officer. Please sir you have to stop this kind of officer because they are taking this to far”
The complaint was immediately registered, Tracking Number PCRRU451591 issued and investigation initiated. The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Igbeba Division, Ijebu-Ode was mandated to commence an enquiry straightaway.

The policemen were identified and it was discovered that they apprehended the complainant on 7th June, 2017 without any reasonable cause and extorted the sum of Fifty Thousand Naira (N50,000) “Bail Money” despite the #BailisFree campaign before he was eventually released same day.

The extorted N50,000 was subsequently recovered from these unethical policemen who were armed in plain clothes on the day of the incident. Their action is contrary to the directives of the Inspector-General of Police and unacceptable.

Necessary disciplinary measures were initiated against the erring policemen, they were found guilty as charged in an Orderly Room trial after the presentation of witnesses and exhibits. Punishment of dismissal from service was recommended by the Adjudicating officer and proceedings reviewed by the relevant Nigeria Police Force (NPF) authorities.

The punishment of dismissal from service has been upheld with immediate effect and all NPF uniforms and accoutrements including warrant cards (ID cards) issued to the men have been retrieved with all dismissal procedures completed.

The complainant was also handed back his N50,000 with an apology a day after he lodged the complaint. The elated man after receiving his money thanked the PCRRU, he said “Great job you people are doing right there, thank you for the prompt response”.

Furthermore, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Ibrahim K. Idris NPM, mni while reiterating his stand on zero tolerance for corruption vows to “flush out those tarnishing police image” from the Force. The IGP also impress it upon the PCRRU to ensure that all allegations of professional misconduct against the police are promptly investigated and officers found wanting in any proven case be made to face appropriate sanctions as stipulated by relevant laws.

Members of the public are advised not to resort to self-help when faced with case of police misconduct, but are enjoined to report such to the
PCRRU for resolution. PCRRU is available 24/7 via the following channels; Phone Calls Only: 08057000001, 08057000002 | SMS/WhatsApp Only: 08057000003 | BBM:58A2B5DE | Twitter: @PoliceNG_PCRRU | Facebook: www.facebook.com/PolicePCRRU | Email: complaint@npf.gov.ng OR PolicePCRRU@gmail.com

PCRRU says No To Impunity; our quick response will put a smile on your face.
ACP Abayomi Shogunle.
Assistant Commissioner Of Police,
Public Complaint Rapid Response Unit (PCRRU)
Nigeria Police Force,
Force Headquarters, Abuja.

Photo: The dismissed policemen L-R; Ex-Sgt. Adeayo Temitope, Ex-Inspr. Mufutau Olaogun, Ex-Cpl. Adesoye Ayokunlehin and Ex-Cpl. Bakare Taiwo at the Public Complaint Rapid Response Unit (PCRRU), FHQ Abuja in the course of the investigation

Acting President Osinbajo Orders Security Reinforcements After Communal Violence In Two Cross River State Communities
Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, has condemned the wanton loss of lives and property as a result of the recent communal conflict between the Wanikade and Wanihem communities in the Yala Local Government Area of Cross River State.

The Acting President has directed the security agencies to take urgent measures to avert a further breakdown of law and order.

He also directed the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to liaise with the State government with a view to sending relief materials to the affected communities.

Acting President Osinbajo appealed to the warring communities to give peace a chance in order to enable government find a lasting solution to the crisis.


Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity
Office of the Acting President
6 July 2017.

MSME Clinics
The MSME Clinics is an initiative of the Office of the Vice President, in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment and 11 Federal Agencies, to create a platform for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises to interact with Federal Agencies and obtain practical and on-the-spot solutions to their business challenges. These solutions include on-the-spot business registrations, processing of approvals/licenses, advisory, capacity building, and so on.

The MSME Clinics was launched by Acting President Osinbajo on January 24, 2017 in Abuja. Since then, Clinics have been organized in 6 cities: Aba, Ilorin, Sokoto, Jos. Katsina, Calabar. A total of 8,700 MSMEs have so far benefited from the Clinics across the six locations.

The participating Federal Agencies are: Bank of Agriculture (BOA), Bank of Industry (BOI), Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Industrial Training Fund (ITF), National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Nigerian Export Import Bank (NEXIM), Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), and the Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON).

To ensure post-Clinic continuity of support, there's a plan in place to collaborate with State Governments to set up State-level 'One Stop Shops' for MSMEs, at which relevant Federal and State Agencies (e.g Inland Revenue Services) will be required to have Desk Officers who will provide ongoing support to MSMEs.

Power Sector Updates: #IncrementalPower
Generation:
Azura Power Plant is a 450MW project under construction in Edo State. Stalled for more than 1 year prior to the emergence of the Buhari administration because of delays in obtaining the necessary Government approvals. The project finally reached financial close in January 2016, after President Buhari signed the necessary agreements required by the investors to raise funds. So far, construction of the IPP has created about 1,000 jobs. The project represents a total investment of close to US$1 billion.

March 2017: Approval by FEC of Power Sector Recovery Programme, which includes a N701 billion Payment Assurance Plan for Gencos and Gas Suppliers.

Aug 2016: 1.2MW Photovoltaic System to power Lower Usman Dam water treatment plant commissioned. The Dam is now the main source of potable water to the FCT.

Intervention project approved by President Buhari for Afam Power Plant in Rivers State will be completed in 2017, and will boost generation by 240MW.

In 2016 President Buhari approved Nigeria's Implementation Plan for Rural Electrification, 11 years after the Electricity Sector Reform Act of 2005 set up the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) and spelt out a 1-year timeline for the preparation of the Plan for presidential approval.

Work has resumed on 700MW Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Plant in Niger State, halted by litigation for over three years.

With the June 2017 issuance of a “No Objection” Certificate by the Bureau for Public Procurement (BPP), work is now set to commence on the Mambilla Hydro Power plant.

The 40MW Kashimbilla Hydro Power Plant in Taraba State is now 99% completed.

The 215MW dual-fired power plant in Kaduna is due for completion this year.

The 40MW Gurara Power Station and 10MW Katsina Wind Farm are due for completion in 2018.

Our Energizing Education Programme (EEP) has now kicked off, with the signing of MOUs between the Rural Electrification Agency and participating Institutions. In the 1st Phase, 8 Federal Universities and 1 Teaching Hospital will benefit from the Programme.

Transmission:
Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) is currently working on 59 expansion projects across Nigeria. This is apart from ongoing Transmission Projects being carried out by the Nigeria Integrated Power Project (NIPP).

President Akufo-Addo comes to Abuja
Acting President Osinbajo hosted visiting Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo at his official residence, Aguda House, on Sunday June 25, 2017.

Two leaders discussed the forthcoming African Union (AU) Heads of State Summit in Addis Ababa, ongoing negotiations on the Continental Free Trade Agreement (CFTA), and the revitalization of the Ghana-Nigeria Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation. They pledged to intensify bilateral cooperation for the benefit and development of the sub-region, highlighting the critical role that Nigeria and Ghana play as the “centrepiece” of ECOWAS and the West African sub-region.

Acting President Osinbajo: "We’re extremely excited about the ECOWAS sub-region and hope that we will be able to do a lot together.”

The Ghanaian President also extended his good wishes to President Muhammadu Buhari, currently on medical vacation.

National Economic Council (NEC) meets in Abuja
The National Economic Council, statutorily chaired by the Vice President, meets once a month, bringing together the 36 State Governors, Minister of Finance, Central Bank Governor and other senior Federal Government officials. The June 2017 meeting held on Thursday June 29, 2017, at the State House, Abuja.

Highlights of the Meeting:

1. Budget Support Facility: Acting President Osinbajo directed that the Budget Support Facility to the States be continued for now. The BSF was introduced in 2016 as a Conditional Loan Programme to State Governments, to help States meet shortfalls in their monthly allocations (on account of low oil prices), and be able to pay salaries and pensions. The Conditions attached to the Facility are designed to enhance fiscal prudence and transparency, efficiency in public expenditure, as well as ensure that the funds are used for the payment of salaries and pensions.

These conditions are contained in a Fiscal Sustainability Plan (FSP) agreed to by all participating States. The Federal Ministry of Finance has the right to query, suspend or withhold funds as part of the conditions of the Budget Support Facility. The Ministry of Finance has since appointed a number of accounting firms to carry out Audit verification of States' compliance with the FSP.

State of Prisons Nationwide: It was agreed that States should endeavour to support the Federal Government by:
*Building/rehabilitating/expanding prisons.
*Reviewing cases regularly to see which sentences deserve to be commuted, so as to decongest the prisons.

2. Public Sector Funding for HIV/AIDS: The Director General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) made a presentation arguing for the prioritisation of HIV/AIDS spending by State Governments, and recommending that at least 0.5% to 1% of monthly allocations to each State should be set aside for financing the implementation of HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment programmes. He also recommended that States should abolish user fees for Antenatal Care services and Prevention of Mother-To-Child Transmission services.

3. Update on the status of the 3 Special Accounts maintained on behalf of the Federal, State and Local Governments:
*Stabilisation Fund ('Rainy Day' savings) 0.5% of the Federation Account): Balance of 28.5 billion Naira as at June 28, 2016
*Natural Resources Fund (Established to support funding and development of Agriculture, Water Resources and Mining; 1.68% of Federation Account): Balance of 87.67 billion Naira as at 28 June 2017
*Ecological Fund (Intervention facility established to address the ecological problems ravaging communities across the country; 2% of the Federation Account): Balance of 28.9 billion Naira as at 29 June 2017.

4. Update on the status of the Excess Crude Account: Current balance of US$2.3 billion.

The Main Story

Voluntary Assets & Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS)
Nigeria now has a Tax Amnesty programme, the Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS), launched by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo in Abuja on Thursday June 29, 2017. Between now and March 31, 2018, you will be expected to declare fully and honestly all unpaid taxes. The Government of Nigeria assures you that upon this declaration there will be:

*No interest on overdue taxes
*No penalties
*No prosecution for tax offenses
*No audit investigation

1.The Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS) will last from July 1, 2017 to March 31, 2018.

2.VAIDS will be supported by an Executive Order that was signed into law by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on June 29, 2017.

3.Nigeria has a total of 69.9 million economically-active individuals but only 14 million of such people are tax payers — 96% of them have their taxes automatically deducted through the Pay As You Earn (PAYE) system and 4% comply by paying willingly.

4.Only 214 Nigerians pay 20 million Naira or more in taxes annually. All of them are based in Lagos State. Fewer than 1,000 pay N10 million Naira or more in taxes. All but two of these people are based in Lagos State.

5.For the last 15 months, a high-level team has been working with the Federal Ministry of Finance on Project Lighthouse. This project entailed gathering data from a wide range of sources to understand the degree of tax compliance in Nigeria.

6.The Federal Ministry of Finance, in partnership with the N-Power scheme (see more about the Scheme below) is in the process of employing 7,500 Community Tax Liaison Officers (CTLOs), who will be trained to educate and sensitize citizens on the importance of paying tax, and on Nigeria’s tax system in general.

7.The Federal Government has designated every Thursday, starting June 29 2017, as #TaxThursday. This means that Thursdays have henceforth been set aside for tax enlightenment and awareness, and to welcome new taxpayers.

8.Nigeria is now party to the new global standard on Automatic Exchange of Information (AEOI), which kicks off 2018, and which will be one of the planks on which effectiveness of VAIDS will rest. There will be no hiding place for Nigerians who own property and assets abroad.

9.Upon the expiration of VAIDS, Federal Government will commence criminal prosecution of tax evaders who have refused to take advantage of the income declaration scheme.

Four Executive Orders signed so far, in 2017
With the Executive Order on VAIDS, the number of Executive Orders issued this year by the Federal Government has risen to four (4), as follows:

*Executive Order On the Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS) (June 2017)
*Executive Order on Budgets (May 2017)
*Executive Order On Support for Local Content in Public Procurement by the Federal Government (May 2017)
*Executive Order On the Promotion of Transparency and Efficiency in the Business Environment (May 2017)

Find the full Texts of these EOs on medium.com/@TheAsoVilla

Full Text of Executive Order On the Voluntary Assets & Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS), signed by Acting President Professor Yemi Osinbajo in Abuja on Thursday, 29th June 2017.
Whereas the Constitution imposes a duty on every citizen to declare his/her income fully and honestly to appropriate and lawful agencies and pay taxes promptly;

Whereas every taxable person is under obligation to voluntarily declare his/her income from all sources within and outside Nigeria by filing annual tax returns, computing same and paying the tax due to the tax authority;

Cognisant of the desirability of inculcating in all citizens, the ethics of responsibility to the nation, accountability, and honesty;

Aware that the Federal and State Governments owe citizens the duty of providing security, welfare and development in all its parameters; and

Consequent upon the determination of the Federal and State Governments to provide an opportunity for taxpayers who are in default under all relevant Statutes to voluntarily declare their Assets and Income and pay taxes due on them and in return obtain some benefits.

Now Therefore, Pursuant To The Authority Vested In Me By The Constitution As The Acting President Of The Federal Republic Of Nigeria, I Hereby Order As Follows:

1. The Federal Ministry of Finance shall set up a Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme (hereinafter referred to as “the Scheme”) for all categories of taxpayers who have defaulted in payment of taxes due and collectible subject to the fulfillment of the terms and conditions as may be stipulated in this Order and other subsequent complementary regulations.

2. The Scheme shall provide a nine (9) month period commencing from the 1st of July 2017 for taxpayers who are in default of their tax liabilities to declare their assets and income from sources within and outside Nigeria relating to the preceding six (6) years of assessment.

3. The Scheme shall encourage and provide an opportunity for eligible taxpayers to:
a. regularise their tax status for all the relevant years;
b. pay all outstanding taxes;
c. prevent and stop tax evasion; and
d. ensure full tax compliance.

Eligibility To Participate
4. The Scheme is open to and targeted to all persons and entities that are in default of their tax liabilities in any way whatsoever, including those who:
a. earn an income or own assets but are yet to register with the relevant tax authorities;
b. are registered taxpayers who have additional disclosures to make or need to amend prior disclosures; and/or are registered but have not been filing returns;
c. have not been fully declaring their taxable income and assets;
d. have been underpaying or under remitting;
e. are under a process of tax audit or investigation with the relevant Tax Authority; and/or
f. are engaged in a tax dispute with the relevant Tax Authority but are prepared to settle the tax dispute out of court.

Requirements For Valid Declaration
5. In order for an application pursuant to the Scheme to be valid, the following requirements must be met:
a. the disclosures by the taxpayer should be voluntary;
b. the disclosure must be full, frank, complete and verifiable in all material respects;
c. the disclosure must be made using the Voluntary Asset and Income Declaration Scheme forms or in any other form or manner as may be prescribed under the Scheme; and
d. the assessment of tax payable must be carried out by relevant tax authority.

Reliefs/Benefits
6. Any taxpayer who truthfully and voluntarily declares his assets and income, complies with the regulations and guidelines and pays all outstanding taxes shall obtain the following benefits.:
a. immunity from prosecution for tax offences;
b. immunity from tax audit;
c. waiver of interest;
d. waiver of penalties; and
e. option of spreading payment of outstanding liabilities over a maximum period of three years as may be agreed with the relevant tax authority.
Provided however that the remission or waiver granted under these Regulations shall not prejudicially affect or invalidate any court order or judgment already obtained in respect of any default in payment of tax for which interest and/or penalty have already accrued.

7. The reliefs referred to in paragraph six (6) above are available in respect of all taxes administered by the Federal Inland Revenue Service as well as those administered by all State Boards of Internal Revenue.

Consequences Of Failure To Comply
8. Failure of any defaulting taxpayer to truthfully and promptly take advantage of this Scheme shall at the expiration of the Scheme result in the following consequences:
a. liability to pay in full, the principal sum due;
b. liability to pay all interest and penalties arising therefrom;
c. liability to be prosecuted in accordance with relevant extant laws for tax offences;
d. withdrawal of any reliefs, which may have been granted to the participant;
e. liability to undergo comprehensive tax audit; and
f. any sum paid in relation to the Scheme may be counted as part payment of any further outstanding tax in respect of undisclosed information.

Confidentiality Of Information
9. All information provided by the taxpayer under the Scheme shall be treated with utmost confidentiality in accordance with the provisions of the relevant laws save where it is stated otherwise.

10. Any tax official or persons duly authorised to receive information under the Scheme who breaches the confidentiality of information received or exchanged under the Scheme without due authorisation or in breach of relevant laws shall be liable to prosecution under extant Federal and/or State Laws.

General
11. This Executive Order is valid only for the period in which the Scheme shall subsist, and relates to only persons who have voluntarily declared their assets and income within and outside Nigeria for the purpose of ascertaining their outstanding tax liability.
Provided however that any rights and status properly acquired by any participating taxpayer pursuant to the Scheme shall vest to the benefit of the taxpayer to the extent provided for by law.

12. This Executive Order shall be read in conjunction with all extant Tax Laws, Regulations and Guidelines as well as those that may be issued pursuant to the Scheme.

13. This Executive Order shall take effect from the 1st day of July 2017.


Dated this 29th day of June, 2017.
Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, GCON
Acting President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria

New Resident Electoral Commissioners Appointed
His Excellency the Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, has approved the appointment of the underlisted persons as Resident Electoral Commissioners.
Appointee State Remarks
(i) Professor Godwill Obioma Abia New Appointment
(ii) James Lorliam Apam Benue
(iii) Dr. Nwachukwu Orji Ebonyi
(iv) Dr. Iloh Joseph Valentine Chuks Enugu
(v) Dr. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda Plateau
(vi) Umar Ibrahim Taraba
(vii) Mr. Emeka Ononamadu Joseph Imo
(viii) Obo O. Effanga Cross River
(ix) Professor Francis Chuckwemeka Ezeounu Anambra
(x) Dr. Briyai O. Frankland Bayelsa
(xi) Ibrahim Abdullahi, mni Adamawa
(xii) Agboke Mutiu Olaleke Ogun
(xiii) Hussaini Halilu Pai FCT Reappointment
(xiv) Alhaji Ahmad Makama Bauchi

These appointees have been confirmed by the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and therefore the appointments are with immediate effect.

Bolaji Adebiyi
Director (Press)
Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation

Required documents for all Mineral Title Applicants
minesandsteel.gov.ng

Osinbajo To Nigerians: Let Us Express Concerns Graciously Not With Scorn

Outcomes Of Acting President's Consultations On Ethnic Agitations With Political, Religious, Traditional & Media Leaders.
Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, has again assured Nigerians that the Buhari administration is not deaf to grievances in parts of the country, disclosing that the government will address them, while urging that such grievances be expressed with grace.

This emerged from the Highlights of the series of consultations the Acting President called to interact with leaders from the North, Southeast and the media over the last two weeks between 13 June to 22 June 2017.

A updated statement from the presidency today noted that "the meetings were convened to provide a platform for frank and open discussions between the concerned stakeholders and by extension the Nigerian public on issues relating to the unity, peace and security of country."

While this set of consultations were concluded last week, the presidency will continue to actively engage with different segments of the Nigerian population at different stages and format in the near future.

In response to the recent spate of agitations pitting some groups in the North against others in the Southeast, the Acting President commenced a series of engagements and consultations with political, religious, traditional & media leaders from across the country as follows:

. Northern Leaders of Thought: Tuesday 13 June, 2017
· Southeast Leaders of Thought: Wednesday 14 June, 2017
· Southeast Traditional Rulers: Sunday 18 June, 2017
· Northern Traditional Rulers: Tuesday 20 June, 2017
· All State Governors: Wednesday 21 June, 2017
· Media Publishers and Editors: Thursday 22 June, 2017

The Meetings were convened to provide a platform for frank and open discussions between the concerned stakeholders and by extension the Nigerian public on issues relating to the unity, peace and security of country.

The Meetings touched on various issues relating to the ethnic agitations that have manifested most recently in a call for secession by some groups of youth from the Southeast, and an ultimatum by Northern youths for south-easterners living in the North to leave the region by 1st October 2017.

The Meetings established common ground on a number of issues, as follows:

· Condemned all the hateful and divisive rhetoric by the concerned groups of Northern and Southeastern youths.
· Affirmed the primacy of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the ultimate basis for the unity of Nigeria. That Constitution guarantees freedom of residence and of movement for all Nigerians anywhere in the country, without fear of discrimination or prejudice.
· Affirmed the need to draw a line between the freedom of expression guaranteed by the Constitution and the degeneration of such expression into hateful rhetoric, prejudice and hatred. Under no circumstances will Government condone or tolerate hate speech in any way or form.
· Affirmed the necessity of confronting all grievances and frustrations head-on, however uncomfortable that might seem now; instead of ignoring issues and allowing them to fester.
· Affirmed the need for all leaders and elders, regardless of political or ideological persuasion, to speak out more forcefully to counter divisive and hate speech and any form of warmongering.

The Acting President expresses appreciation to all the leaders for their time and commitment to the unity, peace and progress of the Nigerian nation. He also assures the Nigerian people of the determination and resolve of the Buhari administration to ensure their well-being and security at all times.

The Federal Government will continue to actively engage with Nigerians of all shades and opinions in its bid to move the country forward on a path of socio-economic development and ultimate greatness.

Quotes from Speeches by Acting President Osinbajo, SAN, GCON, during the Consultations:

“There is a point where a line has to be drawn, and that is when conversations or agitations degenerate into hateful rhetoric, where the narrative descends into pejorative name-calling, expressions of outright prejudice and hatred.”

“Let me say that we are not deaf to the legitimate concerns and frustrations arising from around the country. Every part of Nigeria has its own grievances. But these have to be expressed graciously and managed with mutuality rather than with scorn and disdain.”

“All of us have agreed that our nation must remain one… I think that there is clarity as to that one thing, that our country ought to remain, must remain, a united country.”

“It will be wrong of us to approach our grievances by threatening to disobey the laws or by threatening the integrity of our nation.”

“I firmly believe that we ought to address these agitations and proclamations urgently and decisively. Burying our heads in the sand and expecting the storms to blow over of their own accord is not an option.”

“One thing is clear – violence and war are not going to do anyone any good. They are easy to start but near impossible to end. We are witnesses to the unspeakable devastation that war continues to inflict across the world. No one who has seen the horrors of war – even merely on television – would wish it on their worst enemy.”

“Our emotions must not be allowed to run wild in such a way as to endanger the lives of so many.”


Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity
Office of the Vice President
27 June 2017

Excerpts From Remarks by Acting President Osinbajo When He Received a Delegation of Religious, Traditional and Political Leaders in Sallah Homage at His Residence — June 25, 2017
Acting President Professor Yemi Osinbajo:
"I want to say that unity of the faiths is so important; it’s very very important. And the reason why it’s important is because the best attributes of citizenship can be found in the faiths. What are those attributes? Love for one another, Integrity in our relationships, with ourselves, with government resources and funds, the desire to do good for the majority of our people; to do right by the majority of our people."

"What the Government of President Muhammadu Buhari has always emphasized is the unity of the faiths. There is every reason for us to work together as brothers and sisters despite our different faiths. And the President himself has demonstrated that in so many ways, by ensuring balance in everything. And you know that at Christmas, I’m not even around to attend the homage that is paid to him by Christians, I always tell him that that he’s going to do by himself, because I usually take off at Christmas and try and get myself a holiday if I can. So he receives the Christians by himself, and usually I just hear about what happened afterwards."

"The first time that I attended Iftar, Mr President invited me. And I recall asking him, when he invited me, that are Christians allowed to attend Iftar? And he said, so long as you’re hungry, you can attend. If you’re hungry, let’s go and attend this Iftar. Since then he’s invited me to every one. The way the President receives the Muslim Ummah for the Homage — I have attended every single one since 2015 — so I’m very experienced, having been well schooled by Mr. President."

Excerpts From Remarks by Acting President Osinbajo When He received a Delegation of Religious, Traditional and Political Leaders in Sallah Homage at His Residence — June 25, 2017
Acting President Professor Yemi Osinbajo: "Just yesterday I’m sure that you heard the President’s message which he sent on the occasion of the celebration of Eid El-Fitr, where he said that this country must remain united. And the reason that he gave is that there are so many countries of the world who envy what we have, our endowments as a nation, and that we must remain united because it is only in our unity that we can enjoy those endowments to the fullest.

"And I want to urge every one of us that our unity as a nation is not negotiable; we should make sure that we remain united. There are people who say, oh, we’re better apart than together. That’s not true. There are so many small countries all over Africa. One of the reasons why we’re respected and in some cases revered and feared is because we’re a big nation. One out of every four black people in the world is a Nigerian. We are a geopolitical power because of our strength in numbers and our diversity. That’s why we’re a geopolitical power. Our relevance comes from our size, the size of our market, and our diversity, and the fact that anywhere you go, Nigerians are probably the smartest people you’ll ever meet anywhere."

#EidMubarak

Voluntary Asset and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS)
Starting July 2017, the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Finance, and in collaboration with the 36 State Governments and FCT will unveil a Tax Amnesty Programme: the Nigeria Voluntary Asset and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS).

VAIDS will provide a window in which all those — individuals and organisations — who have not complied with extant tax regulations can make amends by taking advantage of the provision of limited amnesty to enable voluntary declaration and payment of liabilities.

VAIDS will embrace all Federal and States’ taxes such as Companies Income Tax, Personal Income Tax, Petroleum Profits Tax, Capital Gains Tax, Stamp Duties, Tertiary Education Tax, & Technology Tax.

During that Amnesty period there will be no penalties, interest obligations, prosecution or audit investigations. We expect that all declarations will be complete and honest.
Rationale:
*Nigeria has one of the the lowest non-oil tax to GDP ratio in the world, at 6%. Compare this with Ghana (16%), South Africa (27%), and OECD Average (34%). [Only 214 individuals in Nigeria pay 20 million Naira (c.US$65,000) or more in tax annually.]

*Nigeria continues to greatly suffer the debilitating effects of tax evasion and under-payment. Multi-national companies and high net worth individuals use Transfer Pricing and Tax Havens and other sophisticated evasion strategies.

*VAIDS will capitalise on the considerable international goodwill built by President Buhari in his mission to rebuild Nigeria, as well as on the current global movement against tax evasion and illicit financial flows.
What happens if people and companies refuse to comply?
The Federal Government will pursue all legal and legitimate avenues to uncover and penalize all tax dodgers and defaulters. Outside of the Amnesty period this will include prosecution and interest payments on unpaid taxes. Uncovering tax defaulters will now be much easier than in the past on account of a number of new or recent Transparency initiatives, including but not limited to the following:

*The use of BVN data

*The emergence of various international initiatives aimed at blocking the loopholes and avenues by which firms and companies evade tax payment globally, including Registers of Beneficial Ownership, the US Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, and a number of Automatic Exchange of Information initiatives. For example Nigeria has recently approved the ratification of the Agreement for the establishment of the West African Tax Administration Forum (which will be hosted by Nigeria).

*The Federal Executive Council has also this month granted permission for the Ministry of Finance to sign the global convention on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting — a practice that has allowed companies who generate profits in Nigeria to evade taxes by shifting those profits to countries where little or no tax is payable.

*The Federal Ministry of Finance has in the last 15 months been engaged in a massive data gathering exercise — engaging one of the world’s leading global investigation agencies to trace funds that originated from Nigeria and have been illegally diverted across the world in a bid to avoid tax payment.

*The Ministry of Finance is launching a Community Tax Liaison Officers (CTLO) Scheme to recruit young Nigerian graduates to serve as Tax Educators and to help the Government enrol new Taxpayers. Details in Policy Blog section below.

Nigeria: New Ease of Doing Business Legislation
In May 2017, the National Assembly passed two laws critical to the success of our Ease of Doing Business Reforms.

On Tuesday May 30, 2017, Acting President Yemi Osinbajo assented to the two Bills. (By that action the two Bills became Acts of Parliament).

The two Acts are as follows:

The Secured Transactions in Movable Assets Act, 2017 (also known as Collateral Registry Act) (Download link below)

‘The Collateral Registry Act’ ensures that Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Nigeria can register their movable assets such as motor vehicles, equipment and accounts receivable in the National Collateral Registry, and use same as collateral for accessing loans. This in turn will increase their chances at accessing financing and tackle one of the major obstacles faced by MSMEs.

2. The Credit Reporting Act, 2017 (Download link below)

Additional Information
The passage of these Acts would facilitate the achievement of the goals of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) set up by President Muhammadu Buhari in July 2016 and chaired by the Vice-President to progressively make Nigeria an easier place for businesses to start and thrive.

With the passage of these Acts, the existing Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Guidelines regulating the operations of the National Collateral Registry and Credit Bureaux have now been replaced by formal legal frameworks.

We Will Deploy Entire Federal Government Apparatus To Ensure No One Threatens Nigerians, & Our Territorial Integrity-Osinbajo
Ahead of one more meeting tomorrow afternoon with all 36 State Governors to conclude his consultative sessions over certain ethnic agitations and exchanges between some groups in the South-East and the North, Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, has affirmed the readiness of the Federal Government to protect the territorial integrity of the country.

Prof. Osinbajo spoke this afternoon at a meeting with traditional rulers from the North at the Presidential Villa where he observed that traditional rulers play critical roles in the affairs of the nation.

Below are his full remarks:

Remarks By The Acting President, His Excellency, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, At The Consultation Meeting With Traditional Rulers From The Northern States Held At The Old Banquet Hall, State House, Abuja On Tuesday, 20th June 2017

“Having said this, let me say that we are not deaf to the legitimate concerns and frustrations arising from around the country. Every part of Nigeria has its own grievances. But these have to be expressed graciously and managed with mutuality rather than with scorn and disdain.”

I welcome you, our royal fathers, elders and leaders, to this important meeting. I thank you for taking the time to respond to our invitation to dialogue and engage with us. Your demonstration of commitment and leadership is heartwarming, and I have no doubt that we will all be enriched by our interaction today.

This meeting is the third in a series that commenced last week. I have met with Leaders of Thought from the North, and Leaders of Thought from the Southeast, and on Sunday with Traditional Rulers from the South-East. Yesterday you graciously consented to joining us at the Iftar, ahead of today’s meeting.

As Royal Fathers and Traditional Leaders, your place and your role in our society and nation is significant. You are the custodians of our cultures and traditions, and living embodiments of our rich heritage.
You are, by virtue of your vast knowledge, wisdom and experience, both a vital link with our past, and an important guarantee for the success of our future. This is why your role in national affairs is critical.

The reason for these series of meetings is well known to all of us: it became necessary in the wake of a spate of divisive statements, in recent months and weeks, pitting the South-East against the North. We are all aware of the so-called ‘ultimatum’ issued by a group of Northern youths, asking that all Igbos living in the North vacate the region.
Before then, there was the clamour – and it’s still ongoing – by some South-Eastern youths, operating as IPOB and affiliated groups, demanding secession from Nigeria.

In all our previous engagements with Northern and South-Eastern leaders, we all came to the consensus that Nigeria is stronger and better together, and that these hate-filled and divisive rhetoric and agitations are unjustifiable, unacceptable and often times illegal. And I would like to reiterate that today.

Nigeria has seen enough violence and bloodshed in its history, the price of our unity has already been paid in the blood and lives of hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians.

President Muhammadu Buhari spoke of his commitment to one Nigeria as arising from his experience in the Military, where he fought side by side with Nigerians of every tribe and faith. He said “we protected each other, put our lives on the line for each other, we were brothers even in the face of death.” This is the type of nation we must maintain.

As Royal Fathers and Leaders, I think you will agree with me that we all have a role to play in countering the voices of divisiveness, and the elements who seek to take us down a bloody path.

Let us continue to counsel the misguided elements among our youth, who think that ethnic confrontation is a game and that words can be thrown around carelessly without repercussion.

Having said this, let me say that we are not deaf to the legitimate concerns and frustrations arising from around the country. Every part of Nigeria has its own grievances. But these have to be expressed graciously and managed with mutuality rather than with scorn and disdain.

I would like to assure you all that we are here to listen and to answer, and, very importantly, to reassure everyone that we are committed to the unity of Nigeria, and that upon the foundation of that unity we can together build a prosperous and great country.

We must never take our diversity for granted; the fullness of our strength actually lies in that diversity. And we must wield that diversity, not as divisive tool, but instead as a binding agent.

As we round up these consultations tomorrow with a meeting with governors, it is clear to me that we are all resolved to, by words, conduct and action, promote the unity of our dear nation.

On our part as government, let me say that we will ensure that the entire apparatus of government is deployed to ensure that no one threatens Nigeria's territorial integrity, that no one threatens the lives or livelihoods of any Nigerian living anywhere in the Federation.

Our objective is to provide the environment for a prosperous nation, a nation where all regardless of ethnicity or religion can pursue their legitimate aspirations peacefully and securely.

Once again I thank you for your time, and your unyielding cooperation and support.
May the Almighty God continue to give you the wisdom and the strength to preside over your Kingdoms and the good health to reign long and reign well.

Thank you!


Released by
Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant on Media & Publicity to the President
Office of the Acting President
20 June 2017

Federal Government Food Distribution Programme For The Northeast
“We are saying to our brothers and sisters in the Northeast that our country does not take their burdens lightly and we are not blind to their difficulties.”
Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, June 8, 2017, while flagging off the Federal Government Quarterly Food Distribution Programme for the Northeast.

*Quarterly Food Assistance: delivering Sorghum, Maize, Soya Beans, and Rice to victims of the Boko Haram insurgency

*Target is not only Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), but also Returnees and Host Communities (There are 14 million people in need of food assistance in the Lake Chad Basin, just under 2 million of them are IDPs) in Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Taraba, Bauchi and Gombe States.

*30,000 Metric Tonnes will be distributed this quarter, targeting 1.8 million beneficiaries.

*All the food to be distributed is locally grown i.e. within Nigeria.

*1,032 trucks will carry out the distribution across the region, translating into jobs for drivers, drivers’ assistants and loading/offloading labour.

*The distribution is being done with partnership support from international partners such as the UN, World Food Programme, and Nigerian partners: NEMA, the Military, the Police, other security agencies and State Governments in the region.

*Instead of food queues distribution will happen door-to-door, using a voucher system that will both make the process of relief distribution transparent, as well as improve our own data collection, for planning purposes.

*The Food Distribution Programme is part of a larger Government Food Security response that will see the delivery to IDPs and Host Communities of seeds and other agricultural input, and farming implements, to enable them return to farm and grow their own food. This will be supported by the ongoing efforts of the military and other security agencies to de-mine and secure the farms.