₦airaland Forum

As taxes rise, as suffering rises the people will begin to take interest in details and the water of life will begin to boil....

I repeat it again. A rubber stamp parliament is the worst thing that can happen in a democracy. It is tantamount to legalised corruption because anything and everything is approved and official no matter how vile it may be.

My office channel is practically fixed to Skynews and I am just mersmerised everyday how democracy works in the United Kingdom, the forces at play on both sides of EVERY argument to the benefit of the citizens to ensure they get the very best of goverment..... and that is a nation that is developed and relatively prosperous.... still they battle out every policy and fight over every penny of theirs....

What is just wrong with this.... hopeless country.... called Nigeria. 1 billion to prepare a budget...gosh...

DP.

Jblaze1:
I dont have problem with the tax, my problem is WTF are dey doing with the huge amount of tax we pay

More foreign trips, better medical tourism, more chow at the Rock.... can't think of anything else.... because we the citizens have no data on what this new tax is expected to improve in this country. No data means we are open to speculate on what we think government just loves to spend on..

In other climes even a cent increae or a percentile increase in taxation is met with serious repercussions and like I say government will inevitably dole out concessions by way of trimming its excesses. Let us see how the citizens respond to this potentially slippery slope.

OkCornel:
Self centred prayer. Always about me, me, me, me and me.

The bane of the modern Pentecostal Movement. Projects selfishness to dizzying levels.

When we say restructure, they say no. So why are they seeking to restructure by default. You cannot be collecting 'allocation' without obedience to the giver. He who pays the piper things.

When this storm is over Nigerians will be better informed of the need to look at Nigeria again....closely.

quentin06:
stealing in the name of the law.

I painted this scenario a few weeks ago.

If Nigeria loses one trilllion naira a year out of its budget due to corruption and votes the regime out and another comes in only to legally appropriate the equivalent stolen sums under personel, overheads.... rwcurrent expenditure.... what essentially is the difference. Heads or tails the country loses.

When folks were asking how reccurent expenditure jumped from one to 3 trillion across governments which essentially are doing the same thing, these details come to light, excesses in this government are legally being appropriated without the vigorous scrutiny the Legislature should give.

I was learning of some parastatals in governemt that pay some of their staff upwards of 2 million naira take home. Why should that be and why should the National Assembly agree to that. Corruption is not just about stealing and illegal enrichment but a wider moral question about how resources are managed within a context of best practices, efficiency and good conscience.

RTSC:
If buhari was a man of integrity, isn't that the kind of polices he should institute before he leaves to reduce the cost of governance of future presidents, and also set a landmark for generations unborn.

After all, he has nothing to lose. He is already old.

But na lie, baba must overdo.

Oga, self censorship is very hard. The more power a leader has the harder it is for him to contain himself. Democracy does not work that way. Stop expecting politicians to be moraliats or pious popes. It is like expecting a ship to sail itself from port to port. The direction of government and impetus to perform is always driven by the people. Leaders are only drivers, pilots. It is the people who decide where the ship of state goes.

The only way government officials will reduce their expenses is by popular people pressure through the institution of the National Assembly. Legislators everywhere else in the world are elected to the House on specific basis, on an issue by issue basis. They donot build roads, hospitals or railways. Their job, only job is to moderate government. To check that laws are kept getting and value is obtained for the power given to the Executive.

So when we kick against rubber stamp legislators, this is one of the reasons. They are the only legally and constitutionallly authoorised fuse box to government overload. Without a functional House, we will experience a runaway Executive and potential administrative disaster.

If we had a functional National Assembly and patriotic opposition seats in it, are these not the kind of issues that should arise to be debated in the light of:

* What necessitates the increase.
* What is the return on investment.
* What are the alternate means by which similar results can be achieved at lower cost.

Because the government cannot pretend to be literally insolvent and is raising taxes left, right and centre and the people cannot have a say in how their money is spent supposedly on their behalf. Nigerians should begin to raise the standards of their citizen participation in government to change the narrative around leadership in general.

zicoraads:
It was in the early hours of this morning, before 7:00 am, not now. And the fire has been put out.

The incident was around the records section of the agency.

INEC, NNPC, etc now FIRS .... always in the records or data sections.... never in the canteen where they play with fire.

Most admit that Obaseki is doing quite well....why, because of the additional impetus his feud with Oshiomhole has created. Oshiomhole is by his actions a defacto opposition member doing to Obaseki what the PDP should be doing to drive good governance.

This unfortunate scenario is exactly how democracy works. Democracy in its finest form is confrontational and combative because political power needs to beheld in a flux to be of any use to 'the people'. For the people their gain is good governance no matter what three alphabet jingle occupies power.

Ghis is what I have been saying and implying to power and governance at all levels. That politicians only work well when under pressure. To thus the opposition PDP has not done well to hold tje central government tpto accoubt and Nigerians have not dkne well increating a scenario where they benefit by trading one power bloc off the other.

This is November, nothing meaningful has come out of the National Assembly (that is practically dead), the only arm capable of stimulating and pressurizing the Executive to act and move fast to address the innumerable challenges facing Nigeria. The Executive having cornered every power card is relaxed in its mediocre ways.

Another wasted 4 year tenure is at hand.

Tottenham tactics are spot on. It will be a long, hard day for Pool.

Liverpool may not win this match. Their midfield is being overrun. Fabinho is a yard off the pace. Tottenham tactics spot on so far.

juliusocean:
He has a wife and daughter yet still drinking clubbing and driving drunk at wee hours we can avoid half of the problems we find ourselves if we apply wisdom sometimes RIP tho

What a man does with his time is a function of how much value he places on himself. Unfortunately we cannot value people above and beyond how they treat themselves.

I continue to say this, whatever is precious is guarded diligently, used sparingly and displayed respectfully.

Useless people who have no businees in public service thoughtless of leadership. Still cannot see a reason to vote in Nigeria. Heads or tails you lose.

Two things of note. Increased revenue, not enough scanners. This is the summary of the Nigeria business atmosphere. Revenue does not correlate to better services or better infrastructure. You will be constrained to ask what or where all these revunue goes to.

Ordinarily you will expect that the first point of investment will be towards sustaining and improving the goose that lays the golden egg but in Nigeria, no way. Perhaps that is why importers found their way to Benin Republic in the first place. I just cannot see how Nigerua will benefit ultimately from the border closure if the factors that led to the avoidance of our ports are not addressed in the first place, ports which were hitherto congested, maladministered and highly inefficient in the first place.

We should have competitive ways, means and tools to conduct international trade before we can even consider regulating or moderating trade. If we don't have this we risk making life difficult for genuine and strategic imports as well. Not everything that cones through Benin is rice, a lot of exports go through various land borders to the west coast as well.

So while we shut the land boarders concerted efforts should be made to expand port operations, open up more capacity and enhance customs checks for speedy, efficient and cheaper trade to make sure that the 'Benin Republic' factor is ended once and for all. New legislation is urgently required here.

This is a very easy situation.... simply stop the funding. How can a sub-establishment decide how it is going to be run. If colleges request for payment autonomy that is tantamount to financial independence and the government should stop that illegality by withdrawing funding, simple.

I have said it countless times, college education is not compulsory anywhere in the world and in a country like Nigeria struggling with a run away population and limited resources, it simply cannot be free. Universities need to be completely autonomous.

I suggest government ptivatises them. Identify trusts or what we call co-operatives and transfer all assets to them to run including a viable 'pay-off', seed money to keep them running for a while, while they adjust to new realities.

Universities are in reality, business centres where all folks, all society, invest in education and research and reap skilled labour and solutions to everyday challenges. It is not primary school education for basic literacy.

If we treat them like America treats its Harvards, Princetons and MITs or Britain treats its Oxfords and Cambridges then we begon to get the same results and begin to attract serious investment for both human and capital development. We treat our colleges now like grade schools so they are.

So am I expected to obey a policeman who was recruited illegally?.... Mr. IGP how do you square this circle. How do the lawless command the law please...

Fantastic news. This is what government should be doing. Well done and more grease to your elbows.

omobs:
Make we pray make him no flop like Iwobi or iheanacho, if I were him, I would choose England over Nigeria.

Then leave this forum and carry your news to 'pommyland' or sky interactive....nonsense. This space is for Nigerians and our interests.

Vikynas:
Woman go face your family Mompha is not Nigeria problem rubbish

Can you imagine how an adult (supposedly) can reason...and I'm sure you vote...then wail six months later....

Even a child should know Nigeria is like this because of a total collapse of values across board.

What I am pleased about is that Nigerians perhaps are begining to do the linkages, joining the dots to see the true picture of what they have been creating for ages.

For instance I cannot see how a youth who makes a living below board can summon the moral courage to hold leadership accountable and thus develop society in general. He will rather either hide or openly support bad governance as long as his nest of iniquity is protected.

Folks, you cannot isolate bad citizenry from bad leadership. The failed leaders of today were certainly bad citizens yesterday.

The release clause will be a big problem down the line.

....hmmm, the kingdom of Lagos...

There are other things to look out for to confirm if there is a problem but I have not the time to exp.

More than long overdue. Well done.

And to think someone offered me a government contract a couple of weeks ago. Simply told him that government is essentially insolvent and cannot meet its obligations.... why should I partner with such. I told him, that if I was broke and neck deep in debt, will he expose himself financially to me?

I simply cannot understand how those who do business with government sleep with their two eyes closed and with their hearts at peace. Abeg, I no fit add my name to the 17 trillion naira list.

And yet Nigerians want more and more government.... wwhy am I even bothered...abeg

If all that money was given to the private sector by competitive bid on a soft loan basis that hospital will be running by now.

[quote author=dapolaw post=83385510]This policy took off because Nigeria wants indigenous rice farmers to make hay and reap the fruits of their labour,
Benin became one of the world’s top importers of rice because of its Nigerian market. Almost all of the rice it imported from Thailand, Indonesia etc found its way to Nigeria through the Seme border without paying the necessary import duties.


Do you know that most of the cargoes that used to go to Benin (Republic), shipped to Benin, and then discharged and smuggled into Nigeria, now that we have closed our border they are forced to bring their goods to either Apapa or Tin Can Island and we have to collect duties on them.
If that would continue then, it is a welcome situation. As a matter of fact, our revenue has not reduced, it is increasing as a result of closing the border."
Nigeria customs has been making between N4.7 billion to N5.8 billion daily--more than the agency used to generate before the closure.[/quote

Then what. Revenue for revenue sake. What is the revenue doing to improve local content. That is the question that should be asked. If the customs increased revenue will only end up paying for more limousines for Legislators or more foreign trips wasteful civil servants then it is completely useless. Are we not tired of hearing huge amounts generated without comensurate improvement in the economy or public services.

Once again if the gains of this policy go directly to producers and our industrial capacity increases in measurable terms as a result then it can be called a success, if not it is just a repitition of 1984.

obi58:
Thank you for the big English you have written up there but it does not go to the root of the problem.

The question that you should be answering is WHY importers prefer to ship their goods meant to Nigeria to Benin first and then smuggle them into the country?

Be it used cars, rice, used clothes etc duty paid in Benin is much cheaper hence the preference to berth their goods there. So why doesn't the government cut down the duty paid at our borders to make it economically unviable for an importer to ship goods to Benin when same are meant for Nigeria? Instead we choose to close the land borders? Are our customs officers not at the borders? What then is their job if they are unable to effectively Police our borders? Everyday we talk about millions of litres of fuel imported for the Nigerian people being diverted to neighbouring countries and that with the closure of the borders daily demand for fuel has dropped by 8 million litres so why has this diversion been happening right under the noses of the customs if they are not complicit in the smuggling activities themselves.

Finally back to the rice issue.... In case you don't know, with the border closure rice is now scarce not just foreign rice but local rice. Both have gone up in the market by over 50%! What steps are government taking to ensure local rice is not just sufficiently produced to meet domestic demand but at cheaper prices than foreign substitutes?

Can we close our land borders forever?

Exactly what I ask. Mark you this is not the first time our borders have been closed or imports restricted. Good as the initiative may be, but to me it amounts to no more than putting a plaster on a bleeding wound and going home. It does not address the root of the problem and as such will not be sustainable.

Just as in 1984 it will enrich a few and after a couple of years it will be ditched with no real impact in localising production. Without deliberate, active programs and policies to substitute imports with local production in a timely manner, the pressure will only to more structural imbalances.

yahussaini:
*Benin Republic has a population of 12 million people. But it is the worlds 5th importer of rice. In 2018, it imported rice worth US$996m.*

*Benin is also world's largest importer of _used_ _cars_ and __second_ - _hand_ _clothing_ . All with a population of 12m people.*
*DO YOU WONDER HOW?.........*
*Don't!*

*98.2% of these imports into Benin are only on transit; their final destination is _NIGERIA_ !*
*Nigeria is world's largest consumer of used cars and second hand clothing, and is also Africa's largest consumer of Asian grown rice.*

*The problem here is that all these imported goods attract appropriate import duty and trade tax, which are paid to the Beninoise Government while the goods are thence SMUGGLED into Nigeria WITHOUT ANY PAYMENT to the Nigerian Government and, thereby, adding zero value to the Nigerian economy!*
*Sadly, THIS IS ALL DONE BY NIGERIANS!*


*Granted, ECOWAS/CEDEAO charter allows for free trade between member states, but _on_ _goods_ _produced_ _in_ _member_ _countries_ , and NOT on imports from other economic blocs.*

*Where foreign goods are transiting through a member country, and ending up in another member country, the ECOWAS charter stipulates that the country of transit MAY collect a token trade tax, and its Customs officials should then escort the goods to the border of the importing country and hand it over to the Customs officials of the importing country!*
*But what we see in the case of Benin Republic is that it collects _CUSTOMS_ _DUTY_ plus _TRADE_ _TAX_ , and then allows the goods to pass through its hinterland for onward smuggle into Nigeria!*

*This is a clear violation of ECOWAS statutes and no nation can condone such costly infraction.*

*Nigeria has tolerated this nonsense from Benin for far too long and it is time to stop the malpractice if we want Nigeria's economy to grow.*
*(Therefore, whoever cries foul because we have closed our borders to smugglers while we're putting our act together, IS AN ENEMY OF NIGERIA!)*

*Nigeria makes up about 74% of ECOWAS population and about 71% of its economy. It is ECOWAS that needs Nigeria and not the other way round!*

ANY RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MEMBER COUNTRIES MUST BE BASED ON EXTANT REGULATIONS!

But have you asked the reasons why Nigerians prefer to go through Benin rather than Nigerian ports. Because it is always easy to identify problems but a lot harder to solve them.

Why can't the Nigerian government create the same trading environment that prevails in Benin Republic to hijack the lofty revenues you claim hey earn.

I mean there is no way in this world that goods that snake their way through Benin should be competitive based on logistics alone. It must mean we are doing something very wrong administratively here that Benin is doing better.

So it doesn't serve us right to put a band aid on the bleeding without investigating what is causing it. We need surgery in Nigerias administrative structure that makes doing business much more people centric rather than government directed and driven only.

I tell you this. If we donot reform we will just be creating a smuggler's paradise just as we did in the 80's with the essesntial commodities import restrictions and overnight billionaires some of whom ironically are leading industrialists today.

Just like in medicine you can only claim success in treatment where the blockage of the blood flow comes after the surgery. Yes, I agree that sometimes you have to apply the blockage (bandage) to prevent blood loss that leads to death but you donot do that and send the patient on his way home. Deep injury requires deep investigation ans deep repair.

Why do our people prefer trade across our borders to trade across our ports and trade across our federating states. How do we get some or all of the revenue that accrues to Benin for instance.

Dozzywest:
I think the land border closures is a right and necessary step to causing an economic implosion that will resonate prosperity in all sectors of the economy, especially Agriculture and Manufacturing.

But the problem remains if our law enforcement agencies can ensure a water tight security around the borders and other porous areas and flashpoints to dissuade smuggling.

This is also the right time to promote the local content initiatives, by bringing in the best hands and heads together.

I personally, always have my reservations about some economic policies coming out from Buhari's 'kitchen'. Maybe years to come would either prove me right or wrong about this move.

Your third paragraph is the clincher.
If there are no active programs to promote local content and diversification then the initiative is useless, counter-productive and will only create a virile smuggling industry. Economic pressure must be controlled or it will only lead to unintended consequences.

What are the active programs the government has put in place to ensure those cheap imports are substituted.

Said it then. Our President went there too hastily. Now that all our cards have been played then what happens....

Another criminal with no visible means of legal income.... don't worry your time will come and the ruin you have caused to the reputation of this country will come to an end.