The Nation Newspaper

Tag: consultants

  • Mining: Govt engages consultants to boost earnings

    The Federal Government has engaged the services of about 100 revenue consultants to work on areas of leakages in the revenue accruing from the mining sector.

    The consultants, who would be deployed to the six geo-political zones of the country in the coming weeks, are to examine financial and production records of companies involved in mining  in the last six years, to determine whether appropriate royalties were remitted to government.

    The Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr Kayode Fayemi, who stated this during the opening of a three-day induction and training for the Revenue Consultants in Abuja, yesterday, said the main target of the ministry was to ensure that the Federation Account gets its fair due in royalties and taxes.

  • ‘TETFund should not discourage consultants from organising overseas training’

    ‘TETFund should not discourage consultants from organising overseas training’

    Chairman, Executive Trainers Limited (ETL), an education consulting firm, Dr Ayodele Ogunsan, has called on the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) to review its new policy, thatseeks to take away international human capacity programmes from private consultants, and return same to tertiary school. He addressed reporters at his Omole Phase 1, Lagos office on Monday. ADEGUNLE OLUGBAMILA was there.

    WHAT is Executive Trainers

    Limited (ETL) all  about?

    ETL is an education consulting firm, we train higher education professionals across academic and non-academic sector on site and we also take them outside the country for training.

    We started in 2008 to address the human capacity gaps we saw. I must say here that we are the pioneer of this initiative. We went around the world and met with well-trained professionals globally and picked notable ones, while we signed MoU with others; that began in 2009.

    Why are you kicking  that against the policy by TETFund forbids private consulting firms from serving as a link for overseas training of education professionals?

    I believe when a new administrations comes on board, you don’t just destroy the structures already in place; rather you make it better. This policy is killing local consultants with foreign affiliations like ours who are now at the verge of being sent out of jobs.

    It’s unfortunate that many of these institutions have been writing us that due to that policy, they can no longer send their would-be trainees through our platform again. It is that bad and I think this also explains why such moves are at variance with the Federal Government’s stance which insists that Nigerians must patronise goods and services by indigenous providers.

    Don’t you think TETFund is right,  considering that many consulting firms are a conduit for siphoning money for frivolous training?

    This is the reason I’m accusing TETFund of not calling for a stakeholders’meeting before slamming the policy. The fact that TETFund made that allegation does not mean all consulting firms are conduits. Some of us have integrity and hold our heads high anytime. What TETFund needs is to seek audience with us first, where we would rub minds and show them our records of achievements, TETFund can then go ahead to separate the good ones from the bad.

    So, what distinguishes ETF from others in terms of integrity?

    Let me say categorically here that for the first time since we started, governments and Nigerians saw a local consultant with links with foreign institutions and passion for delivering what we initially promised. To us, it’s not only like training but exposing them to opportunities they have not exploited before.

    Some of them were able to travel out for the first time, or reunite with their old colleagues abroad. There are some professors here who were able to establish mentoring programmes with their colleagues abroad yet never met them face to face. Through our training, some of them were able to come up with exchange programmes and MoUs on technology and book transfers. We have a situation where some of them do two-year programmes here and have to complete the remaining abroad. Another advantage is that we do what is called a ‘programme mix’ where  we have the foreign trainers to talk to our delegates abroad, and we also locate renowned Nigerian professors plying their trade abroad to also talk to them in the language they understand.

    Is ETL transparent?

    Yes! For the first time, when we started this programme, governments were able to know where payments were made to. In the past, governments used to give money to professionals in various institutions to search online for places they could run their programmes for a week or two. Some of them would sign in and the money would either vanish or the programme might hold on the day that did not favour those who had registered; and what happened was that those institutions don’t do refund. Sometimes some of those trainings are not paid for and some of these crooked guys in tertiary institutions would just generate receipts, cooked up certificates and present to TETFund, which accepted them without verifying the authenticity or locations of those institutions’ nations? But for the first time, they can trace a local consultant here in Nigeria with track record. Agencies, institutions and bodies write letters to us to confirm if a particular officer attended our programme and we promptly confirm.

  • Governors kick against $138m consultants’ fees

    Governors kick against $138m consultants’ fees

    $6.9b Paris Club loan refund sparks row

    Questions over local govts’ $2.6b share

    There is disquiet among governors over a plan to pay some consultants $138 million (about N42.2b at the official N306 to $1) of the $6.9 billion Paris-London Club loan refund.

    Besides, The Nation learnt at the weekend that:

    • the Presidency is unhappy that local governments did not get their right share of the hefty refund; and
    • some states are still owing local government workers as many as 10 months’ salaries; others are owing six months.

    Non-payment of salaries and pensions is considered a breach of the agreement between the Presidency and the governors.

    The Presidency has released N1,266.44 trillion to the 36 states in the past one and a half years. The cash includes N713.70billion special intervention funds.

    Some governors are displeased that the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) plans to pay 2% of the $6.9billion refund to consultants.

    The 2%  is $138,000,000 (N42.228billion at the official rate of N306 to $1).

    According to a governor, who spoke in confidence, NGF Chairman Abdulaziz Yari, who is also the governor of Zamfara State, conveyed the agreement to pay 2% to some consultants in a July 29, 2016 letter to the Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun.

    The letter reads: “Please recall that the Nigeria Governors Forum had at its meeting of May 2016 appointed a Consortium of Financial Consultants to reconcile and recover over-deductions from the Paris and London Club loans due to states and local governments.

    “Also, Mr. President in a meeting with members of the Forum had graciously agreed to pay 50% of the monies due and the balance of 50% paid after  due and diligent reconciliation of the accounts.

    “At the last meeting of the Nigeria Governors Forum held in July 2016, the Forum unanimously resolved to pay a fee of 2% to the consultants as their professional fees for the services rendered.

    “Pursuant to the Forum’s resolution therefore, I am requesting that the payment of the consultant fees should be deducted at source from each state’s entitlement and paid directly to the account details of the consultants as attached with.

    “Consequently, we crave the indulgence of the Honourable Minister to effect the wishes of the governors when implementing Mr. President’s directives.”

    But the aggrieved governors said they were not happy realising that “one or two governors” brought the lead consultants after each state had engaged its own consultants. “Our colleagues can also not be offering consultancy services to us through some proxies”, he said, pleading not to be named because of “the sensitivity” of the matter.

    The governor went on: “At the end of it all, states are expected to part with N42.2billion to consultants who are not primary sources of the loan records. We were shocked that out of the N19billion consultancy/legal fees paid into the NGF accounts, most consultants hired by states have not been paid a farthing.

    “The bulk of the job of the reconciliation of loan refunds is being done by officials and consultants or financial advisers from each state, the Debt Management Office (DMO), the Ministry of Finance, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF).

    “Some of us will resist further deductions from our loan refund. The N42.2billion is outrageous.”

    Following protests by states against over deductions for external debt service between 1995 and 2002, President Muhammadu Buhari approved the release of N522.74 billion (first tranche) refund to states pending reconciliation of records.

    Each state was entitled to N14.5 billion or 25% of the amount claimed.

    Mrs. Adeosun said the payment of the claims would enable states to offset outstanding salaries and pension, which had been “causing considerable hardship”.

    Governors had sought for the refund to states and local government areas at a meeting with President Buhari on May 24, last year.

    The President directed that:

    • a thorough reconciliation be carried out between the states and the Federal Government; and that
    • 50% of the claims submitted by the states be released prior to completion of the reconciliation to support states, most of which are financially distressed.

    Based on the intervention by the President, the NGF, in a letter to the Presidency, said “the total refund claim submitted by states was $6.9billion of which $2.6billion belongs to local governments.”

    The NGF, in the letter through Yari, added that “the data was obtained from the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).”

    “The $2.6billion deducted from the local governments is not disputable as the local governments have the powers  or capacity to take foreign loans for which the disputed deductions relate to,” the letter said.

    The Presidency released N522.74 billion (first tranche) to states.

    The release of the cash triggered a huge controversy, including payment of N19billion consultancy fees and $86million into the accounts of the NGF.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is investigating the alleged diversion of N19billion of which it has traced N3.5billion, allegedly to a consultant and some aides of the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki.

    The latest dimension is non-remittance or “partial remittance” of the share of the 774 local government areas by some governors.

    It was learnt that some governors hid under the Joint Account System to utilise local government refund for other purposes.

    Local governments are entitled to $2.6billion of the refund. It is surprising that in some states, local government employees are still being owed about six to 10 months salary arrears, contrary to the spirit of the refund approved by the President,” a source said.

    “Some states got the refund and diverted it to other uses. Others transferred to Joint Account and gave local governments paltry sums.

    “We have the list of states where local government staff have been subjected to untold hardship by governors who have withheld the share of the third tier.

    “What the government expected was that since each local government paid for the loans, its refund should be directly remitted to it to pay outstanding salaries.

    “In a few states, the governors outrightly denied local governments their refund, as if the Federal Government did not release any cash.

    “But we have one or three states where the governors declared the actual refund collected and remitted local governments’ share.

    “We are looking at the activities of the governors and the government may be forced to name them at the appropriate time.

    “Such governors may also be investigated by anti-corruption agencies and they will account for the refund after their tenure.”

    A government source spoke about how the “abuse” of the refund accounted for the strict conditions attached to the release of the more than N500billion in the second tranche.

    “The Presidency will be strict this time around. The good thing is that the disbursement of the second tranche is subject to cash flow or availability of cash for the Federal Government,” the source said.

  • Oil spill contracts: NOSDRA to stop unaccredited consultants

    • Says the agency is aware of nasty practices by some consultants

    The National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) has warned that it would no longer be business as usual to allow unwholesome practices by some consultants not accredited by the agency to continue getting job contracts from oil companies.

    NOSDRA Director-General, Sir Peter Idabor disclosed this at the two-day workshop/retreat for NOSDRA accredited and prospective environmental consultants held at Atlantic Hall, Hotel Presidential, Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital.

    The theme of the event is, “Ensuring Best Practices in Environmental Consultancy Service in Oil Spill Management in Nigeria. Stakeholders in oil and gas environment were fully represented.

    Idabor, who was represented at the retreat by NOSDRA Director of Finance and Administration, Mrs. Uche Okwechime, said the objective of the retreat is to ensure consultants’ full adherence to procedures, regulation and guidelines governing oil spill management.

    She said the Director-General has put a stop to all unaccredited consultants in getting contracts from the oil companies to ensure that those, who are fully accredited by NOSDRA get the contact job from oil companies.

    She warned the operators of oil companies to ensure full compliance of the order and patronise only qualified and capable NOSDRA accredited consultants.

    On the issue of unclean oil spill in the Niger Delta, Mrs. Okwechime said the Federal government is addressing the issue of incessant oil spill, pollution and environmental degradation in the Niger Delta region, particularly in Ogoni land.

    She noted that the retreat was part of the efforts towards ensuring best practices relating to oil spill management, clean-up, rehabilitation, protection and remediation of the environment.

    “I am firmly convinced that this workshop and retreat will further assist the technocrats in the efficient and effective management of oil spill response. It will also lead to sustainable environment in Nigeria that is why unwholesome practice must stop.

    “We must say no to oil spill because NOSDRA vision is to create, nurture and sustain a zero tolerance for oil spill incident in the Nigeria environment. Of course, our mission is to restore and preserve our environment by ensuring best oil field, storage and transmission practices,” she noted.

  • FG bars consultants from collecting tax

    FG bars consultants from collecting tax

    Tax consultants have been shut out of assessing and collecting tax revenue on behalf of the federal government.

    This clarification was given Monday by the new Acting Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) Mr. Babatunde Fowler in Abuja when he met with members of the Joint Tax Board (JTB).

    Fowler admitted that consultants will be engaged by the FIRS to gather data only.

    He said the FIRS has “under 1,000 staff in audit function so you can imagine 1,000 staff trying to review or audit the books of 450,000 companies, it just won’t work, to improve the levels of transparency and accountability these consultants will only gather data, the law does not allow them to do assessment or collect revenue on behalf of government they’re just to assist our staff to collect data.”

    The FIRS he said; “will do the assessment with the States Board of Internal Revenue and issue the demand notices for the tax due.”

    Some state members of the JTB had complained that “many consultants come to make huge claims so that they can get huge commissions, but they don’t have the capacity to actually collect the huge revenue they claim to have collected in some states.”

    On recent calls for an upward review of the Value Added Tax (VAT) collected by the federal government, Fowler noted that “it is the responsibility of the federal government and the federal ministry of finance to decide whether that (VAT) will change.”

    Fowler agreed that 5 percent VAT charge was low “when you consider other countries who charge VAT both in West Africa and in Europe but those other countries have reached what I will call the maximum level when it comes to paying taxes or public tax. Those countries have 99 percent tax compliance so I think we should first of all get there before we consider increasing VAT, when everyone is paying their taxes then we can look elsewhere.”

    In order to build on the achievements of his predecessors Fowler said he would reached out to States Board of Internal Revenue for collaboration stressing that “there are many stones left unturned as far as our current tax administration processes are concerned. For example it is common knowledge that administration of VAT is greatly hindered by many factors, ranging from inadequate coverage of vatable persons to non-remittances of VAT deductions, tax revenue loss in this aspect can only be imagined,” he said.

    Speaking to journalists on how the FIRS will operate under his watch, Fowler said his “strategy is going to change a bit, our objective is to have 99.9 percent level of compliance meaning that everyone and corporate entities that are taxable are captured in the tax net and pay the appropriate tax.”

    The FIRS he said will “exchange information with states boards of internal revenue so that we have all the information on their own data base, we’ve given them ours already meaning that if there is any company that they don’t have in their data base they can capture such company so immediately we will have a growth in the number of tax payers at both the federal and state levels within one week.”

  • PR Council warns unregistered consultants

    The Public Relations Consultants Association of Nigeria (PRCAN) has warned unregistered consultants, who have set up PR practice, to get ready to be named and shamed.

    Rising from an extraordinary general meeting in Lagos on the state of PR practice in Nigeria, the professional body warned all unregistered consultants and their clients to get ready for a legal showdown.

    Following a motion moved by the Chief Executive Officer of CMC Connect Burson-Marsteller, Mr. Yomi Badejo-Okusanya, members  passed a vote of confidence on the present leadership of PRCAN, while praising them for partnering with the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) to step up the fight to rid the industry of quacks and unregistered PR Consultants.

    According to him: “PR is a profession regulated by law just like medicine and accountancy. The law regulating PR practice in Nigeria  is an Act of the Parliament. You cannot just wake up one morning in South Africa and decide to float a PR agency. No, it is never done and this will not be allowed here in Nigeria. We must take the battle to the gates of these unregistered professionals just like our colleagues in advertising have done.”

    Responding, the PRCAN President, John Ehiguese, thanked members for their unalloyed support, saying the PRCAN leadership will continue to work with the NIPR to ensure that the crusade is pursued to its logical conclusion.

    He reiterated the resolve of the association to engage other corporate bodies and government establishments still patronising the services of unregistered PR Consultants, assuring those who are qualified to practise PR of the readiness of the professional body to welcome them to its fold.

    The PRCAN President further assured all private and public sector organisations in need of PRCAN consultancy services that the professional circle is the right direction to look.

    He said: “This is a win-win situation for us and for all private and public sector clients, who need the services of PR consultancies. If any of our members is not living up to the standards expected by the clients, such clients should know that they can make a formal report to PRCAN and we will ensure they get their money’s worth in terms of best-in-class professional PR services. But we can only hold our registered members accountable for standards and not the unregistered army currently parading themselves about as PR consultants in Nigeria.”

    PRCAN and the NIPR have challenged MTN Nigeria and Guinness Plc for appointing unregistered PR firms as Public Relations Consultants.

  • PR Council warns unregistered consultants

    The Public Relations Consultants Association of Nigeria (PRCAN) has warned unregistered Public Relations Consultants, who have set up PR practice, to get ready to be named and shamed.

    Rising from an extraordinary General Meeting in Lagos to discuss the state of PR Practice in Nigeria, the professional body warned all unregistered consultants and clients doing businesses with them to get ready for a legal showdown.

    Following a motion moved by the Chief Executive Officer of CMC Connect Burson-Marsteller, Mr. Yomi Badejo-Okusanya, members unanimously passed a vote of confidence on the present leadership of PRCAN, while praising them for partnering with the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) to step up the fight to rid the industry of quacks and unregistered PR Consultants.

    According to him: “PR is a profession regulated by law just like medicine and accountancy. The law regulating PR practice in Nigeria  is an Act of the Parliament. You cannot just wake up one morning in South Africa and decide to float a PR agency. No, it is never done and this will not be allowed here in Nigeria. We must take the battle to the gates of these unregistered professionals just like our colleagues in advertising have done.”

    Responding, the PRCAN President, John Ehiguese, thanked members for their unalloyed support, saying the PRCAN leadership will continue to work with the NIPR to ensure that the crusade is pursued to its logical conclusion.

    He reiterated the resolve of the association to engage other corporate bodies and government establishments still patronising the services of unregistered PR Consultants, assuring those who are qualified to practise PR of the readiness of the professional body to welcome them to its fold.

    The PRCAN President further assured all private and public sector organisations in need of PRCAN consultancy services that the professional circle is the right direction to look.

    He said: “This is a win-win situation for us and for all private and public sector clients, who need the services of PR consultancies. If any of our members is not living up to the standards expected by the clients, such clients should know that they can make a formal report to PRCAN and we will ensure they get their money’s worth in terms of best-in-class professional PR services. But we can only hold our registered members accountable for standards and not the unregistered army currently parading themselves about as PR consultants in Nigeria.”

    PRCAN and the NIPR have challenged MTN Nigeria and Guinness Plc for appointing unregistered PR firms as Public Relations Consultants.

  • BA to reward travel consultants

    British Airways (BA) and its sister Airline Iberia plan to give its Travel Consultants in Nigeria a special Yuletide with bumper rewards of elite shopping experience.

    The firm will be rewarding travel consultants at their travel agencies across Nigeria with gifts up to N1 million from next month to December.

    According to the airline, it is giving the offer in partnership with Shoprite  to encourage and say a big thank you to the highly valued travel consultants because they are the ones that actually book customers in various travel agencies.

    British Airways Regional General Manager, West Africa, Mr Kola Olayinka, said the travel consultants were encouraged to book British Airways and win the shopping vouchers which are available in three major cities, namely Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt.

    According to Olayinka, “This offer is our way of saying thank you to our partners. We thought of a better way to show our appreciation to these valuable consultants, so we went into a strong partnership with one of the national biggest outlets, Shoprite who have outlets all over Nigeria and stock a good range of household items. With this, we are giving our partners the opportunity of early preparations for the yuletide season.”

    To enjoy the offer, BA partners would book BA and Iberia Airlines tickets for their customers and win the shopping vouchers as they do.

  • Consultants ’ll attend to patients, says MDCAN president

    Consultants ’ll attend to patients, says MDCAN president

    Despite appeared at the weekend for patients seeking treatment at government hospitals.

    The Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) has said its members would continue to attend to patients, despite the ongoing doctors strike.

    The consultants had promised to join the action but were stopped by the Industrial Court.

    The medical consultants said they were ready to comply with the restraining order on all parties, as contained in the ruling and delivered by Justice M. N. Esowe on June 27.

    The judgment was on the motion ex-parte for an Order of Interim Injunction. It restated its support for the ideals of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) to improve services at all tiers of the Health Care sector.

  • Jumia to engage more independent sales consultants

    Jumia Nigeria is to employ more independent sales consultant.

    The platform promotes entrepreneurship with a new money making programme for everyone, with an opportunity to become part of Jumia.

    Nigeria’s biggest online retailer has expanded its reach, connecting entrepreneurs, students, workers and others with the new sales programme, ‘Independent sales consultant’

    The scheme is an avenue for people to make more money for themselves, by being entrepreneurs through Jumia. It is an open ground for everyone who wants to earn extra money on the side, network with people and enter the world of online retail at little or no cost to them.

    The opportunity offers attractive commissions for top salesmen without committing to full employment with Jumia. Hours are flexible; only required for regular training.

    In three steps, one can become a consultant. First, register, create a team(Network of people selling) and start selling Jumia products and make money.

    The benefits attached are that individuals will become their own bosses. It is an avenue of meeting more people and expand reach.

    Since the programme started in December, last year, over 200 independent consultants have signed up and are making more money from Jumia.

    On an average,  a consultant takes home about N250,000 monthly from his commission and that of his team.