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Tag: Okezie Ikpeazu

  • Otti to EFCC: Probe past Abia governments

    Otti to EFCC: Probe past Abia governments

    The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) governorship candidate in Abia State, Alex Otti, on Wednesday urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other anti-graft agencies to probe past and present governments in the state to unravel the “disappearance of billions of naira accrued to the state.”

    Otti stated this at a press conference held in Victoria Island, Lagos, where he condemned the National Assembly’s approval of $200 million African Development Bank (AfDB) loan for the state.

    According to Otti, the administration of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has left many Abia workers miserable because they were owed eight months’ salary arrears despite several billions of Naira that have accrued to the state.

    Specifically mentioning the EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the APGA chieftain said the anti-graft agencies should beam their searchlight on Abia and commence urgent investigation in order to unravel the mystery why the state has remained in ruins despite all the money it has garnered from allocations, Internally Generated Revenues (IGR), bailouts and loans.

    He said: “There is absolutely no doubt that the Ikpeazu/PDP led government does not mean well for Abia State and its people as the consistency of negativity of the government, especially in the management of the people’s commonwealth has assumed a provocative and insulting dimension, hence the need for all men of good conscience to collectively raise their voices in saving the state by calling Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu and his collaborators to order so that they don’t plunge Abia and Abians into long term financial and economic chaos.

    “I demand that the National Assembly should review its decision taken few weeks ago and quickly withdraw or reverse its approval of the $200 million loan, as any money given to the Abia State government by the issuing body is bound to disappear going by its crazy record of financial recklessness. Besides, the capacity to repay this humongous loan has not been demonstrated in any way or form, irrespective of the outdated document titled: ‘Abia State Integrated Infrastructure Development Project’ dated October 2015, which was the only document placed in front of the Assembly for the loan.

    He said the government should tell Abians where the billions given to it so far for the development of the state have gone to, adding that the state House of Assembly should without delay, set up a panel to investigate the financial activities of the Ikpeazu led government and ensure that anyone found culpable in the obvious financial crimes halting the development of the state is made to pay the price.

     

  • Whistleblowing takes off in Abia

    Whistleblowing takes off in Abia

    A handsome reward awaits you if your whistleblowing leads to the apprehension of a violent criminal in Abia State, SUNNY NWANKWO reports 

    Elsewhere in the country, whistleblowing is a growing industry. It has produced instant millionaires while exposing piles of potentially ill-gotten cash. In Abia State it is also taking root, but the target is different. Rather than squeal on people who hide stolen money at home, bury it at the cemetery or in the farms or stow it away in overhead water reservoirs, Abia whistleblowers will be exposing violent criminals such as kidnappers and armed robbers. And for their efforts, they get a tidy sum. Not a bad deal, provided their effort leads to the apprehension of outlaws in the state. The state governor Okezie Ikpeazu promised them that much.

    Whistleblowing has taken a life of its own since President Muhammadu Buhari took office. This followed the discovery that corrupt individuals who were being busted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had devised another strategy to hide their stolen cash. Huge sums were quickly withdrawn from banks and kept anywhere they deemed fit: wardrobes, septic tanks, cemeteries and farm pits, among other locations.

    In order to beat the plans of these corrupt leaders, the federal government introduced the whistleblowing policy where the persons who give tips that lead to the arrest of corrupt leaders will get a certain percent of the monies recovered.

    The whistleblowing policy of the federal government has yielded fruit since it was introduced. One state which recently took a cue from the federal government is Abia where whistleblowers have joined in fighting insecurity as the state government promised about N1m for anyone who exposes criminals in their community. Any policeman who kills a kidnapper also gets N1m.

    Ikpeazu, who was a guest of an Aba-based radio programme, said his government would start demolishing kidnappers’ dens identified by whistleblowers. Ikpeazu stated that the demolition would begin soon geared towards discouraging people from using their facilities for keeping kidnap victims.

    The governor who commended Abia State Command of Nigeria Police Force, whose men at Omoba in Isiala Ngwa South Local Government of the state recently busted a kidnapping gang and rescued a victim they held in captivity, also disclosed that he would be visiting a police officer who sustained bullet wounds during a shootout with the kidnappers.

    He also disclosed that the state government would be rewarding whistleblowers in the state that assisted the police and other security agencies to expose the whereabouts and activities of kidnappers and hoodlums in their neighbourhood.

    The governor further stated that his administration would continue to support the police and other security agencies in fighting crime in Aba and other parts of the state to promote business activities and to ensure that the resident sleep with their eyes closed.

  • Ikpeazu dissolves cabinet

    Ikpeazu dissolves cabinet

    The governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu, on Friday evening sacked members of the State Executive Council, including his personal aides.

    The Permanent Secretary in the Government House, Sir Onyii Wammah, said in a statement that the former Commissioner for Works, Hon. Eziuche Ubani, has been appointed the governor’s Special Adviser on Works and Project Monitoring.

    According to the statement, Engr. Solomon Ogunji retained his position as Special Adviser to the Governor on Urban Renewal, while Engr. Emmanuel Nwabuko will take over as Special Adviser/Personal Secretary to the governor.

    The state Commissioners for Finance and Justice, Hon. Obinna Oriaku and Justice Umeh Kalu, also retained their positions in the new arrangement

    The statement said the new appointments take immediate effect.

     

     

     

     

  • ‘Ikpeazu on course in Abia’

    ‘Ikpeazu on course in Abia’

    In this piece, Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu’s media aide Emmanuel Apollos highlights his principal’s achievements in the last two years and the challenges confronting the state.

    The 2017 Democracy Day celebration on the 29th of May in Abia State will remain an issue of public discourse for a while because of the uniqueness of the celebration. Some folks who have served in previous governments in the state must have thought it would be business as usual and follow the regular scripts. Plans, proposals and budget running into millions of naira, put together by some top government functionaries, was ready, waiting for the Governor’s red ink.

    As at Friday, May 26, not even a dime has been made available to anybody for the ‘almighty’ May 29 Democracy Day celebration. It was on Saturday, May 27 that the Governor gave audience to some topshots of the government who had came from Umuahia to the Governor’s Lodge in Aba for the long awaited red ink.

    Prudently, and after painstaking study of the proposal before him, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu gave an approval that was considered a far cry  from what was expected.

    Again, many had thought that, having won the final case against his election at the Supreme Court on the 12th of May, Governor Ikpeazu would have ordinarily succumbed to the pervading feelings and suggestions that he should use the May 29 democracy day for an elaborate double-barrel outing; marking his second term in office, celebrating democracy day and celebrating his second and final victory at the Supreme Court over Uche Ogah, Alex Otti and Friday Nwosu.

    Governor Ikpeazu shocked everybody, starting with his close aides. First, he instructed the Secretary to the State Government, who was chairman of the planing committee to extend invitations to the May 29 democracy day celebration to every Abian, including former Governor Orji Uzo Kalu, Uche Ogah, Alex Otti and Friday Nwosu, that would have ordinarily been described as his political foes. He beckoned on every Abian, not minding their political affiliations to join in the event marking the return of democracy to Nigeria.

    On Sunday, May 28, an interdenominational thanksgiving was held to mark the second year anniversary of the Governor in office at the Abia State International Conference Center in Umuahia.

    Immediately after the thanksgiving service, by the evening of Sunday 28, the Governor, alongside his Deputy, Sir Udo Oko Chukwu, and the “who is who” in Abia politics returned to the conference center to listen to the Commissioners as they present their scorecard of achievements in their various ministries. It was the first time in Abia that such a public review by stakeholders held.

    The event which started at 6pm lasted till 12.30 am, with the Governor and all other invited guests in attendance.

    On Monday May 29, while Abians were waiting and hoping to attend the usual gathering at either Umuahia township stadium or the Abia State International Conference Center, Umuahia, for the celebration of long flowery speeches, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, chose to embark on a state wide tour of some ongoing projects and commissioning of completed ones with stakeholders in the Abia project.

    As early as 8am, on Monday May 29, the buses where lined up and ready to move for the business of the day.

    Abia leaders, including Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, Senator Mao Ohuabunwa, Hon. Uko Nkole, Hon. Sam Onuigbo, Chief Onyema Ugochukwu, Col Austin Akobundu, Prof Mkpa Agu Mkpa, Chief Mba Ukariwo, Chief Okezie Anyamele, Chief Allen Nwachukwu, Chief Acho Nwakanma, the members of the State House of Assembly led by the Speaker, Rt. Hon Chikwendu Kalu and his Deputy Hon. Cosmos Ndukwe, cabinet officials etc were in government house to join the Governor and his Deputy, Sir Udo Oko Chukwu, to embark on the tour.

    The tour buses left Government House Umuahia at about 9:30am

    First stop was the inspection of Abia State Mushroom farm located at the headquarters of the State’s ministry  of Agriculture, where the performing Commissioner for Agriculture, Hon. Uzo Azubuike, conducted the Governor and his entourage round the farm. Senators Abaribe and Ohuabunwa were given the opportunity to harvest mushrooms.

    From the mushroom farm the train left for Arochukwu, where energetic and hardworking Commissioner for Works, Hon. Eziuche Ubani was already on ground at the ongoing Ndi Okereke Bridge to brief the Governor and his team on progress so far made.

    From Arochukwu, the convoy returned to Umuahia and inspected the ongoing reconstruction of Aba Road in Umuahia by Arab Contractors.

    Already pressed for time, the team left Umuahia  to the location of ongoing Umuocheala road at Isiala Ngwa south and from there to the ongoing Osisioma flyover before heading to MCC/Samek road and Faulks Road/ Ifeobara basin at Aba north.

    At about 3pm, the convoy arrived the Ndiegoro area of Aba, off Ngwa Road, in Aba SouthLGA, where the Governor commissioned four cluster of streets, namely; Aharandu, Onyebuchi, Enejiaka, and Ibadan Streets to the delight and lavish celebration of residents of the area who have never witnessed anything of that sort for more than 60 years.

    The stakeholders team later moved to Obingwa and inspected three different active sites, including the ongoing expansion of Ururuka road, the ongoing construction of Owoahiafo/Onicha Ngwa Road, and also ongoing Umuaro-Ekwereazu Ngwa road. The last two roads are expected to provide alternative links to Akwa Ibom State as the federal government is yet to complete the reconstruction of Ana-Ikot Ekpene Highway.

    The convoy then returned to Isiala Ngwa south again, and inspected the Umuokoro-Umuoba road.

    The final inspection for the day held at about 6pm at Umunkpei-Amaiyi road in Isiala Ngwa north and the convoy returned to Government House Umuahia, after 11hrs.

    For the stakeholders, it was an eye opening engagement as summarized by the retort of Chief Mba Ukariwo; “I have never seen anything like this since my involvement in Abia politics, honestly I didn’t know Governor Ikpeazu was doing so much work even while he was battling with court cases”.

    Governor Ikpeazu was sworn in as the fourth democratically elected Governor of Abia State on May 29, 2015. May 29, 2017 marked exactly his two years in office.

    Within this period under review, Governor Ikpeazu was jointly distracted with various frivolous court cases by the trio of  Uche Ogah, Alex Otti and Friday Nwosu, who dragged him from tribunal, High Court up to the Supreme Court twice, and he emerged victorious, with the mandate given to him by Abians, supremely confirmed.

    Despite the distractions and paucity of funds, Governor Ikpeazu kept his eyes on the ball, bearing in mind the promises he made to Ndi Abia during the electioneering campaigns. In other words, if Governor Ikpeazu were like others, the two years of distraction, coupled with the economy that went into recession, was enough excuse not to perform. Yet he rounded up his first-half of his 4-year tenure with unmatchable feats, especially in the area of agriculture and infrastructural development in the state.

    For Abians and those familiar with the state, Governor Ikpeazu’s first-half as Governor represents two years of experiences and challenges, that have thoroughly reshaped the political direction and alignments of the state, as well as opened new frontiers in the sociology-economic infrastructure of Abia state.

    It is first-half of unmatchable feats, amid distractions. Most observers within and outside the state believe that no government in Abia state since 1999 has done and achieved what the Ikpeazu administration has achieved in two years, despite the obvious distractions that were designed by the old political order in the state and their proxies to pull him down.

    Despite the verifiable landmarks of achievements already recorded, Ikpeazu, as a sincere leader said this to Abians during his May 29 state address: “much as I can confidently state that we have done a lot in the last 2 years, I will equally be the first to acknowledge that there is still a lot of work to be done in different areas.”

    His greatest worry remains the issue of outstanding salary of teachers and pensioners. Hear him: “I am unhappy with the fact that although we are up to date in the payment of the salaries of civil servants in the state, many teachers and pensioners are still being owed. I wish to reaffirm my commitment to the welfare of workers and further pledge to find a lasting solution to the salary impasse within the next few months.”

    Recall that Ikpeazu upon assumption of office, identified five Pillars of Development, where he anchored the developmental vision of the state under him.

    These pillars, as identified by the governor, are education, agriculture, infrastructure, trade and commerce, as well as oil and gas.

    According to Governor Ikpeazu during his state address on May 29: “We have taken considerable steps to deliver on those pillars and enablers and the results are there for all to see. I am grateful to the distinguished Abia leaders who took time yesterday to make inputs into our plans during our interactive session at the International Conference Centre and I assure them that we will take those inputs into cognizance as we move to the next phase of our developmental objectives.”

    On his administration’s achievements with regards to roads and bridges, the governor highlighted some completed and ongoing projects including 40 roads commissioned and 45 still ongoing and at various stages of completion.

    “One of the very first actions I took on the first working day after my swearing-in as Governor was to flag off construction work on roads in Aba and Umuahia. We are mindful of the importance of good roads to the stimulation of economic and social activities and we have not relented since day 1. To date, we have succeeded in completing about 40 roads across the state out of the about 80 roads we embarked upon from inception. Mention must be made of the fact that most of these roads, especially in Aba, are being constructed with rigid pavement technology which guarantees their longevity.”

    “While I will not go into the list of all the roads we have constructed and are constructing, permit me to emphasize that the reconstruction of Faulks road by Setraco Construction Company is solving the perennial problem of the Ifeobara basin and Ukwu Mango which hitherto always caused the area to be flooded. Today, to the glory of God, the company has achieved significant milestone in fixing Faulks Road and creatively solving the problem of the Ifeobara Basin.

    “Also noteworthy is the fact that we have commenced work on Port-Harcourt Road in Aba which is another key economic road. I assure you that we have engineered a unique funding model for the road and it will be delivered in record time.

    “In Umuahia, you are all witnesses to the work Arab Contractors are doing on the Aba Road from Stanpol to Isi Court. The quality of the project underpins our determination to ensure that we use the best contractors to deliver the best quality of work in Abia State.

    “In Abia North Senatorial District, among all the ot her roads we are doing including the Abiriba Ring Road, the Abiriba Nkporo Road, the Ohafia Township Roads, the Eluama-Otampka Road, the Eke-Obuzor-Ngodo Road and the Nkpa Road, permit me to single out for special mention, the Bende-Arochukwu Road. This road was conceptualized to serve as an alternative to the perennially impassable Ohafia-Arochukwu Federal Road. I had the opportunity to inspect it during our Thank-You Tour to Arochukwu last week and I witnessed the laying of the bridge on the road. My promise to Abians today is that by Christmas of 2017, the road will be completed and commissioned so that our brothers from that axis can comfortably travel to their communities.” Governor Ikpeazu said.

     

  • Supreme Court upholds Ikpeazu’s election

    Supreme Court upholds Ikpeazu’s election

    The Supreme Court has upheld the election of governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State.

    The court in a unanimous judgment by a five-member panel, held that the appeals by Sampson Ogah and Friday Nwosu were unmaritorious.

    Justice Ejembi Eko, who read the lead judgment by Justice Musa Datijo Mohammed, awarded N250,000 cost against the appellants and in favour of Ikpeazu and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    The Supreme Court held that the appellants did not prove their cases at the trial court.

    In his supporting judgment, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Walter Onnoghen, who lead the panel, expressed displeasure about the desperation on the part of politicians to always win.

    He said there was security breach in this case, as some parties in the appeals tried to influence court’s officials to know what the court’s decision would be and who was writing the judgment.

    “Must you know what our judgment will be and who is writing it? You politicians are our problem. You should leave us alone. Leave the Judiciary alone. If you are foolish enough to bribe a judge, you should learn to leave with the decision of the court,” the CJN said.

  • Group seeks consistency in Justice dispensation

    Group seeks consistency in Justice dispensation

    A civil society group, Civic International in collaboration with civil society coalition for judicial reforms on Wednesday called on the judiciary to exhibit consistency in the dispensation of justice to ensure the the supremacy of the law.

    The group’s coordinator, Ameh Ejeh and Secretary, Abdulrazak Ajala, who were represented by Onuoha Oliver in a press briefing in Abuja, insisted that consistency in judgement should be one of the critical reforms the judiciary should take into cognisance especially in similar cases.

    This, according to Civic International, will ensure fair and undiluted dispensation of justice.

    Ejeh said: “The existence of controversial and seemingly incoherent or rather obnoxious judgements are not new in the history of our judiciary, but it took a very dangerous and alarming dimension in the cases occasioned by the aftermath of the 2015  general elections.”

    He added that the whole nation was bewildered by the judgements delivered by judges at different courts in cases that emerged due to the outcome of the election.

    Contrary to similar cases across the country where different judgements were given, the judiciary should ensure that similar justice for any individual involved in similar cases and similar facts should get similar judgements to further boost people’s confidence in the justice system.

    Recalling the alleged presentation of three different birth certificate case against the incumbent Cross River state governor, he said that a similar case involving the Abia state governor, Okezie Ikpeazu is in the Supreme Court awaiting trial and only then could consistency in judgement be tested again.

    According to him, ” delivering judgements on election petition cases and other sensitive political matters are very crucial aspects of the role the judiciary plays in a nation and the Nigerian judiciary must be consistent and principled in rulings if the citizenry are to truly enjoy the dividends of a democratic dispensation “.

    He said that an erroneous removal of a governor by the court amounts to disenfranchisement of the people and inhuman treatment meted on the governor question.

    Explaining why it focused on the Abia State governor’s case, the group said that a state governor is a collective product of the people via election.

    He noted: “We in the civil society participate actively in the process through voter education and mobilization, conduct /monitoring of the main election and in monitoring the outcome so as to make sure that the will of the people will at every time prevail. The masses on their own part undergo whole lots of exercises which at every time involves the exercise of their inalienable rights as human beings.

    “This we notice in voter registration, massive participation in party primaries and campaigns and more especially in casting their votes. The government on their on part mobilizes a lot of Manpower and resources gotten from the tax payers money and our collective wealth as a people into the electoral process to make it credible, transparent and to make sure that the whole exercise is a success thereby enabling the will of the people to prevail.”

  • Abia promises to support NFF

    Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia on Wednesday said that the state government would continue to support the efforts of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) in developing football in the country.

    Ikpeazu made this known when the President of NFF, Amaju Pinnick and his team paid him a visit in Umuahia.

    The Governor said that Abia government would pay adequate attention to soccer, as it was a big business and expressed hope that the present leadership of NFF would record giant strides.

    He disclosed that the Nsulu Games Village in the state would be officially opened as part of the state government’s effort to encourage progressive sports development.

    Speaking earlier,Pinnick stated that Enyimba FC ranked among the most successful teams in Africa and had skills that could take it to the CAF champions league.

    He promised to assist in developing Enyimba FC to international brand and called for government’s commitment towards the achievement of the feat.

  • Ikpeazu bankrolls exam fees for SSSCE candidates in Umuda Isingwu community

    Ikpeazu bankrolls exam fees for SSSCE candidates in Umuda Isingwu community

    Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia has donated N400,000 to offset the registration fees for Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSSCE) candidates in Umuda Isingwu, Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia.

    Ikpeazu announced the donation on Sunday at St. James Methodist Church Nigeria, Ohuhu Circuit 111, Umuda Isingwu, during a thanksgiving service in honour of the State Coordinator of Nigeria Prays, Rev. Chuku Alozie.

    The governor said that the gesture became necessary in order to remove the burden from parents.

    He said it would also help to ensure that no eligible SSCE candidate in the community failed to enroll for the examination because of lack of money to purchase the forms.

    “I want to be sure that every eligible candidate in Umuda Isingwu registered for the examination so that nobody would say that he could not register because there was no money,” he said.

    The governor also donated N500,000 to the widows in the church.

    He said that the two gestures were designed to leave an enduring impression among the people of the community as a memorial for Alozie’s thanksgiving service.

    In his sermon, the Archbishop of the Methodist Church Nigeria, Diocese of Umuahia, the Most Rev. Raphael Opoko, urged Christians to emulate Jesus Christ by being humble at all times, in spite of their positions in society.

    Opoko further advised Nigerians to get close to God by being prayerful in order to attract divine protection and guidance.

    “God has taken over this nation, in spite of the deadly activities of Boko Haram insurgents and other elements that have continued to threaten the peace and unity of Nigeria’’.

    Former Head of State and National Chairman, Nigeria Prays, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, in a remark, thanked the Methodist Church Nigeria for being supportive to the group in mobilising Nigerians to pray for the country.

    Gowon said that he was in Umuahia for the 56th annual diocesan synod of the Methodist Church Nigeria and a rally by Nigeria Prays, which coincided with the thanksgiving.

    Alozie said that he organised the event to mark the 25th anniversary since he embraced Christ and began to work in His vineyard.

  • Abia to establish 9,000-hectare free trade zone

    Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia on Tuesday said that the state would establish a 9,000- hectare free trade zone at its boundary with Rivers.

    Ikpeazu made this known when Chief Olabitan Famutimi, the National President of Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce (NACC), visited him in his guest house in Aba.

    Ikpeazu said that the free trade zone was necessary to facilitate export of goods from the state.

    “Abia State delegation to Singapore has left the shores of Nigeria to come back with the final design of our free trade zone.

    “The free trade zone will occupy 9,000 hectare of land which has already been acquired in a location between Abia and Port Harcourt in Rivers.

    “The idea is to ensure unification of the economies of Abia and Rivers in the next 10 years,” he said.

    He also said that the state was working hard to get American endorsement for its products to facilitate their entry into the world market.

    “Endorsement by America that what we do in Abia State is good for its market is what we need to reach the world, and I hope to see this happen in our time,” he said.

    He said that Abia established a quality assurance management agency to collaborate with other related agencies in the country such as the Standards Organisation of Nigeria and National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control.

    The governor said that collaboration with such agencies would improve the quality of goods produced in the state.

    Ikpeazu said that the state was exporting over one million pairs of shoes, bags and other leather products to some African countries weekly.

    He added that about one million people worked in the industry.

    Earlier, the NACC president said that his team was in the state to help to promote its products.

    He said that African Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA) had signed a MoU with the chamber to represent it in West Africa.

    He promised that through NACC and AGOA, the state would be given required business opportunities from America.

    Famutimi said that the chamber would establish an AGOA office in Abia with a desk officer to run it.

    He called for establishment of free trade zones in all states of the federation to improve the processing of products for export.

    Famutimi also called for the signing of MoU between Abia and NACC to ensure continued relationship.

     

  • FG targets $1 billion from asset, income scheme 

    FG targets $1 billion from asset, income scheme 

    …50% of recovered fund to go states

     

    The National Economic Council (NEC) on Thursday approved the proposed Nigeria Voluntary Asset and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS) which will take off May 1, 2017.

    It is expected to yield about $1billion to the Federal Government’s purse.

    The Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Babatunde Fowler, disclosed this to State House correspondents at the end of the NEC, chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

    He was joined at the briefing by Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu and Deputy Governor of Kaduna state, Bala Bantex.

    He said that the scheme will capitalize on the considerable international goodwill already built by President Muhammadu Buhari in his mission to rebuild Nigeria.

    The policy, he said, was necessitated by the under payment of tax via the use of Tax Havens and other evasion strategies, which he noted has not been helpful to Nigeria.

    According to him, the practice has been principally perpetrated by multi-national companies and high net worth individuals, making Nigeria to have the lowest non-oil tax to GDP at 6%.

    He said that the policy will also capitalize on the current global movement against tax evasion and illicit financial flows and will offer a window for those who have not complied with extant tax regulations to remedy their position by the provision of limited amnesty to enable voluntary declaration and payment of liabilities.

    He said the VAIDS scheme targets to increase the tax to GDP ratios to 15% from just 6% by 2020 while simultaneously generating revenue and encouraging investment and economic activity “as only 214 individuals in the entire country pay N20 million or more in tax annually.”

    On the scope of the programme, Bowler said: “VAIDS scheme 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.

    “The scheme is intended to cover all back taxes without any limit to time on how far back a tax assessment can go where a taxpayer has willfully defaulted.”

    The FIRS boss said the scheme is targeted to run from May 1, 2017 for up to six months and incentives will be put in place to encourage early participation.

    “Tax payers will be allowed up to 3 years to settle their liabilities. Revenue expected from the scheme conservatively estimated at US$1 billion,” he stated.

    On the role of state governments, he said that based on initial estimates, it is anticipated that at least 50% of the funds recovered will belong to states who are the ultimate collectors of personal income taxes.

    Kaduna State Deputy Governor said that the National Security Adviser (NSA), Babagana Munguno, briefed the Council on the security situation in the country with particular reference to Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East, cattle rustling, ethnic militias/security outfits, kidnapping, among others,.

    According to him, the NSA blamed the situation on unemployment, which he said was a major security threat.

    He also said that the Council has agreed to hold an extra-ordinary session to discuss security matters especially as it has to do with the economy.

    Abia State governor, who spoke on deforestation in the country, said that the Council backed suspension of temporary wood export from the country.

    It was also disclosed that NEC received report of Excess Crude Account as at 15th March, 2017, which stood at US$2, 45,864,724.59, recording a marginal increase of US$2,458,382,882.03.