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Tag: Regulations

  • Ensure compliance with rules, regulations, Ortom urges HoS

    Ensure compliance with rules, regulations, Ortom urges HoS

    Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom has urged the new Head of Service, Mr George Edeh, to ensure compliance with civil service rules and regulations.

    He gave the advice yesterday at the swearing-in of Edeh, who replaced the former Head of Service, Mr. Inwata Adaikwu, who retired recently.

    Governor Ortom noted that the appointment came at a time that the service was facing many challenges which included indiscipline, non-commitment to duty, absenteeism and dwindling performance.

    He said Benue State, like many others in the country, was also passing through difficult times with paucity of funds which has slowed down the momentum of service delivery to the people of the state.

    “The development demands sacrifices, more commitment and renewed zeal by all civil servants in the discharge of their duties”, he stated, adding that “the new Head of Service will be required to focus attention on these areas”.

    “The service is a system that is deeply rooted in rules and regulations which are well spelt out, consequently, its leadership has to ensure compliance with all these in addition to providing motivation and guidance”.

    “We are happy to note that Edeh is coming into office with many years of experience not just as a civil servant but as a permanent secretary and we believe that he will create effective synergy between his office and other key functionaries of our administration”, Governor Ortom stressed.

    He assured that the committee set up on the State of Emergency on salary payment had already swung into action on the matter.

    “In view of all these, we call for continued support, patience and understanding of all as we attempt a multi-faceted approach to address this challenge”, he said.

    In his response, the new Head of Service expressed gratitude to Governor Ortom for his elevation and pledged to work for the success of his administration.

     

     

     

  • ‘Better regulations’ll boost feeding globally, says WBG report

    Improving agriculture regulations in low and middle income countries could help to boost feeding of the world’s population, and improve farmers’ livelihoods, a World Bank Group report has said.

    The World Bank Group’s Enabling the Business of Agriculture (EBA) 2017 report says many countries are home to strong, commercially-oriented agriculture.

    It said more needed to be done, for example, by lowering transactions’ costs for farmers and firms engaged in domestic trade and exports, by improving water permit systems for irrigation and providing better conditions for microfinance institutions.

    Smart regulations that ensure safety and quality control while avoiding burdensome and inefficient requirements, are highlighted in the report as good practices that governments may wish to consider as part of their reform efforts.

    “Sustainable, inclusive investments in the agriculture and food sectors help create jobs – on farms, in markets, cities, towns and villages and throughout the farm-to-table food production and supply chains – which, alongside improved access to affordable and balanced, diverse diets, are key to fighting extreme poverty and for boosting shared prosperity,” said Preeti Ahuja, Practice Manager, World Bank Food and Agriculture Global Practice.

    “Governments have a key role to play in supporting economically, socially and environmentally responsible policies and practices that help smallholders while removing burdensome processes that add to food costs and discourage agribusinesses from entering the market.”

    The latest EBA report, the third in an annual series, presents data on legal barriers for farmers, entrepreneurs and businesses operating in agriculture in 62 countries and across the topics of land, seed, fertiliser, machinery, water, livestock, finance, markets, transport, and information and communication technology (ICT). The 2017 edition also expands its survey of laws and regulations that impact environmental sustainability and gender. Globally, comparable data helps countries know where they stand, compare their performance with that of their neighbors, and identify areas for improvement that are critical to building a thriving agribusiness sector.

    For example, obtaining export documents for agricultural produce takes on average 6 days in Sub-Saharan African countries, compared with only 2.3 days in the Middle East and North Africa region. Such delays not only increase business costs, but also increase food waste and make it more likely that shipments will be rejected upon arrival due to spoilage or low quality.

    Securing permission to sell and use new tractors can also be very time-consuming:  it takes 270 days and costs about 604 percent of income per capita to complete this process in South Asia, versus 21 days and seven percent of income per capita in East Asia and the Pacific.

    Drawn-out processes reduce the incentives for agricultural machinery manufacturers and suppliers to develop or import new and updated tractors that could otherwise help to modernize agricultural processes and improve productivity.

    “Government regulations affect agricultural development through several dimension, including agricultural inputs such as seed, fertiliser, land and water, as well as small-scale and remote farmers’ access to financial services,” said Programme Manager, World Bank. Vice Presidency for Development Economics, Federica Saliola, said: “Boosting agribusinesses requires public policies and regulations that foster growth in the agriculture and food sectors, improve the functioning of markets, and enable agribusinesses and food entrepreneurs to better meet the growing demand for food.”

  • Idowu: we support regulations but…

    The Senior Pastor of the Harvesters International Christian Centre (HICC) Lagos, Pastor Bolaji Idowu, has thrown his weight behind measures to regulate churches.

    Such measures, he, however, warned, must not strangulate churches.

    He spoke with reporters last week ahead of the Wine Press 2017 Prayer Summit of the church, which ends today.

    Some of the speakers at the summit include Rev George Adegboye, Pastor Sam Adeyemi, Pastor Jeffrey Iyonawan and Sam Ore with Sinach and Chioma Jesus as worship ministers.

    Speaking on the controversies trailing the suspended Financial Reporting Council (FRC) of Nigeria’s governance code, Idowu said: “I support probity and accountability but we shouldn’t have regulations that will impede churches instead of helping them.”

    He added: “There should be regulations but not those that will limit the effectiveness of the church. I fully support regulations in terms of order and structure but not those that will strangulate churches.”

    Idowu pointed out that the church pays high premium on corporate governance to provide “good examples for members to follow in their personal and corporate businesses.”

    Winepress, he explained, is an avenue to fortify members and imbue them with new hope and inspiration for the year.

    He said the summit will also provide rooms for spiritual renewal and reengineering of visions.

    Captions: L- R: Director, Church Ministry, Harvesters International Christian Centre, Dayo Ogunronbi; Senior Pastor Bolaji Idowu; Communications Manager, Seyi Amoo and, Director, Multisite and Special Ministry, Deji Agboade at a media parley on WINE/PRESS 2017… last week.

  • ‘Why churches must embrace regulations’

    ‘Why churches must embrace regulations’

    Apostle Bolaji Akinyemi is founding Pastor, Word Bank Assembly Lagos.
    He spoke with Sunday Oguntola on the controversies surrounding the suspended governance code of the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) of Nigeria. Excerpts:

    What is your reaction to the suspended Financial Reporting Council (FRC) of Nigeria governance code?

    I like the fact that you acknowledge it is suspended. It is only a suspended policy. The truth of the matter is there is a policy in place waiting to be implemented. It has been in place since 2011. The fact that it is suspended is a worry to me.

    Why?

    It is a worry because it will still be implemented one day. Whether we like it or not, it is a policy statement that went through a process of validation.

    There hasn’t been a repeal or an amendment, meaning it will certainly be implemented one day. I think beyond the divide the issue to consider is: should churches and other faith-based organisations be regulated?

    For me, God is in support of regulation. Jesus said He is the true vine and we are the branches. God, he said, is the husbandman. So, God, as the husbandman, prunes and pulls down branches that are going wild. That tells us that whatever we want to be productive and incremental must go through the process of accountability.

    So, regulation is the way to go. The church must be prepared for regulation. We cannot wish or pray it away. The policy is suspended, fine but we should be prepared because it will certainly happen. The idea of regulation is divine.

    Have you gone through the code?

    Yes, I have gone through it thoroughly.

    What do you agree with in it?

    I agree with the financial regulation aspect of it. That is very fantastic and fine. Money is a creation of man. God only created the heavens and earth. Jesus himself was regulated because tax was demanded of him.

    He said we should give to Cesar what belongs to Cesar and to God what belongs to God. So, there are things that belong to God and things that belong to Cesar. Money belongs to government so if they want to ask the church to account for it, we should be happy to do that.

    We should be ready to open our books to the government because money is their creation and stamp of authority. Anytime government asks us for accountability, we should be ready based on the counsel of Jesus, who says ‘Give to Cesar to what belongs to Cesar and to God what belongs to God.’

    We have a government in place and naira is a government of Nigerian government. Anybody that does business here must be ready to live with that rule.

    So, which of it don’t you support?

    The part that seeks to regulate the tenure of spiritual leadership is where I believe they got it wrong. You see spiritual leadership is not like what obtains in secular setting.

    There cannot be a timeline determined by government. There were people that served God till they died. You cannot as a government say a man cannot serve after 70 years or having been in charge for 20 years. The church can dictate that but not the government.

    But the argument of FRC is you can remain the spiritual leader but must hand over administrative headship after attainment of 70 years or 20 years after you have been in charge.

    I agree with that argument but it is very problematic because there is a thin line really between spiritual and administrative leadership in churches around here.

    Normally, the two should be separate but out churches have not learnt to do that. A lot of churches are run in a way that the spiritual leader is also the administrative leader.

    In Acts, you realise that the apostles had a similar dilemma when the Grecian and Helenian Jews were fighting over food allocation.

    The simple way they resolved it was to devote themselves to the ministry of word and prayers, which is the spiritual side while asking others to choose men that will take care of the administration of food.

    So, churches have to get to that level so that we can really run the way God wants us to run. There is a business side of the church that we must learn to run. There is a business angle and ministry angle in the church. Jesus had a treasurer and he had nothing to do with the treasury.

    There were a lot of irregularities going on with Judas as Jesus’ treasurer but he never allowed it to bother him. He knew about them but kept quiet. Now, how many GOs will keep quiet when things are bad?

    That is when government should come in. Let those handling your finances to face government while you are answerable to God in the discharge of the word and prayers.

    But once you have government’s property, which is money, be ready to be answerable to them.

    A lot of Christians are saying the suspension of the code is because God is fighting back. Are you one of them?

    Not in the least. There is a lot of fight back that God is doing for the average lazy Nigerian. Whether we like it or not, the policy is in place. Only the man in charge of implementation was changed. What is the guarantee that the one coming to take over will not do much more?

    I believe the church should look at the policy and see what it can contribute and disagree with in the provisions. I believe God is all for regulation.

    Why do you think some churches are against regulations?

    I think it is because we are used to saying we are answerable to God only. And much nonsense is being done in the name of being answerable to God.

    You see, when a man has carried on for so long without checks and balance, he will rebel when you ask him to come under regulation. I was talking to a man who was praising his church for charging for tender forms for contractors. He was elated about it. How can the church operate like the secular ministries? If you have 1,000 people buying tender forms for N10, 000 to execute a N1million project, it is obvious you will get the money for the project from the sales of forms.

    How can churches be encouraged to embrace regulations?

    That is what we are trying to do. We want to have a resource meeting where we can tell ourselves the home truths on regulations. We want to look at the best practices across the globe.

    We want to see how we can open our books and what we should do. If we are not prepared, we would destroy our integrity and very existence.

    We want to look at case studies in the UK, the FRC code and how churches can fall in line to save ourselves and integrity.

    You support regulations because you don’t have a big church, right?

    I don’t need to have a big church to say the truth. I have the bible and we can clearly see what it requires of us. It is about doing the needful, not looking at the size of churches.

    Why is succession always an issue among churches?

    When you spiritualise things, these things will happen. The idea that the man dying should determine his successor is giving rooms for manipulations and politics.

    There must be systems in place for seamless succession. We have the cell fellowship structure in churches where the house fellowship leader has an assistant that functions in his absence. Why can’t we have the same system in place up to the general overseer level?

    If you have to check the bible of the deceased overseer to look whose name he wrote as successor, you are calling for trouble. So, there must be a succession plan in place for churches to avert breakaways and crises.

    How prepared are your children to take over the church from you?

    From their cradle years, I told them it is not about inheritance. God has to call you. They can inherit businesses of the family but not the church.

    God can call them to the ministry but I didn’t see the pattern of handing over to children in the bible. Why didn’t Jesus hand over the church to James, his younger brother? Why did he pick Peter to take over from him?

    Ministry is not about inheritance but calling. God has to call children to be in the ministry. And if he calls them, must they be leaders after their parents? What about understudying the system for years before we are sure they can take over?

    This is the second time the code is suspended. Is it that it is doomed because the church is praying?

    I think it is because of political exigency. 2019 is around the corner and politicians want vote from churches. It is sad because a good policy should be a good policy. You don’t govern a country based on political exigencies but the good of all.

  • Enforce COT regulations, expert urges CBN

    Enforce COT regulations, expert urges CBN

    Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele has been advised to enforce the directive to banks to reduce Commission on Turnover (COT), as it is threatening Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs).

    Making the call in Lagos, lastweek, Chairman of Builders’ Mart, a provider of building equipment and homes solutions, Mr. Ayobami Biobaku, said the CBN had not been able to enforce the COT rule it set in 2013. He said CBN’s inaction gave the impression that it had decided to look the other way while the banks engaged in all forms of unapproved practices as well as collect spurious charges.

    He therefore, urged the CBN to check the banks on COT charged so as not to cripple the SMEs. According to him, COT was “like cancer that is slowly and silently killing SMEs.”

    The controversial COT is a charge levied on customer withdrawals by banks, and it is calculated at the end of every month, applying the percentage on a customer’s aggregate withdrawals from the first day of the month to the last day of the month.

    Worried by the harmful effect of COT on SMEs particularly, the CBN in 2013 met with the Bankers’ Committee to find lasting solution to the issue and the result was the production of a special guide on bank charges that both parties endorsed. However, up till date that agreement has not been enforced by the CBN.

    Biobaku said no  bank had heeded the CBN’s instruction to refund money collected from depositors since 2013 and that they were still being charged by banks in violation of CBN’s directive. He urged the CBN Governor to come to their rescue because they are losing a lot of money that should improve their business to the banks.

  • Stakeholders canvass improved investment rules, regulations

    Stakeholders canvass improved investment rules, regulations

    Stakeholders have urged the government to emblace better legislations and regulators for Nigeria to step up its ranking in the World Bank’s ease of doing business index.

    This position was made known at the 9th annual Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Session on Business Law (SBL) conference, which began Sunday in Lagos and themed: “Regulators as Catalysts for Economic Growth”.

    Speakers at the three-day event highlighted the need to simplify and streamline the roles of regulators to avoid bottlenecks in investments that will grow the economy.

    Participants noted that asides providing security, government must ensure a level-playing field in its critical sector to create room for healthy competition.

    According to them, Nigeria’s 170th ranking suggests that the regulators were not doing their jobs effectively, just as they urged the current administration to liaise with the legislature to review and harmonise all investment laws to create an enabling environment for diversification.

    Participants also canvassed adequate funding for the regulators, just as they advised the regulatory agencies to take advantage of technology to fasten their processes.

    Among the participants were Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN); Ghana’s Trade Minister, Dr. Ekwow Spio-Garbrah; former Interim President, Ernest Shonekan; NBA President, Augustine Alegeh (SAN); former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Bayo Ojo (SAN); Chairman, NBA SBL, Asue Ighodalo; former Executive Chair, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Ifueko Okauru and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) Mawuena Trebarh.

    Others include Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Bello Mahmud; CEO Nigerian Shippers Council, Hassan Bello; CEO, Central Securities Clearing System Plc. (CSCS), Kyari Bukar; Prof. Gbolahan Elias (SAN) and Wale Goodluck.

    Osinbajo who attended the opening dinner allayed fears that terrorist sect, Boko Haram ýwere resurfacing, just as he said the government was leaving no stone unturned towards containing them.

    He noted that the government was not all knowing, nor does it have all the solutions, ýbut promised that government will create a more investor-friendly environment.

    The Vice President said the problem in Nigeria was the absence of strong regulatory and enforcement mechanisms to ýhold the system accountable.

    He decried the absence of a composite market legislation that targets market abuses, just as he noted that the current administration would take steps to improve the situation.

    “Businesses look upon government to ensure they are treated fairly. Fair competition and enterprise, even among companies, is a basic requirement of an efficient and productive market economy.

    “Again, fair enterprise does ýnot come naturally to the market place, it has to be established with the right government policies within the regulatory environment,” Osinbajo said.

    Keynote speaker, Spio-Garbrah said Nigeria could become a huge power house if right investments were made in the energy sector.

    He said no country can become industrialised without meaningful improvement on power, advising Nigeria to invest in critical infrastructures.

    She said a national strategic decision on investment must be emplaced such that both Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) and domestic investments are given same priority.

    For Okauru, a lot is to be done in taxation, especially with respect to the existing laws, just as she noted that multiple taxation was still a major issue that needs political consensus of the Federal and state governments.

     

     

  • NPAN heads for Appeal Court in battle against APCON regulations

    NPAN heads for Appeal Court in battle against APCON regulations

    The Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN) has appealed the ruling of a Federal High Court in Lagos, which declined jurisdiction over a suit it filed suit against the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON).

    NPAN had, in the suit marked: FHC/L/CS/1067/2012, questioned the propriety of some provisions of a law by APCON, requiring media houses to summit advertisement materials for vetting by the council.

    It argued that the provisions contained in Article 21 and 137 of the Nigerian Code of Advertising and Sales Promotion (NCASP) are inconsistent with the provisions of Section 39 of the Constitution, guaranteeing the freedom of expression and to hold opinion.

    In a ruling on January 10, Justice Musa Kurya upheld the preliminary objection raised by APCON, and held that NPAN lacked the locus standi to file the suit; declined jurisdiction and dismissed the case.

    In its notice of appeal dated January 21, NPAN raised five grounds of appeal and prayed the appellate court to allow the appeal and an order setting aside Justice Kurya’s ruling.

    NPAN also prayed the court for an order for the hearing and determination of its originating summons, as a court of first instance in line with the provision of section 15 the Court of Appeal Act, 2004. Similarly,it wants the court for an order granting all the reliefs being sought on the originating summons.

    On the first ground, the appellant argued that the trial judge erred in holding that it lacked locus standi or enforceable right to institute the suit against APCON.

    It contended that, as a body established to promote the interest of its members, it was with its right to challenge regulatory provisions affecting the interest of media houses in the country.

    “It is in consonance with the objects for which the plaintiff was registered to institute an action to nullify any legislation or subsidiary instrument, which adversely affects the interest of its members,” NPAN said. It faulted the lower court’s decision on the ground that the judge failed to consider all averments in its supporting affidavit, but relied only on paragraphs 12 to 17 in reaching a conclusion.

    NPAN argued that the judge’s failure to consider all its processes, including its constitution, which it attached to the further affidavit dated November 21, 2012was in violation of its right to fair hearing. It contended that the trial judge erred in holding that it failed to seek and obtain the court’s leave to su in representative capacity.

    It faulted the court’s decision that its suit was a representative one. It argued that the Federal High Court Rules 2009 did not provide that a plaintive must seek and obtain the court’s leave before suing in representative capacity.

    NPAN argued that the trial judge erred in dismissing the suit on the grounds that the plaintiff lacked locus standi and that the court was without jurisdiction to hear the case. It argued that the judge ought to have struck out the case, upon holding that the plaintiff lacked locus standi , rather than dismissing the suit.

    It also faulted the trial judge for dismissing its suit “when he ought, in law, to have proceeded to the hearing of the originating summons on its merit and grant all reliefs being sought by the plaintiff.”

  • NCAA introduces revised civil aviation regulations

    NCAA introduces revised civil aviation regulations

    The Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Dr Harold Demuren, has introduced the newly promulgated Volume 11 of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations 2012 as amended.

    The introduction of the new regulation is a major landmark in aviation over sighting.

    The new NCARs Vol 11 covers Aerodrome and Consumers Rights.

    Speaking at the occasion, Demuren said the introduction of the regulation will boost the provisions of the Civil Aviation Act 2006 and help to standardise the operational procedures, implementation and enforcement in the industry in conformity with Standard and Recommended Practices (SARPs) contained in the annexes of the Chicago Convention.

    Demuren explained that prior to the revised regulation, the industry could only boast of the NCARs July 2009 that covers all areas of aviation practices, except aerodrome and consumers rights.

    He said the amended regulation came at the right time to address certain conflicting issues pertaining to civil aviation legislation, saying,” when there is no law, there is no offence.”