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Tag: Senate Committee on Culture and Tourism

  • Saraki inaugurates panel on National Assembly museum, archives

    Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, Wednesday inaugurated Ad-hoc Committee for the establishment and development of the National Assembly Museum and Archives.

    The Committee chaired by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Culture and Tourism, Senator Fatimat Raji-Rasaki, according to a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Senate President, Sanni Onogu, in Abuja, is charged with the task of establishing a National Assembly Museum for the purposes of immortalization of its proceedings, processes and procedures of law making in Nigeria.

    Saraki in his address said the Committee is to help in the realization of the quest for a befitting Museum and Archives for the National Assembly as a national monument fit for the digital age.

    He stated that that contrary to beliefs in some quarters, the proposed National Assembly Museum and Archives is not about immortalizing the present set of lawmakers.

    “This is about institution building, it is about institutional memory, it is about legacy; and most of all, it is about the greatness of Nigeria,” Saraki said. “Parliamentary libraries can be found all over the world.

    “In the United States, the Library of Congress was founded in 1800; in the United Kingdom, the House of Commons Library was founded exactly 200 years ago, in 1818.

    “It is in that same tradition that we seek to establish such a venerable institution in our National Assembly,” he said.

    The President of the Senate further stated that while information availability is critical to the functioning of democratic legislatures, access to information is crucial to the strengthening of parliamentary oversight, improvement in the work of representatives and accountability to the electorate.

    “Museums and archives play an important role in preserving legislative records for posterity. This becomes even more critical in a fledgling democracy such as ours,” Saraki said.

    He urged the Committee to draw on the deeds and records of past National Assemblies, to enable it cross the bridge of memory that was broken by the military years.

    “This way, we will not keep re-inventing the wheel in our quest for nationhood. There is also the need for greater intellectual depth in our public life. A Museum and Archives would give a leap to intellectualism in our legislative activities.

    “It also promises to be an invaluable repository of knowledge that would be of untold benefit to scholars, historians, students and citizens in general.

    “Above all, it would aid our knowledge of legislative history, because as Edmund Burke said, ‘Those who do not know their history are doomed to repeat it,’” he stated.

    Earlier, the Chairman of the Adhoc Committee, Senator Fatimat Raji-Rasaki, pledged that the panel would work to develop a legacy that will stand the test of time.

    “It will be a deserving repository of our proceedings and a documentation of the happenings within the hallowed chambers of the National Assembly. The institution shall become the authority in the dispensation of our ideas, ideals and standing,” she said.

    Members of the committee include Hon. Ogbeide-Ihama Omoregie (Co-Chairman), Senator Matthew Urhoghide, Senator Babajide Omoworare, Senator Victor Umeh, Senator Obinna Ogba, Hon. Joseph Edionwele, Hon. Sam Onuigbo and Hon. Chille Igbawua.

    Others are Yahaya Danzaria, Ms. Cerie Jogai (FCT) Aminu Waziri Mohammed, Abbas Mohammed (Secretariat) and Moyo Adeniran.

    Read Also: Saraki inaugurates panel on National Assembly museum, archives

     

  • Save us from multiple taxation, hotel owners tell Senate

    Save us from multiple taxation, hotel owners tell Senate

     

     

    Proprietors of hotels in the country Thursday asked the Senate to save them from the burden of multiple taxation placed on them by states and local government councils.

    The hoteliers made the call while making their submissions before the Senate Committee on Culture and Tourism on a bill to amend Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) Act 2004 to Nigeria Tourism Development Authority ( NTDA) bill 2017.

    They supported the move by the Senate to empower NTDA to harmonize all tax collections by states and local councils.

    Mr. Olafemi Adenisimi Eegbodofo who spoke on behalf of his colleagues noted that the Supreme Court ruling of 2013, empowering state and local government councils to collect such levies being an item on the residual list of the 1999 constitution, not less than 15 different bodies in the states have been collecting different range of taxes from hotel owners.

    “This to us is suffocating and killing because the multiple taxation has landed many of us in very uncomfortable position business wise as regards paying workers’ salaries and even remaining in business.”

    As Eegbodofo was making his submission, he suddenly lost consciousness and had to be revived by other stakeholders on the table with him.

    The development forced the Committee chairman, Senator Mathew Urhoghide to stop Eegbodofo from continuing with his presentation.

    The Committee Chairman subsequently called on the President, Hotel Owners’ Forum, Abuja, Dr Chike Ezeudeh to make his submission.

    Ezeudeh in his contribution also lamented the effect of multiple taxation on hotels in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja

    According to him, “taxation in the FCT is even more killing than what are being experienced in the states going by 30 different levies slammed on them by both the FCT and host Area Councils.

    He said; “My brother from Ondo state said one of the levies his hotel paid yearly to the multiple tax collectors in the state is N7.5 million but that is more like a chicken change here in FCT, as we are charged N29m, N20m, N15m on yearly basis by the various multiple tax collectors .

    ” This is the more reason why we are kicking against the 1% per room levy proposed in the new bill but strongly supported the move by this committee to empower NTDA as sole collector of taxes from hotels in the country.”

    Senator Urhogide in his address noted that investment in tourism is particularly important for Nigeria due to dwindling government revenue and economic contraction as a result of the drastic fall in crude oil prices and with the vision to be rated among the top 20 economies of the world by 2020.

    He said that the NTDC Act since its enactment, has not gone through any form of review or amendment, despite having passed through several years of socio-political and economic changes and characterized with so many inadequacies and shortcomings .

     

  • Senate flays poor IGR by Information Ministry

    Senate flays poor IGR by Information Ministry

    The Senate has flayed poor Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) by the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, particularly from the culture and entertainment industry.

    During a budget defence session on Tuesday, the lawmakers grilled the Information and Culture Minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed over the N620, 000 his ministry generated in the entire 2016.

    Chairman, Senate Committee on Culture and Tourism, Senator Matthew Urhoghide, regretted that the ministry was only concerned about spending, with very little efforts at generating revenue.

    Senator Urhoghide said, “Budget is not just about expenditure. No one is talking about revenue. We need a revenue profile. Each time you come, only expenditure is mentioned. How can you say it’s only N620, 000.00 that was raised by your ministry from the culture sector?

    “We must exhaust all the avenues to generate funds internally. We seriously frown at your low and poor IGR. We query it. You must look inward because this is not acceptable”.

    Urhoghide, also queried the Minister for using the funds to acquire, saying that the Senate appropriated N60 million for the ministry for the same purpose.

    The committee chairman said the N60 million was meant to acquire land in Lagos, Edo and Adamawa states for the establishment of cultural industries in the three states.

    Senator Urhoghide, who is from Edo state, queried the Minister for acquiring land in two of the states (Lagos and Adamawa) leaving out Edo state.

    According to him, the initial budget was to accommodate six states, but was reduced to three, regretting that instead of the three, the Minister narrowed it down to two states.

    But Lai Mohammad blamed the lapses on inadequate appropriation as well as delay in the release of funds to his ministry, adding that the procurement process was also cumbersome.

    The Minister also cited inadequate release of appropriated funds and the placement of culture and tourism on the residual list as some of the challenges.

    He lamented the existing structure, saying that it makes it difficult for the government to regulate the sector.

    He also cited lack of political will on the part of stakeholders to develop the sector; as well as absence of convention bureau to attract big time events to Nigeria as a tourism destination. 

    Mohammed said, “There are several challenges militating against the smooth implementation of the required programmes/projects. Some of these are inadequate appropriation; delay in the release of funds; cumbersome nature of procurement process; partial release of appropriated amount; late passage of Appropriation Act; placement of culture and tourism on the residual list, which has made it difficult to regulate the sector; lack of political will to develop the sector and absence of convention bureau to attract big time events to Nigeria as a tourism destination”.

  • Creative industry has potential to boost economy, says minister

    Creative industry has potential to boost economy, says minister

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has urged stakeholders in the culture sector to use the creativity in the industry to boost the country’s economy.

    Mohammed gave the advice at the opening of the Boat regatta display as part of activities marking the ongoing Abuja National Carnival.

    “While the country needs a lot of money and infrastructure to diversify other areas of the economy, we do not need so much in the creative industry to achieve that diversification.

    “The contents and infrastructure we need are in the heads of the individuals working in the sector.

    “The participants in the regatta do not need government to teach them. It’s like a tradition that is inherent and if properly tapped, can turn the economic situation of a person, state and the country at large,’’ Mohammed said.

    He also said culture and tourism were not all about singing and dancing, but the peace and unity that would always come with them could not be over emphasised.

    “Culture is not about song or dance, but the peace and unity it brings should be of a great importance to us.

    “Today we are here to witness the boat regatta; all the participants are socialising with each other, and no one will like to offend anyone. That is what festivals like this bring joyful atmosphere.

    “Nigeria has a population of about 180, and only two world recognised tourism sites, while Italy that their population is not up to half has 50 sites.

    “We need to make up with other cultural activities that exist in different zones of the country to attract tourists and increase our foreign exchange.

    Sen. Matthew Urhoghide, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Culture and Tourism, said the sector was of huge importance to the nation’s economy.

    “Culture and tourism is one sector that we need not play with because of its potential to boost the economy.

    “I and my colleagues in the lower house are ready to do whatever possible to push the sector and make it realise its mission and vision.

    “ Tourism sector is a latent area that we believe that the country will derive a lot of revenue from.

    “There is the need to put in place the necessary legislative framework to adequately harness culture and tourism into a viable economy,’’ Urhoghide said.

    Mr Bayo Ononuga , the Managing Director, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), who was represented by a Special Assistant, Mr Victor Idem, thanked those who made efforts to make the event a success.

    “We thank God for the success of the Abuja Carnival boat regatta. On behalf of all the participants, I thank the Minister for bringing so much vibrancy and vision to the culture sector.

    “You have opened another vista to help us appreciate our vast potentials inherent in our culture.

    “I thank the participating states; their enthusiasm and dexterity in boat sailing and rowing demonstration was very entertaining.

    “We pledge our support and commitment to the sector so it grows to its full potentials,’’ Ononuga said.

    The regatta display featured only four states – Delta, Kogi, Ogun and Bayelsa.