The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Stakeholders

  • Stakeholders discuss development at forum

    The Sole Administrator of Lagos lsland East Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Mr. Abiola Bashir Are, has said his administration would carry all stakeholders along to enable them to contribute their quota in the development of the council.

    He said it is his responsibility as the Sole Administrator to tow the path of Ambode in the dispensation of administration in Lagos Island East where no one is left behind, adding that the discharge of his duties at the council will not deviate from the directives and policies of Lagos State government.

    He spoke at the stakeholders’ forum held at City-Hall Auditorium Lagos lsland with the theme;”Revenue Generation and Budget Preparation: Stakeholders’ Perspective.”

    The council chief said the forum was a platform meant to redefine local government operations in revenue generation through a participatory approach that seeks to ensure transparency, probity and accountability in budget planning, preparation and implementation for sustainable development.

    He said; “It is our subtle attempt to move away from the age-long trickle down system with its attendant controversies between government and the people, especially at the grassroots.

    “Over the years, government has initiated many policies aimed at rejuvenating its activities in revenue collection. On assumption of office, we have introduced many innovations in order to establish mutual benefit among government and tax payers.

    Determined to ensure a hitch-free process, we have eliminated the role of third parties in our revenue collection by encouraging the use of electronic payment such as POS and bank transfer system while our online payment platform will soon be active.

    “We have embarked on human capacity building projects through training of unemployed graduates who were provided with work tools to enable them to put their acquired knowledge into practice.

    “It was in consideration of this principle of inclusive governance that we visited the primary health care centres (PHCs) in the LCDA few days after assumption of office. We also held meetings with the Community Development Committees (CDCs) and peace and security have been our cardinal focus both in policy implementation and project execution.”

    Mr Are noted that the forum was convened in order to bring together all stakeholders in the council in a bid to fashion out ways of bringing progress to our communities.

    “Our council can be self-sustaining if residents pay their rates and taxes promptly. When these payments are made, it will be easier for us as government to dispense quality administration to our people.

    “We pledge to work assiduously with organisations, institutions and individuals who are concerned with development of our community,” Are said.

    The council chief solicited the support of the residents to ensure his administration’s success. He urged the Babaloja of Lagos lsland east to ensure that all markets in the area are clean and in good condition.

    On partnership with PSP as requested by one of the stakeholders, Mrs Yimisi, he assured the people of his administration’s readiness to work together with them to ensure a clean and healthy environment for residents.

    Earlier, the Head of Budget and Statistics Department, Mr. Sikiri Ojokutu had explained that the sudden drop in oil price in the international market has forced the council to look inward on how to generate revenue.

  • Mixed grill for stakeholders

    Mixed grill for stakeholders

    Despite adding N1.4trillion to the gross domestic product (GDP) of the country in the third quarter of this year, the telecoms sector had its challenges, LUCAS AJANAKU reports.

    The economic recession, rise of disruptive technologies, government fiscal and monetary policies posed daunting challenges to the telecoms industry. While revenue from voice calls dipped, the operating environment got more hostile. Some of the high points of the year are:

     

    Two million ICT jobs target

     

    The Federal Government expressed its determination to create two million jobs from the information communication technology (ICT) industry before the year ran out. It directed the umbrella body of the telecoms companies in Nigeria, the Association Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) to come out with implementable frameworks on this.

    The Minister of Communications Technology, Mr Adebayo Shittu told operators during a reception held in his honour in Lagos that the enabling environment and relevant laws to achieve this are all in place.

    Shittu said technology, particularly ICT, has become the critical driver of the knowledge-based economy, adding that as the prices of crude oil daily nose-dive in the international market, paying attention to the sector becomes an imperative.

    It is not clear if the target of the Federal Government was met in view of the hostility of the operating environment.

     

    2.6GHz spectrum sale blues

     

    During the year, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC’s) move to auction the 2.6gigahertz (GHz) spectrum recorded very dismal response from the operators as only MTN participated and won six slots.

    Director, Spectrum Administration, Mr.  Augustine Nwaulume said a total of 14 slots were open for interested bidders, adding that each slot will be on offer at $16million each thus bringing the gross total to $224million (about N44.6billion).

    He said the Commission offered the spectrum on a technology neutral basis, adding that it could be used to provide any telecoms services.

    For roll out of services, he said the Commission intended to follow the International Telecommunication Union, (ITU) recommendation setting aside spectrum in the 2.6GHz band for the provision of advanced wireless broadband services.

    The spectrum lots won by each bidder, he said would be assigned on a nationwide basis covering all the states of the federation and Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    “There are total of 14 slots. If the bidders exceed 14, they have to go into auction but when they do not exceed the number, they will be allowed to pay generic reserve price of $16 million,” he explained.

    He said the spectrum is considered to be a valuable national resource for which commercial opportunities exist.

    The reserve price for a 10 year license, according to him is dependent on the generic reserve price and the number of lots applied for by an applicant determined by the intention to bid deposit (IBD) paid.

     

    Telcos axe workers

     

    Workers in the telecoms industry were sacked as the foreign exchange (forex) scarcity bit harder.

    The Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) warned that more workers would have to go if the policies were not revisited.

    Its President, Olusola Teniola lamented that revenues from voice calls have declined sharply while data that was supposed to have provided alternative revenue stream is being challenged by operating cost.

    He said: “Our association has some concerns which include unstable forex rates. The free fall of the naira against the dollar has constituted a serious source of worry to our sector; the continuous depreciation of the naira is not encouraging from a capital expenditure (capex) roll out perspective.

    “Again, revenue derived from voice is seriously being challenged. To worsen the situation as an industry, the telecoms companies are barely making any money from voice due to considerable drop rate in average revenue per user (ARPU). The direct implication of this is that the revenue that is generated from data is now being challenged by the cost of operating the business which is increasing on a daily basis and may lead to further laying-off of workers.”

     

    Communication Service Tax rage

     

    The Communication Service Tax (CST) Bill pending before the National Assembly aroused public condemnation among stakeholders in the industry.

    The CST Bill would require consumers of voice, data, short message service (SMS), multimedia service (MMS) and pay TV services to pay a nine per cent tax on the fees paid for the use of these services. This tax would be collected in addition to the five per cent Value Added Tax (VAT) that consumers already pay when they purchase devices and communication services, the 12 per cent import duties paid on ICT devices, and the 20 per cent tax levied on subscriber identity module (SIM) cards.

    The Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) said instead of overtaxing the already impoverished subscribers,  cutting down the cost of governance at all levels made sense.

    Its Chairman, Gbenga Adebayo said: “Our opinion is that the introduction and collection of the tax without the exclusion of the applicability of the Value Added Tax (VAT) (which was introduced by the Value Added Tax Act and is also applicable to services rendered by service providers in the telecoms sector) will amount to double taxation as the proposed tax is an additional tax on communication services rendered to the same end users who already pay a five percent (five per cent) tax as VAT.

    “Also the administration of this tax regime as proposed will be cumbersome and impractical; we must correct this general notion that service providers can absolve any tax without considering the capital and operational cost to the service providers.

    “Today the country has more than 83 million unique subscribers, accounting for 45 per cent of the population. As well as providing access to financial services, education and healthcare to millions of citizens, many for the first time, telecoms has also played a critical role in reducing transportation, communication and transaction costs.  Pushing up the cost to consumers, this tax will inevitably adversely impact the adoption of broadband affordability which is a key challenge in connecting the unconnected,” he said.

    ATCON warned that about 10 per cent of Nigeria’s population (some 20 million people) risked being denied access to the benefits of the gains of ICT if the National Assembly goes ahead to pass the bill.

    Teniola said: “Contrary to uninformed opinions we do not object to reforms in taxation neither do we regard taxes as burden. But the projections are that a new tax on ICT services as high as nine per  cent that is being proposed would result in excluding 10 per cent of the population, that is talking of about 20 million Nigerians from access.”

     

    MTN fine resolution

     

    The $3.4 billion (N1.04 trillion) fine imposed on MTN in October 2015 was amicably settled during the year after nearly six months of negotiation. The NCC agreed that MTN should pay only N330 billion from the N780 billion it was earlier reduced to.

    This amount includes the “goodwill” payment of N50 billion earlier by MTN to the Federal Government.

    In line with the terms of the resolution, the balance of N280 billion would be paid by MTN in six tranches between this year and May 31, 2019.

    Details of the payment plan showed that MTN would immediately pay N30 billion into NCC’s Treasury Single Account (TSA) with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) 30 days from June 10 when the agreement was signed.

    A statement signed by the Director, Public Affairs, NCC, Tony Ojobo, indicated that other tranches of payments would be March 31, 2017 (N30 billion), March 31, 2018 (N55 billion), December 31, 2018 (N55 billion), March 31, 2019 (N55billion) and the balance of N55 billion on May 31, 2019.

    Mr. Ojobo said the resolutions were signed by Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of NCC, Umar Danbatta; NCC Commission Secretary, Felix Adeoye, Chief Executive of MTN Nigeria, Ferdi Moolman and the Company Secretary, Uto Ukpanah.

    As part of the agreement, MTN is expected to apologise to the government and Nigerians within one month of the execution of the agreement.

    Besides, the telco would also subscribe to voluntary observance and compulsory compliance with the Code of Corporate Governance for the industry.

    Equally, MTN agreed to take immediate steps to list its shares on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) as soon as commercially and legally possible after the date of execution of the agreement.

    Parties also agreed that “the terms of settlement cannot be altered, varied, annulled or modified in any respect, except by writing duly executed by both parties”.

    MTN Nigeria CEO, Mr. Ferdi Moolman, said it was of critical importance that the resolution was reached, noting it would be of universal benefit to all parties given the importance of the ICT industry in Nigeria and its tremendous impact on socio-economic growth of the people.

     

    Data tariff hike puzzle

     

    The NCC asked big carriers to increase data tariffs in its efforts to further check the emergence of dominant operators in the data service segment of the industry.

    The NCC, had through a letter dated November 1 and addressed to the telcos, said the interim price floor for data services is No.90k/MB for big operators, adding that the rate will remain in force pending the finalisation of the study on the Determination of Cost Based Pricing for Retail Broadband and Data Services in Nigeria.

    In response to the regulator’s directive, MTN sent a text message to all its customers, preparing their minds for a new  data tariff regime. The short text message read: “Dear customer, please be informed that from 1st Dec, some MTN data tariffs will be increased to reflect the new rates set by the NCC to operators. Thank you.”

    The letter was titled: Re: Determination of an Interim Price Floor for Data services, it read: “We refer to our letter dated July 29, 2016 and the Industry Stakeholders meeting that was held on October 19, 2016 where telcos were asked to comment on the interim price floor for data services.

    Perhaps, that was the most unpopular decision ever taken by the regulator in over a decade. It attracted a flurry of condemnation from every sector of the economy except from the big telcos. The NCC had to suspend the implementation of the ‘direction’in the interest of the public.

     

    International termination rate hike

     

    NCC increased International Termination Rate (ITR) from N3.90 per minute to N24.40 per minute, a 525 per cent increase.

    ITR is interconnection charges set by mobile traffic carriers on calls originating from other networks. Though the regulator did not give reasons for the hike, notice it issued dated October 5 read: “The Nigerian Communications Commission, on September 16, 2016 reviewed the termination rate for international inbound traffic from N3.90/min (about $0.013 today) to N24.40/min. The interim rate will subsist pending the conclusion of the study of the Determination of Cost Based Pricing for Mobile Voice Termination Rates.”

    NCC’s over 525 per cent increase in the ITR could be traced to a recommendation in an analysis prepared by its Policy, Competition & Economic Analysis Department last year.

    In an Assessment of International Voice Traffic Termination Rates, NCC noted that while regulatory authorities tend to protect service providers and consumers, telcos and the government would prefer higher rates that bring in hard currency and can fund investment, expand domestic network, fund innovation and improve quality of service (QoS).

    It also notes that revenues from international calls are seen as means of cross-subsidising domestic calls. This is tagged to a symmetrical system that shows money flows from developed to developing countries as most traffic originates from rich countries and high settlement rates favor the recipient countries.

  • Stakeholders want History back in schools

    Stakeholders want History back in schools

    It was an exciting moment at the Aquinas Catholic Church in Awka, Anambra State, when seven-year-old Chinecherem Umeogu was introduced as the traditional ruler of Aquinas Model Primary School.

    Not only that, the youngest monarch in Nigeria introduced his cabinet which included his Traditional Prime Minister, another seven-year-old Chinemeze Uzoezie and their Lolo (wives).

    Personalities at the event that included members of the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) and the industrialist, Mr. Godwin Ezeemo were thrilled when the monarch and his cabinet were performing their rituals.

    It was during the visit of Ezeemo and the members of the PTA during the visit of stakeholders to the students.

    The lads seemed well rooted in the customs and traditions of the land as the young monarch, with his staff of office in his hand, blessed Ezeemo, the Catholic Priests and the school teachers.

    Rev. Dr. Anthony Akabogu and the leader of Progressives People’s Alliance (PPA), Mr. Godwin Ezeemo called on parents to give their children solid foundation for the society to be free of crimes.

    In the process, the PPA leader donated a school bus, 85 text books and 320 exercise books to the school.

    While advising the pupils, Ezeemo said: “Be obedient to their parents and elders and be always committed to their academic careers, describing them as the leaders of tomorrow.”

    He said they were the future hopes of Ndigbo, adding that the current leaders have failed the people.

    However, he was not happy that history is no longer part of the curriculum in Nigeria’s school system, adding that without it, the children would not be abreast of the happenings in the society and would not know what happened in the yesteryear in order to correct what might go wrong in the future.

    He, therefore, pleaded with the federal and state governments to reinstate history in the country’s education curriculum to help the present generation who, according to him, were the future leaders.

    For Rev. Father Akabogu, if the children were not given the basic foundation, it would likely spell doom in the society.

    He said without quality education, crime would rise in the society, which he said had been the bane of the country.

    The young monarch, who spoke with Southeast Report, said he learnt the ways of life and customs and tradition of his people from his parents.

    He further said he always liked to listen to traditional rulers in any function, adding that without the elders, the children would not learn anything in terms of tradition.

  • Stakeholders clamour for professional to head NTDC

    TOURISM stakeholders are agitating for the appointment of a professional to mount the saddle of leadership at the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC).

    This followed the removal of the former Director General of the national tourism agency, Mrs. Sally Mbanefo.

    According to them, the need to appoint a core professional has become necessary in the light of the critical role the tourism is expected to play in the Nigerian economy in the light of dwindling oil revenue.

    “Tourism is a serious business all over the world. It is specialized. Anybody without deep industry knowledge cannot succeed. That is why we have had failures. If the government is serious, it sees tourism as a viable sector capable of creating revenue,”said a stakeholder.

    Among those being touted as a possible fit for the headship of the government parastatal are : Mr. Ikechi Uko, Mr. Nkereuwen Onung, Mr. Ini Akpabio, Mrs. Stella Obinwa, Mr.Gabe Onah, Chief Samuel Alabi, Mrs. Uloma Egbuna, Mrs. Victoria Soluade, Jemi Alade, Otunba Ayo Olumoko and Mr. Kabir Malan.

    Uko comes with wide experience and insightful knowledge of the sector. He was a member of a Vision 2020 sub-committee.He has been publishing the African Travel Quarterly (ATQ) and organizes the only travel fair in West Africa, the annual Akwaaba African Travel Market that holds annually in Lagos.

    According to an industry source, he has cut a niche both in the tourism and aviation sectors as an informed and very knowledgeable expert.

    “This is what we need in the sector, as this knowledge would help grow the whole gamut of travel and tourism in Nigeria. You know tourism cannot  function without aviation in Nigeria,” the source said.

    Mr.  Onah, Chairman, Carnival Calabar Commission, is a graduate of Theatre Arts from the University of Calabar.

    In 2001, the then Governor of Cross River State, Mr. Donald Duke appointed Onah as a government spokesman and his Special Assistant on information.

    In 2003, he was deployed to the Department of Culture and Tourism and in 2006 he was appointed the Managing Director of the Cross River State Tourism Bureau, a position he held until the end of Mr. Duke’s tenure, as Governor of Cross River State. He had since superintended the rise of the Carnival Calabar to global heights.

    Onung, President, Nigerian Association of Tour Operators (NATOP), Managing Director, and owner, Remlords Tours and Car Hire Services.

    Alade is the foremost inbound tour operator and founding member of NATOP . His tour company is regarded as the leading inbound tour operators in Nigeria. He is among the few tour operators that privately initiate overseas marketing trips to sell Nigerian tourism products, most especially festivals to foreign tourists.

    Chief Alabi, the Board of Trustees, Chairman of the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN), is the Legal Adviser of Eko Hotel and Suites. He was also the former President of FTAN.

    Otunba Olumoko is the First National Deputy President of FTAN. He is the Marketing Consultant for the Osun Osogbo festival since 2002.

    Obinwa, the Director of Marketing for Africa, Dubai Tourism, has been part of the Nigerian travel industry during her stint with Nigeria’s foremost online booking company, Wakanow.com, She has superintended increase in the market share of Dubai as a tourism destination in the African market.

  • Stakeholders make case for diversification of economy

    Concerned about the parlous state of the economy on account of the dwindling oil receipts, stakeholders at the 8th meeting of National Council on Industry Trade and Investment in Abeokuta, has useful suggestions on the diversification of the economy away from oil. Franca Ochigbo, was there

    In its quest to ensure diversification from oil to the non-oil sector, all roads led to Ogun state recently. The event was at the 8th meeting of National Council on Industry, Trade and Investment to brainstorm on how to fast track and implement policies on diversification.

    During the interface and discussion session, former President Olusegun Obasanjo called for an increase in the volume of trade internally and externally, stating that this is one of the ways Nigeria can get the nation out of the present recession.

    He maintained that there should be aggressive coastal shipping system to boost trans-African trade with other countries on the continent from the current 12% to about 22%. Nigeria needs to spend less on goods that the nation could do away with, earn more from the manufacturing sector and borrow to finance critical sectors of the economy.

    “There is need to embrace financial discipline with the necessary political will to implement the various policies and programmes of the government aimed at taking the country out of recession. Constituency projects by members of the National Assembly must stop, we must embrace increase in the volume of trade internally and externally and the establishment of a commodity exchange to ensure stability in the prices of agricultural produce,” he said.

    Echoing similar sentiments, Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo said if the government can resolve the issues concerning pipeline vandalism and focus on a sustainable diversification policy they are already getting it right, stating that the loss of about 60% of the gas for power generation and 60% of revenue were largely responsible for the economic challenges currently facing the nation. He dismissed prediction that the recession would last till the year 2020 and assured that the government would not rest until the problem is solved.

    The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment Dr. Okechukwu Enelamah on his part pointed out that  the strategic focus of the ministry’s master plan for diversification and growth of the Nigerian economy in partnership with private and development capital to leverage and catalyse resources for diversification and growth.

    In the communiqué issued at the end of the session, the experts stated that the efforts of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (FMITI) in addressing some of the bottlenecks impeding industrialisation, trade and investment through laudable initiatives as encapsulated in the four pillars of the Ministry and applauded the achievements made so far in some specific sectors of the economy such as the automotive, cement, sugar and micro, small and medium enterprise (MSMEs) sectors leveraging on making Nigeria a leading investment destination in Africa.

  • Call tax? Not at all, say stakeholders

    Call tax? Not at all, say stakeholders

    Central Bank Governor Godwin Emefiele has advised the Federal Government to explore the imposition of a new tax on calls made above three minutes, among other measures, to shore up revenue as the recession takes its toll on our fragile economy. Stakeholders in the telecoms industry have kicked against the suggestion. They say such a tax will further stunt the growth of the sector, which they claim is the gold mine of the Federal Government, LUCAS AJANAKU reports.

    Though the forum was not designed to discuss tax issues or how to raise money to finance Federal Government’s budget deficit, the economic recession ravaging the nation made the idea of discussing how to pull the economy out of the woods almost inevitable at every forum organised by professional bodies.

    So, when the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, found himself amongst his professional colleagues during this year’s Annual Bankers’ Dinner organised by the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) in Lagos, he used the occasion to proffer solutions to the cash crunch problem bedeviling the nation.

    When he mounted the podium and was handed the microphone to deliver his keynote address, all the bank CEOs listened attentively.

    He said: “There are several ways we can raise additional revenue to finance the increased expenditure that is needed to engender fast and sustainable growth in the economy.

    “I think we can consider introducing a negligible telecom surcharge to be entirely borne by the initiator of a call. In order to protect the poor and vulnerable amongst us, we could structure it to only take effect after the third minute of talk.

    “Some analyses have indicated that the government could earn about N100 billion per annum from this alone. Obviously, this surcharge will mainly be borne by middle and upper class people since I do not know many poor people who make calls for more than three minutes!”

    On other plausible new sources of raising funds, Emefiele said: “Nigeria could consider introducing minimal property taxes across the country. This not only raises money for the government but also could be a veritable weapon against corruption since it creates a database of who really owns homes in this country.

    “Another option to consider would be to fully implement the 2003 Cabotage Act. This Act stipulates that all cargoes and passengers in the inland and coastal waters be transported by ships and ferries built, owned, crewed and manned by Nigerians.

    “Contrary to the requirement of this Act, there are several foreign-owned vessels providing shipping services locally. Out of about 600 ships that operate within our waters, only about 60 of them are owned by Nigerians and are mostly idle, in violation of the Act.

    “Industry sources suggest Nigeria may be losing as much as N2 trillion annually from this anomaly. In addition to raising revenue, a full implementation of the Act could also spur job creation, capacity building, and significant backward integration.”

    According to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), mobile telephone subscription increased from 149million in Q2 of this year to 153million as at September and teledensity moved to 109 per cent.

    Telephone density or teledensity is the number of telephone connections for every hundred individuals living within an area. It varies widely across the nations and also between urban and rural areas within a country.

    There are currently five Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) in the country. They are Airtel Nigeria Limited, Etisalat Nigeria, Globacom Nigeria Limited, MTN Nigeria Communications Limited and NATCOM Consortium trading as ntel.

    Fixed/Fixed Wireless Operators include IPNX, 21st Century Nigeria Limited, Glo Wired and MTN Wired in that order that have contributed to the growth of the sector meaningfully while Smile Communications provides Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services among others.

    Reacting to the CBN’s suggestiion, the Chairman, Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, said the group disagreed with the CBN’s proposal. He warned that it will put spanners in the wheel of government’s ambition of growing the industry.

    In an email response, he said:  “We disagree with the proposal to introduce telecom call tax: this will impact on accessibility and affordability of telecom services. It will also contradict government’s broadband penetration objectives of achieving 30 per cent by 2018.

    “Telecom is the most affordable service today and introduction of any further taxes and levies will impact on the users in the face of current economic recessions.

    “Government should rather look widening the tax net and capture more people who are currently not paying any taxes other than further taxes on telecom services.

    “Unconfirmed  report has it that there are less than 20 million Nigerians who currently pay any taxes to government, meaning there could be well over 50 million people who are taxable and are not currently captured in the tax net: government should focus more effort in this regard than having to introduce more taxes on already heavily over – burdened industry.

    “The CBN governor should be more concerned about how to stabilise the falling rate of the naira against major international currencies and give us access to foreign exchange to procure highly needed hardware and software to keep the industry running than recommending more taxes on telecom services.

    “Any taxes on telecoms will have significant impact on our subscribers and threaten the growth of the industry.”

    Similarly, the Association of Telecommunications  Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) described Emefiele’s suggestion as prescribing the wrong therapy for the ailing economy.

    Its President, Mr Olusola Teniola, said the suggestion from the apex bank’s chief was technically and economically wrong as it will do no good to the economy.

    “Contrary to the CBN governor’s belief, it is the poor people who make more calls than the rich. So, the proposal is not targeted at the middle or higher class. I have not seen any industry where you don’t want people to use your products or services more. We want people to be speaking longer,” he said.

    Teniola said the proposal that people should cut their phone calls after three minutes had not been founded on any sound economic theory.

    “In fact, you will now see that people will be cutting their calls. It does not make sense, not only technically but economically, to apply that kind of thinking as a tool or solution out of the present economic recession, it is not going to work,” Teniola said.

    He said instead of the ‘calls tax’, ATCON had already proposed a one-per cent value added tax (VAT) increase across all sectors to the Senate leadership.

    “This is a more realistic measure toward getting more revenue for the government,” Teniola said.

    The ATCON president said the ICT industry is seen as the sector that would help lift the country out of recession, warning however that it should not be killed via excessive taxation.

    The President, Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), Prof Adesola Aderoumu described the suggestion as dangerous, especially at this time when the average Nigerian is looking for what to eat.

    He said the imposition of such a tax on the industry will not be in the interest of the nation, adding that the Federal Government should explore partnering with local ICT companies to proffer autochthonous solutions to the nation’s economic problems. “That is the way to go to salvage the economy and bring it out of recession,” Prof Aderoumu said.

    Also reacting, the President, National Association of Telecoms Subscribers of Nigeria (NATCOM), Deolu Ogunbanjo, said if the CBN governor has run out of ideas on how to steer the economy to the path of recovery, he should seek advice from experts.

    According to him, there are already about 26 different taxes and levies in the telecoms industry, warning that any additional tax, under any guise, will amount to an overkill.

    He said telephony has become a source of succour for the poverty-ravaged masses of the country. He added that subscribers now take solace in their mobile phones to keep in touch with their loved ones.

    According to Ogunbanjo, Ghana has reduced the duty payable for the importation of mobile phones from 50 per cent to 10 per cent while it has also reduced cost of acquiring subscriber identification module (SIM) cards from 20 per cent to 10 per cent.

    In Liberia too, he said an attempt by the regulator to increase call tariff was resisted by the people about two weeks ago.

    Instead of imposing additional yoke on the subscribers and the telcos, he said the Federal Government should tighten the noose around economic saboteurs, plug the remaining leaking holes in the system where tax payers’ money are frittered and also ensure that companies all companies remit VAT to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).

    Ogunbanjo lamented that some 70,000 companies operating in the country are still not captured in the tax net. “All these companies should be captured in the tax net; the telecoms industry is already reeling under heavy taxation. Inflation has taken a huge toll on workers’ disposable income while wages have not been increased,” he said.

    The telecom sector added nearly N1.4 trillion (1.11 per cent growth in the real term) to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the third quarter (Q3) of this year.

    Reports released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) at the weekend, showed that the sector contributed N1.398 trillion representing 1.11per cent addition to the GDP. Although this figure is slightly lower than the N1.5 trillion recorded in Q2 of this year, the NBS said the figures reflected the signs of the times.

  • Okere-Urhobo crisis: Stakeholders berate community leader

    concerned residents of Okere-Urhobo Kingdom in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State have accused a chief of escalating the crisis in the area.

    In a statement by Alex Eda, Emmanuel Eminokanju, George Eburu, Ochuko Akporiaye and Onome Egboro on behalf of the residents, the stakeholders accused Okumagba of usurping the duties of legally constituted authorities.

    But Okumagba said those labelling him a troublemaker were at the root of the crisis in the kingdom.

    The community leader said his accusers were soiling the name of the kingdom by engaging in violence.

    In their statement, the stakeholders expressed anger at the attempt by Okumagba’s group to ostracise two founding families.

    They said the kingdom was founded by five families: Olodi, Itifo, Makro, Ighogbadu and Oki, not just three, as Okumagba and his people were reportedly peddling.

    Describing the Land Committee, chaired by Okumagba, as an illegal entity created to usurp the duties of the legally constituted Community Management Committee, the stakeholders said the chief’s activities had set him against the community.

  • Stakeholders laud Sterling Bank’s financial inclusion drive

    Stakeholders laud Sterling Bank’s financial inclusion drive

    Sterling Bank PLC has received commendations from communities where it activated the financial inclusion drive and promoted financial literacy during the World Savings Day (WSD).

    The WSD held last week and Sterling Bank, a pioneer in financial literacy and inclusion, having launched the Agency Banking system in 2014, joined other financial institutions globally to celebrate the Day in 12 locations across the six geo-political zones in the country.

    From Igede town in Osun State, Iwo in Oyo and Yaba in Abuja, where the bank activated the financial inclusion drive and Government Science Secondary School, Naman, Adamawa, Government Secondary School, Bichi, Kano and Federal Government College, Omu Aran in Kwara State, it was praises galore for the bank seen as a the major promoter of financial inclusion and literacy in the country.

    The Onigede of Igede,  Highness, Oba James Adelusi Aladesuru, praised the bank for selecting the town as a beneficiary of the programme adding that the gesture would not only promote financial inclusion drive but support the economic development of the town. The monarch also called on the lender to see the need to establish a full fledge branch in the town.

    “Igede people are very industrious. We are into agriculture and a lot of people come from every part of the state to buy goods from us so there is a lot of economic activities in the state. So, the establishment of a bank in the town would further promote economic activities and lead to the development of the town,” he said.

    For the people of Yaba, a rural community in the Federal Capital Territory and Iwo in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, the financial inclusion programme organised by the bank “has opened our eyes to the importance of embracing banking having listened to the various advantages”.

    A high chief of Iwo town, who would not want his name in print, was delighted that the bank could give out small loans to those who bank with them to expand their businesses at a very reasonable interest rate.

    His words: ”Ours is a small community, and we trade everyday so we keep our money with us because the banks are concentrated in the city center. But with the assurance that the Agents would always be available to assist us and that we could also bet small loans to expand our business we are confident that our people would take advantage of this to grow our business”.

    To celebrate the WSD, the bank adopted two locations across each of the six geopolitical zones where IT deployed staff in engaging pupils on financial literacy and financial inclusion to reduce the number of people excluded from the banking sector.

    The celebration of the WSD started in 1924 during the first International Savings Bank Congress. To promote savings, banks celebrate WSD with the support of schools, clerics, as well as cultural, sports, professional, and women’s associations.

  • Foundation solicits stakeholders’ supports

    Foundation solicits stakeholders’ supports

    Arm of Hope Foundation (AHF) is an international non-governmental organisation (NGO) based in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital. It has offices in various parts of the country.

    The foundation is dedicated to the plight of the oppressed, indigent and neglected citizens, including victims of Boko Haram insurgency, Fulani cattle herdsmen, natural disasters as well as hunger/poverty-stricken individuals.

    The foundation also carters for the sick who were abandoned in hospitals  for lack of funds to pay their bills and innocent Nigerians that were wrongly charged and thrown into prison.

    Over the years, the foundation has made significant contributions in some states, mostly in areas such as Borno, Niger and Plateau where activities of Boko Haram insurgents and Fulani herdsmen are more devastating.

    They also have over 1,600 students in various universities under their scholarship scheme among other philanthropic involvements.

    According to the founder and sole financier of the NGO, Apostle Eugene Ogu, the organisation was formed in order to reduce the growing rate of poverty and hardship among Nigerians.

    Ogu noted that activities of the organisation were part of his contributions towards building a peaceful and harmonious nation, mindful that government alone cannot provide all that the people need.

    However, due to the current economic recession, it appears to be increasingly difficult for the foundation to meet its responsibilities and obligations to its beneficiaries.

    In the circumstances, the foundation decided to visit The Nation Newspaper’s office in Port Harcourt to solicit partnership of benevolent Nigerians, corporate organisations and other NGOs  to enable it to carry on with the task of alleviating the sufferings of Nigerians. The visit was also a platform to formally introduce the 14-year-old self-sustaining NGO to members of the public.

    Apostle Ogu, who is also the founder of The Abundant Life, led four other members of the executive on the visit. They were received by the Regional Manager Southsouth Operation of The Nation Newspaper, Mr. Shola O’Neil.

    During the visit, Apostle Ogu spoke on the interventions the NGO had carried out in various parts of the country since it began operation 14 years ago. He also spoke of some plans the organisation has towards taking some youths off the streets and make them less inclined to crime.

    “We visited Maiduguri in 2006 when the insurgents burnt done 58 churches, 64 victims roasted and over 3,000 persons displaced. During that visit, we were able to assemble and rekindle hope in the victims. This, we did by rendering financial assistance to each of the victims. The least amount given to them was N30, 000 as majority of them received N50, 000 and above.

    “Today, one of the outstanding victims, Mrs. Hannatu whose five children were roasted in the attack, is the Maiduguri coordinator of the NGO, in charge of the scholarship scheme of the foundation.

    “Also in Dogo Nahawa community in Jos, Plateau State,  354 people were killed in an attack.  AHF visited the community, saw the level of despicable act done to the community and its residents and decided to participate in the burial funeral of the victims.

    “After the mass burial, we assembled the community and made a list of the dead victims and their families and later brought 28 of the women whose husbands were killed in the event to Port Harcourt where we camped and trained them in skill acquisition. We also provided grant of N150, 000 for each of the victims, even as we provided relief materials for them before returning them back to their home town to begin a new life.

    “The foundation equally offered scholarships to all the children whose parents were killed in the mayhem from the level they were when the incident happened to the university level.

    “Apart from the above, AHF built its first philanthropy school in the community, named Arm of Hope Memorial Grammar School. It was in commemoration of those that died in the attack. The school is still functioning and all the children that were affected by the attack attend school there free. But all the workers in the school, including the teachers, are our employees and receive salaries from us like every other school.

    “We discovered that potable water was one of the major problems in Dogo Nahawa community. So, we decided to sink borehole to ease the problem.

    “Currently, we are planning Hope Transport Scheme for youths of the community. We noticed that they are basically unemployed. So, we are planning to get empower at least 50 of them with tricycles and motorcycles to enable them to earn a living and assist their families.

    “Also under AHF scholarship scheme, we have over 1,600 students in various universities across the country. These are children of poor widows who have no meaningful income to send them to school as well as brilliant but indigent students that have nobody to assist them.

    “We also have a distinct widows’ support scheme where we train them on skill acquisition, give them start-off packs to begin a business to fend for their families. We also render assistance to indigent and sick people who were held hostage in hospitals after treatment for the inability of members of their families to pay their bills.

    “Also the foundation’s legal department is on ground to provide free legal services to innocent but poor people who were falsely accused and imprisoned. Many people have benefitted from this as they have been released from prison,” he said.

    Speaking further Mr. Ogu said the foundation is also involved in the provision of walking aides, artificial limbs to handicapped persons and amputees to enable them to move about and fend for themselves.

    “However, as a result of the financial difficulties caused by the current economic recession, it is no longer easy for the foundation to cope with the burden of discharging its responsibilities to its beneficiaries. Nigerians are going through a lot of challenges that responsive religious organisations, NGOs and individuals that have the wherewithal cannot ignore.

    “My appeal is that the rich in the society should help the poor around them.  The gesture will enhance peaceful co-habitation and help in preventing people from committing suicide,” he said.

    Responding, O’Neil praised the benevolence of the founder as he engaged in activities that impact directly on the lives of indigent public. He prayed God to continue to give him good health and substance to continue on the “difficult but possible task”.

    He assured him of the readiness of The Nation Newspaper to partner with them in all their activities and outreaches.

  • Stakeholders set agenda for newly elected Africa airports’ chief

    Aviation stakeholders have set agenda for the newly elected President of Airports Council International (ACI), African region , Saleh Dunoma.

    They  urged him to use his position to play a pivotal role in aviation growth in the continent .

    The stakeholders said he should use his new assignment to reposition how  to run airports for enhanced efficiency and profitability .

    His huge profile, they said, provides high expectation for the office as Nigeria has always demonstrated its leadership position in delivering on target for continental bodies.

    Dunoma, who is managing director of Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), was elected last week in Maputo, Mozambique during a regional conference and exhibition by the global airports body.

    Reacting to Dunoma’s election, industry consultant and Chief Executive Officer  of Belujane Konsult, Chris Aligbe, said it signified the high rating and confidence ACI-Africa has on the FAAN boss and acknowledgment of the pivotal role Nigeria was playing in the continent’s air transport industry.

    The aviation consultant observed that it was due to the country’s strategic position that “Nigerians are heading very important organisations in Africa and beyond”.

    The media consultant to FAAN on ACI-Africa, Yakubu Dati, in his reaction after the emergence of Dunoma said: “By this election, Dunoma has made history as the first Nigerian to preside over the body made up of 62 members, operating 250 airports in 47 countries throughout the African continent.

    Former Managing Director of FAAN Richard Aisuebeogun said besides the well-horned experience of Dunoma and his personal contribution to Nigeria’s aviation sector, “his election was also enhanced by the fact that Nigeria is a major player in the council”.