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Author: Francis Onyeukwu

  • Curbing revenue wastage as panacea for Nigeria’s development

    Curbing revenue wastage as panacea for Nigeria’s development

    By Francis Onyeukwu, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

    Many states and even the Federal Government often cite paucity of funds resulting from poor revenue base as the reason for their inability to provide developmental projects and pay minimum wage to workers.

    This argument has persisted overtime, in spite of multiple revenue windows which abound for governments to explore to boost their revenue bases and face the task of governance frontally.

    Revenue derived from natural oil and gas forms the bulk of the funds shared by the federal, states and Local Government Areas at monthly the Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) meeting.

    However, other revenue streams abound but are not well harnessed due to various reasons which are not far from ignorance, ineptitude and corruption.

    The sources of revenue vested in the federal, state and local governments by law are much given the abundance of natural resources and mega population of Nigeria.

    For the state and local government alone such revenue windows include, taxes on businesses and individuals, licensing of commercial activities, property rates and land use charges.

    It also includes levies on markets and motor parks, permits and fees on construction and development, waste disposal, taxes on luxurious goods among others.

    Economic analysts believe that with a population estimated at no fewer than 200 million people, Nigeria is a huge market for taxes, levies and transfers, among other Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) options.

    But baseline question is: are these revenue windows properly tapped and managed by government?

    Why is it that season and out of season, governments keep complaining of paucity of funds to address the challenges of governance?

    Mr PaulChuks Umenduka, Anambra State Director, Woman and Family Advancement Initiative (WAFAI), an NGO, said the local government’s revenue drive had been hampered by the state governments who have literarily hijacked that tier of government.

    “If the local government areas are allowed to operate as stipulated by law they will be alive to their responsibilities, including collection of taxes, levies among other revenues,’’ he said.

    Umenduka says with the practice by which governors now superintend over the allocations due the council areas and what they spend the money on many activities will suffer.

    According to him, under this practice, revenue windows will either lie fallow or given out to revenue contractors for political patronage thereby creating avenues for potential wastage gaps in the system.

    Umenduka said worried by the losses incurred by the local government as a result of state governments interference in their finances, WAFAI recently urged the Federal Government take deliberate steps to make that them truly autonomous.

    He said this should include giving the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) the powers to conduct elections for all the tiers of government.

    He said if such amendments were effected in the constitution by the 10th National Assembly the IGR of local governments would return to impressive status.

    According to him, local government revenue in Nigeria is an important component of the country’s economy, and is essential for providing basic services to communities.

    He said while there were challenges to ensuring a stable and sustainable revenue base, local governments continue to explore new revenue opportunities and improve their service delivery.

    Mr Dom Iwuoha also holds that a lot of revenues due government were lost through engagement of contractors to man their revenue windows.

    Sharing a life experience, Iwuoha said he almost lost his life when he was employed as a revenue agent by a politician who had a revenue collection contract at Naze Industrial Market near Owerri.

    “As one of the agents, our duty was to collect tolls from vehicles that came into the market and at later we checked the daily collections and delivered the money to our principal.

    “I was oblivious of the usual practice by the old workers that after daily collections, they keep back almost 90 per cent of the money they made and hand over about 10 per cent to the owner of the revenue window as what they made.

    “When after the close of work that fateful day, we calculated the monies we realised and the `boys` said how much we are to pay into our principal I told them it was unfair for us to short-change him.

    “Unknown to me that my objection irked the old workers, they said okay, let us suspend the account for that day and do it at the end of the week.

    “When we arrived for work the next day, I noticed a lot of usual movements and discussions amongst the old workers. About the closing hours, some rough looking boys started milling round the place’’, he said.

    He said he escaped being lynched by touts hired by his colleagues because he suggested that they fully account for the money they collected.

    Besides the Iwuoha experience, similar situation abound in many revenue windows outsourced to individuals in parts of the country.

    In many advanced economies grassroots government are take measures such technology to streamline collection processes.

    Mr Michael Amaechi is an agent to one of the third party insurance outfits operating in one of the states in the South-East geo-political zone.

    He has been in the job for about 20 years before he became `chairman` as the leaders are called in their circles, three years ago.

    Amaechi said, before he joined the group, he was a commercial bus driver.

    “The third party insurance job is a money spinning job. But you cannot eat alone if you must last long in the business.

    “At the end of the month, you must make returns to key partners including some top officials of ministry of finance and strategic security personnel that play roles in the business.

    “If you can keep to the rules, what you take home regularly will be substantial to make you rich at a very short time,” he said.

    He said the practice of outsourcing third party insurance was a source revenue leakage and unnecessary waste of IGR that needed to be addressed.

    Federal Capital Territory, (FCT) satellite towns daily disposal household refuse are handled by scavengers popularly called “baba bola’, otherwise a major revenue source for local governments.

    For Mrs Ese Williams, Head Business Desk, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Abuja curbing wastages from revenue windows is a serious one and calls for concern by government.

    Williams faulted taxes collection mechanisms, adding that only government and company employees pay taxes because they were deducted from the salaries.

    She insists that government must rejig the method of revenue generation so as to strengthen stabilise the economy.

    Williams said that Nigeria with its jumbo population and abundant natural resources ought not to operate in lack if its resources were properly managed.

    “I pay more than N40, 000 monthly as tax monthly and yet most business owners making more monies than civil servants do not pay tax and this is unfair to the workers’’ she said.

    Williams regretted that in spite of the burden of living with heavy tax workers were still responsible for providing their own security, water and others that the government was supposed to provide for them.

    “Government should sanitise the revenue windows by engaging institutions with the right digital technology for revenue collections.

    “If this is done, every taxable institutions and individuals including the politicians and business owners will be paying taxes and a whole lot of revenue will be available government to face the task of governance’’ she said.

    She insists that what is currently going on, that giving out revenue windows to relatives and political friends will continue to rob the nation of huge IGR thereby slowing the paces of development in the country.

    “I remember that in the Federal Capital Territory sometime in the recent past, there was reported  case of some revenue agents who printed their own receipts outside the official one they were given,’’ she said.

    Nigeria is a huge market for income generation. However, the safety net to minimise wastage through corruption is not tight enough.

    Governments should sanitise their revenue generation instruments for optimal performance and drastic drop in leakages.

    Only by so doing would they meet the aspirations of the people, including workers who are yearning for an upward review of their salaries. (NANFeatures)

     

    **If used please credit the writer and News Agency of Nigeria.

  • You require paradigm shift to tackle insecurity, unionist tells FG

    You require paradigm shift to tackle insecurity, unionist tells FG

    Chief Bartho Igwedibia, state chairman, Motorcycle Operators Union of Nigeria, Anambra chapter

     

    Security

    By Francis Onyeukwu

    Abuja, June 13, 2024(NAN) Chief Bartho Igwedibia, chairman, Motorcycle Operators Union of Nigeria, Anambra, chapter has  urged the Federal Government to think outside the box in its efforts to tackle the nation’s security challenges.

    Igwedibia, made the call while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja on Nigeria’s 25 years of unbroken democracy.

    He said as the country marks 25 years of unbroken democracy, insecurity remained a serious challenge.

    He said that both the federal and state governments should recalibrate intelligence gathering process.

    “In most advanced countries such as Israel and Germany, commercial transporters and media practitioners are part of security intelligence gathering system and I feel Nigeria should adopt such a measure.

    “Government should partner with groups like motorcycle union, Association of Nigeria Hoteliers, National Road Transport Workers Union and the Nigeria Union of Journalists among others in intelligence gathering.

    “They can help in the smoking out the bad eggs. If adopt this model the problems of insecurity will definitely reduce in the country,” he said.

    Igwedibia commended President Bola Tinubu and Gov. Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra for the giant strides they have made so far in office.

    He said the union duly registered with the Federal Government is a recognised trade union operating in the 36 states and federal capital territory with capacity to contribute to governments’ revenue generation efforts.

    The union leader called on Nigerians to continue to pray for their leaders as well as generate proactive ideas for good governance of the country.

    “As a group, we recently issued a joint solidarity and congratulatory letter endorsed by Chief John Onedibia, National Deputy President, Eugene Chukwumaeze, state secretary and myself congratulating Gov. Chukwuma Soludo for democracy anniversary.

    “The gesture is in demonstration of our loyalty as subjects and that is what we advocate that Nigerians should be doing to President Tinubu and other leaders in the land for them to put in their best,’’ he said.

    He said that the two leaders had good intentions and should be supported by Nigerians irrespective of tribes and creed.

    Igwedibia advised Nigerians to be more sincere in their quest for money, saying that the skyrocketing prices of goods and services being attributed to transporters was rather due to greed of some traders.

    “Most business owners in parts of the country are greedy; they change prices of things arbitrarily and blame it on transporters.

    “If Nigerians should demonstrate pure genuine love in their dealings with others especially business transactions things won’t get bad as it is today.

    “Can you imagine that some people would buy a good for N20, 000, used N1, 000 to transport a unit of the product and fix the price at N40, 000 or more, per unit?, he said. (NAN)(wwww.nannews.ng)

    FEO/KUA

    ========

    Edited by Uche Anunne

  • 25 years after return to civil rule how has journalism fared?

    25 years after return to civil rule how has journalism fared?

    By Francis Onyeukwu, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

    The Nigeria’s media are among the institutions whose role in the struggle for the return of the country’s democracy in May 29, 1999 stand out.

    In fact, the media remained unbowed in the heat of onslaught unleashed by the regime of Gen. Sani Abacha, now late and other military junta.

    Many activists were involved in the struggle that ousted the military junta that hijacked political power through coups and counter coups for cumulative 29 out of 39 years of Nigeria’s independence in 1960.

    Many human rights infractions were committed by the junta as democracy and rights activists such as Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka Ken-Saro Wiwa, Lola Omolol, Dan Suleiman, Ebitu Ukiwe and now President Bola Tinubu battled the military.

    They found partners in a fearless media some of whom witnessed proscriptions and other forms of attacks as they rose stoutly in challenge of the Khaki junta.

    Some journalists lost their lives in the struggle while others suffered other forms of deprivations, including ‘routine’ detention in security agencies’ dungeons.

    But in spite of the contributions made by the fourth estate of the realm, not much respect and recognition seem to have come their way 25 years after the unbroken democratic governance.

    Most journalists, especially those in the private media organisations, are either poorly paid or not placed on salaries.

    The problem of all important training and re-training of newsmen cut across both private and public media organisations.

    Dr Chris Isiguzo, President of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), said it was unfortunate that in spite of their unquantifiable contribution to the return to democracy the media remain under appreciated by the society and politicians.

    “Journalists and media houses took immense risks, often facing persecution, imprisonment, and even death, to ensure that the voices of the oppressed were heard and for the calls on democratic governance to be amplified.

    “The press served as a beacon of hope and a rallying point for pro-democracy activists and groups, relentlessly exposing the injustices and human rights abuses perpetrated by the military regimes.

    “Their courage and tenacity played a critical role in mobilising public opinions and international support for the cause of democracy,” he said.

    Isiguzo says in the 25 years since the restoration of democratic governance, the media has continued to play a crucial role in consolidating and deepening democracy in Nigeria.

    “It has been instrumental in holding government and public officials accountable, advocating transparency, and promoting good governance.

    “Through investigative journalism, the media has uncovered numerous instances of corruption and abuse of power, thereby contributing to the fight against corruption and enhancing public trust in democratic institutions,’’ he said.

    He said the implementation of restrictive laws; especially the Cybercrimes Prohibition Act of 2015 and the occasional hostility from certain government quarters underscore the ongoing struggle for true press freedom more than two decades after return to democracy.

    Isiguzo insists that for democracy to thrive, it is imperative that the government not only respects but actively protects the rights of journalists to report freely.

    “Many Nigerians rely on the media to stay informed and hold leaders accountable. However, the relationship is sometimes strained due to issues of trust and credibility.

    “The proliferation of misinformation platforms and sensationalism in some segments of the media has led to skepticism among the public,” he said.

    Malam Ali Baba Inuwa, the immediate past Head Politics Desk, News Agency of Nigeria believes that poor welfare and lack of common front among media professionals are top on the problems affecting the profession.

    “When the struggle for media salary structure was being pursued it was some journalists and proprietors of media organisations that scuttled it.

    “Yet it was the media that aided the struggle for enhanced salaries for medical doctors, nurses, legal officials and other groups,” he said.

    Inuwa, a retired veteran journalist also said that the albatross of media practice in Nigeria are both the society and government.

    “I began my media practice in the 1990s and the respect for the media then was better than what we are seeing now.

    “In spite the position of the media in the fight for the return of civil rule, the military had good respect and the people held journalists in higher esteem than now.

    “I recalled with nostalgia, in NAN quarters then, it was only two persons that had Volkswagen cars, the salary wasn’t too fantastic and yet people respected us when they noticed we are journalists in social gatherings” he said.

    Inuwa, who recently retired from the services of NAN, said Nigerians, especially politicians, no longer regard the media and their contributions in restoration of civil rule.

    “I was driving an SUV vehicle recently and at a checkpoint, security personnel stopped me, when I introduced myself as a journalist, he said ‘hmm,’ does journalist also drive jeep’’, he said.

    Inuwa, however, urged Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) to sanitise the profession by flushing out quacks, even as he urged the federal government to revisit the media salary structure demand.

    This, he said, was important for Nigeria’s media to effectively operate as catalyst for social change.

    For Emmanuel Ifesinachi, the Vice-President NUJ, South East Zone, it is unfortunate that the media was at the front burner in the struggle for the return of democracy but today treated as the goose that lays the golden egg.

    “Some journalists such as late Dele Giwa were manhandled, brutalised, jailed and even killed in the course of the struggle to restore democracy.

    “It is painful and unbelievable that the Media which served as the oxygen for democracy after its members’ paid high prize for the enthronement of democracy are now seen as misfit, unwanted, irrelevant and liability in the Society.

    “The political class now perceived the media as their enemies either that they don’t understand the function of journalism or they don’t want the society to properly assess information to enable the citizens enjoy full dividends of democracy“, he said.

    Ifesinachi blamed quackery in the profession on poor welfare scheme because authentic newsmen were moving to more lucrative disciplines.

    “The media has been acting as a voice for the oppressed and a platform for pro-democracy movements.

    “During the military regime, journalists faced harassment, imprisonment, and censorship but persisted in exposing abuses and advocating for democratic values.

    “In the 25 years of unbroken democracy, the media has been instrumental in promoting transparency, accountability and civic engagement therefore should be recognised and given its place of honour,’’ said Grace Ike, of ADBN Television Media Organisation and chairperson, House of Representatives Press Corps.

    Ike said challenges such as press freedom limitations, harassment, and the spread of misinformation still persist, requiring efforts to safeguard journalistic independence and integrity.

    According to her, the media should be a cornerstone in Nigeria’s quest for better governance, serving as a watchdog that holds leaders accountable, informs the public, and fosters transparency.

    She observed that those basking in the euphoria of the silver jubilee of the nation’s return to democracy should be made to remember how democracy was won.

    Igwe Nomeh, former state chairman of People Democratic Party (PDP), Ebonyi, shares the same sentiment as Ike.

    He said as Nigeria celebrates democracy rule, the media should be respected for its role in the struggle that gave rise to the celebration.

    “In the dark days of military regime, journalists fearlessly put their lives on the line to expose various human rights violations which attracted both regional and international interests resulting to the return of civilian administration in 1999’’, he said.

    Nomeh added even the political class who today is the highest beneficiary of democracy was not too visible during the struggle.

    “I treasure the contributions of the media because without them, the military would have continued to hold everyone hostage,’’ he said.

    Nomeh observed with regrets that in spite the contributions of the media, not much attention is being given to the sector by the government.

    He recommended a good welfare package and development of the profession through training and re-training as done in other climes.

    It is evident that the media professionals in Nigeria have not been appreciated enough as evident in the poor welfare, working tools and environment in which they operate.

    It is therefore incumbent on media operators, both private and public to re-evaluate what they provide for their media employees.

    That is one of the best ways to ensure newsmen also enjoy the dividends of democracy which they worked for. (NANFeatures)

    **If used please credit the writer and News Agency of Nigeria.