Legislative/ Executive face-off: FEC sets up panel to interface with NASS

Federal Executive Council on Wednesday said it has constituted a high powered committee headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to interface in the rift brewing between the Executive and Legislature.

The committee which is being headed by the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo will have all ministers who are former
National Assembly members, the president’s National Assembly liaison officers and members who have relationship
with the lawmakers as members.

This was part of the far reaching measures taken on Wednesday at the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Recall that the lawmakers had on Tuesday vowed not to touch memos to the lawmakers from the President until the President complies with their demand for the removal of acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC).

This is just as the refusal of the SGF Babachir Lawal and Comptroller General of the Nigerian Custom Service, Hameed Ali, to appear before the Senate had led to frosty relationship between the lawmakers and the Executive.

But briefing State House Correspondents after the weekly meeting on Wednesday, Information and Culture Minister, Lai Mohammed, revealed that members of the Executive were actually losing sleep over the issues, as according
to him, “the executive is concerned that the relationship between the two arms of government is not as smooth as it is supposed to be”.

“In any democracy, it is a continuous struggle for balancing between the Executive and the Legislature because each of them are creatures of the law.

“We must strive at all times to ensure that there is that balance, amity and smooth relationship.”

“Just today at the Federal Executive Council meeting, the issue was discussed and a committee is already working on ensuring that we resolve all these outstanding issues,” he added.

It is however not clear how soon the committee will meet and when the interface will commence.

Also speaking on the cost of President’s medical trip, Alhaji Mohammed noted that the matter has been overflowed as it had come up “several times and our position on the matter is quite straight forward.”

“What are the President’s conditions of service? What are his entitlements in terms of his wellbeing and health care? The state is supposed to take responsibility for these.”

“We believe that asking for how much has been spent on the health of the President is an issue that we should weigh very well both for national security and also for moral issues.”

“I don’t know why we must divulge such very sensitive information”.

“I might be wrong, but I don’t have experience elsewhere that the President of any country will be ill and be forced to disclose how much the state has spent on his health.”

“Yes, there is Freedom of Information Act but it is also carved in such a way that when such information is likely to endanger national security, I think it is an area that is not covered.”

FEC also on Wednesday approved the $500m Eurobond, even as it has directed the office of Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) to enforce provisions mandating companies to list names of their directors on their letter headed papers.

Also briefing the media, the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, disclosed that FEC also approved the 500 million Eurobond, which the National Assembly had approved and council was also required to approve and that was done.

“Council approved the ratification for the establishment of the West African Tax Administration forum which is a platform to promote mutual agreement and cooperation among West African tax authorities.”

“Nigeria is the host of this body but we have ratified the project. The effect of it is that there will be better information sharing and cooperation between countries within West Africa on tax administration.

This is really part of our tax reform efforts.

“As you know, Nigerians own properties in Ghana and other neigbouring countries.

Now for tax purposes, they will be able to have access to that type of information,” Adeosun said.

She also disclosed that FEC also issued a directive to the office of the SGF to remind companies that there
is an existing provision in the law that companies are supposed to have on their letter headed papers the names of their directors and their registered offices.

She said: “What we have seen is that many bodies that are transacting business with government simply have the names of the company and no details of who the directors are.”

“So for tax purposes, it is quite difficult to trace them. So the SGF will be issuing a circular reminding agencies and ministries of government that it is the law and therefore they are at liberty not to treat any document that doesn’t comply with the law.”

“And equally, the Accountant General is being advised that payment will only be effected to companies that are fully in compliance with the law just to make sure that all those who are doing business with government and making
from government are paying the right taxes.”