A very interesting drama is playing out between the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Christian Association of Nigeria. And it has all the potentials of a thriller; one that the tabloids can increase circulation by and make money from.
The story goes like this. Sometimes in September, Dr Shamsudeen Usman, Federal Minister of Finance addressed the media on why the government had to put on hold the granting of import duty waivers which was put in place by the last administration. He predicated the decision on wide spread abuse of the policy. In the process, he mentioned that some churches were among beneficiaries of the waivers through which certain importers are exempted from paying customs duty on items that would normally have attracted duties.
The Christian Association of Nigeria reacted on October 1 through National Secretary, Engr S. L.S. Salifu. Among other things, he was reported to have knocked the Minister for making unsubstantiated allegations against churches and then failing to reply his letter asking to be furnished with more information about the issue.
Apparently angered by the association’s attempt to impute untoward motives to the policy, the Minister, in a reply signed by his Special Assistant (Media), debunked the claim that he had not responded to their letter. While admitting that the reply was not prompt because the Minister was out of the country, he said a reply to his inquiry had indeed been sent.
The minister wrote: “…We were therefore shocked by your inaccurate and misleading public comments about the subject matter and the person of the Honourable Minister while efforts were on to process your request as directed...”
And in order to put the record straight, the Minister quoted what he described as the relevant portion of his statement at the media meeting as follows: “When we issue these tax incentives, what is the purpose? Are we achieving the purpose, or are we just giving up revenue? I was surprised. When you look at the list… I asked for the full list of all the waivers we’ve given from the Customs, FIRS, especially in those two areas. A lot of government departments are asking, a lot of state governments are asking for these waivers. Then some private sector parties, (you know). And even churches! Some people will say churches? Yes! Churches can get waivers but when you see the amount of money involved, you then ask, what is a church doing with such kind of money? A state government, I mean, somebody is organizing some game, and he gets a waiver to import 600 motor cars. What do you need 600 or 800 motors vehicles for? I mean, there is serious abuse in this area that has to be stopped! “
He pointed out that nowhere in his address to the press did he link the importation of 600 vehicles to any church saying that he “only expressed general reservation over inappropriate issuance of tax waivers to various levels of governments, agencies and non-corporates such as faith-based organizations – because of the massive loss of revenue involved, and the continued implication of this to our nation.”
The Minister then attached, “as a proof of his concern over the possible abuse to which they can be deployed,” two samples of such import waiver details, granted to a particular church, to show “the colossal amount involved, items imported and revenue implication to the nation.”
His conclusion: “Now that you have been adequately availed of facts of the matter, I have no doubt that as a man of God, you will take necessary measures to correct your misrepresentation of the Honourable Minister, especially in the eyes of your members – whom you said had inundated your office with requests for clarification on the subject matter as contained in your letter under reference.”
Saturday Sun, which is my source for most this, has been making a meal out of this developing story. In a front pager that was characteristically headlined, “HOLY SCAM…Obasanjo's church in N20 billion import waiver deals “, the newspaper three weeks ago, detailed some what it sub-headed as a N20billion Deal.
Identifying the beneficiary church involved as “one of the numerous by the Lagos/Ibadan highways which have created infamy for disrupting traffic flow and business activities in the nation at their functions”, the newspaper quoted from what it described as “a very valid and indisputable document obtained from a usually very reliable Presidency source” as follows:
That the beneficiary church “in 2006 got an import waiver of N9,831,109,309.00 through certificate number, BO/REV/12235/S.2/T.133 to import into Nigeria: construction materials; generators and vehicles. But the total value of the imports was N49,155,546,846.00”;
That “in 2007… through a memo number: BO/R10260/V111/161, the church was granted the extraordinary favour to import building/construction materials valued at N48,988,454,876.00 with a total waiver of N9,757,690.975.20. The two waivers total N19,588,800,284,20, while the bulk transactions amount to N98,144,347,130.20.”
Now, it must be stated that it is not unheard of for churches and registered charities to request for and be granted import waivers for goods such as medical equipment, educational materials and items for the needy donated to them from associates abroad. And if a case could be made for building materials, so be it. But the snag in this case, if Saturday Sun is to be believed, was ”that the said building materials were only a generic name used to bring in goods that should ordinarily have attracted huge tariffs.” The newspaper claimed “that some of the items purchased with the waiver include 300 cars - worth $6,923,000, 100 Jeeps (SUV) - worth $8,000,000, Video Equipment - worth $12,000,000.00, Plastic chair moulds - $769, Building materials, etc.”
The import of these – the Finance Minister’s letter to Engr Salifu and the public expose by the Sun – is that the ball would seem to have returned to Christian Association of Nigeria’s court. It now has a duty to get to the root of this matter and make its findings public, whatever that may be.
Interestingly the call to integrity in the church is not restricted to Nigeria. A similar scenario is playing out in the United States and next week we shall together examine what I see as this new move of God.
TO MY FRIEND, TUNDE
Olufemi Iyanda Omo-Baale, better known as Femi Ogunleye was the Public Relations Manager at Nigeria Airways at the time of this little tale. But this is not a piece about Omo-Baale who has since become the Baale of his Akinale, Ogun State community. He had facilitated a trip for yours sincerely to the United Kingdom and requested that I delivered a message to a certain friend of his.
Dutifully, I called up this friend of his and since he was out, left a message with his wife. On getting the message, this friend called me, wondering what I was doing in a hotel room and offered to come pick me up the following day, if it was alright by me. He did and that was how I met Stephen Babatunde Fagbenle, who you sure know simply as Tunde Fagbenle, now a syndicated columnist.
Tunde’s place, then at Tavistock Road, was in the late 70s and early 80s the alternate Nigeria House. It was a place many Nigerians found the succour, the general assistance that the Nigeria High Commission could not offer. His was that place where you could find eba, okro and cowleg at virtually any hour of the day.
We became friends and subsequently business partners, publishing together, Nigeria Banking Annual (incorporating Who’s who in Nigeria) and instituted the prestigious Nigeria Banker of the Year Award, among many other things.
Tunde does nothing by half! He is a full time husband, father, friend, club member, tennis player whatever! Whatever Tunde does, including being your friend, he does with all his heart. He and his wonderful wife, Buki, last year played parents to our dear son during his graduation at Richmond, (the American International University in London). He as usual did so with all his heart. He’s probably going to scold me for all of this, but I feel so good doing this. I once sent him a text in which I said that his life preaches more effective sermons than many fiery preachers do from their pulpits. He mildly rebuked me for it, but that about sums up my feeling about this wonderful man who turned 60 recently.
I could not be part of the celebration in London, and somehow never got to hear about the Nigerian “edition” until it was over and done with. Here then is my toast to a man with a heart of gold. God bless and keep you Tunde, and reveal himself to you in an even greater dimension in the years ahead.
First published in a Nigerian Daily, the Sunday Independent, published in Lagos Nigeria.
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