Home / Labour / OF SENIOR CIVIL SERVANTS OF NIGERIA ON WEDNESDAY 19TH DECEMBER,2019 ON THE DESPERATE MOVES TO SELL CALABAR, KANO FREE TRADE ZONES, AND TRANSFER NEPZA FUNCTIONS TO NSEZCO, A PRIVATE FIRM

OF SENIOR CIVIL SERVANTS OF NIGERIA ON WEDNESDAY 19TH DECEMBER,2019 ON THE DESPERATE MOVES TO SELL CALABAR, KANO FREE TRADE ZONES, AND TRANSFER NEPZA FUNCTIONS TO NSEZCO, A PRIVATE FIRM

Gentlemen of the press, we invited you here today to inform you of the desperate moves by the Honourable Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Okechukwu Enyinna Enelamah and his close allies in the Ministry, to usurp the functions and duties of Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) through a private company called Nigeria Special Economic Zones Company Ltd (NSEZCO).
You will recall that the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) wrote a petition dated 7th of August 2018, to President Muhammadu Buhari. This was after the Association had written a letter dated 14th of June 2018, to the Honourable Minister seeking clarification in respect of the planned sale of Calabar and Kano Free Trade Zones without acknowledgement and response from the Honourable Minister.
The Association’s petition to Mr. President was for him to be in the picture of what the Honourable Minister and his co-travelers are planning, which include to mislead Mr. President and other members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) to believing that NSEZCO is a Public Company, hence the inclusion of the word ‘Nigeria’ in the Company’s name during its registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).
After being queried by Mr. President as a result of the Association’s petition, the Honourable Minister wanted to hold a town hall meeting with NEPZA staff in order to give an impression of having taken the workers’ view into consideration on this NSEZCO project. At the town hall meeting, the Honourable Minister and his entourage were booed. That, however, forced the Honourable Minister to meet with the Leadership of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) led by its Secretary-General, Comrade Alade Bashir Lawal at the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment on 23rd October 2018. At the meeting in which the Honourable Minister was represented by the Permanent Secretary, it was revealed that this project which turns out to be a hoax is between the Honourable Minister and his SA, who took the position of a director in the NSEZCO, while the entire Ministry seems to have been cut-off in the project matter.

Gentlemen of the press, it will interest you to know that NSEZCO was incorporated with the CAC on 12th of June 2018. Just two weeks after its incorporation, precisely on 27th of June 2018, the Honourable Minister deceitfully presented a memo to FEC seeking its approval for registration of the company that had been incorporated earlier; and as well as for NSEZCO to be the holding entity for all FGN investment and proprietary interest in existing and future Special Economic Zones (SEZs).
In addition, the Honourable Minister wrote a memo to Accountant General of the Federation, that a total sum of N14, 376,027,584.65 (Fourteen Billion, Three Hundred and Seventy Six Million, Twenty Seven Thousand, Five Hundred and Eighty Four Naira, Sixty Five Kobo) be transferred to the NSEZCO from the NEPZA 2017 appropriation meant for the upgrade of the existing two public Free Trade Zones to world class standard (Calabar and Kano Free Trade Zones) which was swept back to treasury at the end of 2017 fiscal year.
It is worrisome to note that Nigeria Special Economic Zones Company Ltd was actually floated to usurp the functions of NEPZA. The Association believes that at a time like this when this current administration is seen to be winning the anti-corruption crusade, a member of the cabinet could engage in activities that are capable of besmirching the image of Mr. President.
Also, the establishment of a company to administer free trade zones and expending public funds which were set aside for development and promotion of free trade zones in Nigeria, on such a company, would amount to duplication of functions as NEPZA is already established by law to perform such functions.

It is very disturbing, that after Presidential intervention in this NSEZCO matter, the Honourable Minister could still go ahead to request the Minister of Finance to transfer the funds which were appropriated in 2017 for project MINE to NSEZCO. This is fraudulent.
The management of NEPZA has responded and warned against transferring the funds to NSEZCO, because it is against the enabling law setting up the NEPZA.
NEPZA in its letter with Ref: NEPZA/LS/SF/093/X addressed to the Accountant General of the Federation quoted section 4(a) of NEPZA Act where it is provided that, in addition to any other functions conferred on the Authority by the Decree, the functions and responsibilities of the Authority shall include the administration of the Authority and Management of the Zones.
Section 5(2) of the Act states that the Managing Director shall be responsible for (a) preparation of plans, annual programmes and budgets (b) the recommendation of bye-laws applicable in each zone: (c) development of strategies for the promotion of the zones inside and outside the country. Also provision of section 2(2) of NEPZA Act states that the Authority shall be a corporate body, with perpetual succession and a common seal and may sue and be sued in its corporate name and shall be capable of holding or disposing any movable or immovable properties for the purpose of carrying out its functions”.
The letter which was signed by the Managing Director of NEPZA, Bar. Emmanuel Jime also said that the Authority is a creation of the Act of the National Assembly, thereby every operation and activity including her finances are guided and regulated by the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority Act, CAP N107, LFN, 2004 as well as other appropriate and relevant laws of Nigeria.
According to him, since the funds in question were originally appropriated for specific purposes under the appropriation Act, 2017, any directive for the transfer of funds from monies duly appropriated would have to follow due process.
The question begging for answer is ‘How can a company that was incorporated in June 2018 by CAC as privately owned, take over the functions and duties of another establishment that was a product of an Act of Parliament?’ Your guess is as good as mine.
It will also interest you to note that just like the way the Honourable Minister misled the Federal Executive Council in the first memo introducing NSEZCO, he has also misled President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday 7th December 2018 to witness the signing of a definitive agreement between NSEZCO and Eyimba City Development Company Limited. Another question is ‘how will a private company sign agreement on behalf of Federal Government over a matter under the jurisdiction of an existing Federal Government establishment.
With the level of unprecedented desperation exhibited by the Honourable Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment on this NSEZCO matter, the union suspects that, by now, he would have been mounting pressure on the DG Budget Office of the Federation to get funds for the NSEZCO in the 2019 Capital Budget Estimates submitted by NEPZA. This should not happen under the watchful eye of our dear president, Muhammadu Buhari.
Gentlemen of the press, the Association as a credible and respected organization which believes that things must be done the right way is totally against this project which will turn into a conduit pipe in the hands of the promoters who are working tirelessly for self-seeking rather than advancing the progress and development that would lead to job creation.
THE ASCSN DEMANDS
President Muhammadu Buhari should take a second look at this NSEZCO project as everything about it is shrouded in secrecy and is capable of dragging the good name of Mr. President to the mire when it comes fully to the public knowledge.

The dual role of Mr. Femi Edun as an SA to the Minister and a director in this NSEZCO should be investigated with a view to evoking appropriate sanctions in line with extant Public Service Rules in order to deter potential law breakers.
President Muhammadu Buhari should stop any release of Funds to NSEZCO pending the outcome of the Presidential intervention in this matter.
The Honourable Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment should be investigated with regards to his inglorious role in this NSEZCO saga.

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