The Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit, NFIU, will meet with the 36 members of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum in bid to address issues surrounding the governors’ spending of their states’ security votes, towards establishing a better option of managing the funds.
The NFIU, in its letter of 30th March, 2023 and addressed to the Chairman of the NGF and signed by the NFIU Director, Modibbo Hamman Tukur, also invited the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission, ICPC, the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS and the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.
The Diector, Media and Public Affairs
Nigeria Governors’ Forum Secretariat, Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo, stated in a statement on Sunday, that the letter apart from advocating national financial inclusion, it would also to put on the table the uniform development and cooperation on the national addressing and post code project, which would put Nigeria on the same pedestal as all advanced countries across the globe.
According to him, another agenda is an agreement m on a consensus on harmonizing and updating the national tax collection and business entry standards.
He added that it was a requirement to help respond to the FATF and the EU grey listing in which Nigeria appeared.
He explained that the governors of the 36 states of the federation were invited for a meeting with all the economic and financial agencies in the country, with a view to ironing out thorny issues surrounding their states’ security votes, towards establishing a better option of managing the funds.
The meeting is to take place on Tuesday April 4, according to an invitation issued by the Director General of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Mr. Asishana Bayo Okauru, to the governors.
According to him the meeting would be virtual, to ensure full attendance by all the relevant officers in the matter.
“Furthermore, the meeting will also consider deepening the management and expansion of the cashless policy which took effect from the time of the redesigning of the national currency, the Nigerian Naira, last year, to further the financial inclusion of all citizens in the ensuing scheme of things, going forward.
“All Governors are advised to prioritize the meeting as its contents had been discussed at the NGF emergency meeting of Thursday 30th March, where it was unanimously agreed that a meeting with the afore-mentioned agencies was imperative.” The statement said.
