Expatriate Levy Suspension: NEFGAD Warns Against Recurring Policy Summersault Of Tinubu’s Appointees

The recent suspension of the expatriate levy imposed on employers have excited a procurement advocacy group, the Network for The Actualisation of Social Growth and Viable Development (NEFGAD), but the group is warning against recurring policy summersault of the President Bola Tinubu’s appointees.

The comment is coming less than 24 hours after the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines, and Agriculture (NACCIMA), in collaboration with key stakeholders, announced a temporary step down of the levy introduced by the Ministry of Interior.

The levy which is $10,000 for expatriate workers and $15 for directors is administered by the Nigerian Immigration Service.

Excited by the federal government’s decision, the group in a statement signed by its head of office, Mr Akingunola Omoniyi seen by THE WHISTLER said Tinubu has overtime demonstrated exceptional leadership as one of the most attentive presidents.

But Omoniyi expressed “Concern over the recuring nightmare of policy summersault under the Tinubu administration blaming it on overzealousness of appointees who often hide under the president’s renewed hope agenda to circumvent due process, due diligence and due consultation during policy formulations and project’s implementation.”

The expert said policy summersault is mis-governance with underlining economic and procurement anomalies.

He noted with concern that “Beyond the global embarrassment it generates, government policy or programmes cannot just appear, certain efforts and resources must have been expended before it became public knowledge. Henceforth, scapegoats should be made out of policy summersaults to serve as deterrent.

“Officials cannot continue to waste the resources of the nation on frivolities and activities that lacks such a critical and fundamental element of due diligence.

“What created the summersault in this case of Expatriate Employment Levy is basically lack of consultation by the Interior Minister. He ought to have consulted the stakeholders he is now engaging ab initio and this would have saved the president and the country such a global apprehension and waste of time and resources.”