Business News
SEC to Investors: Complain Through the Right Channels
By Tony Obiechina, Abuja
The securities and Exchange Commission, SEC has enjoined investors to make use of the Commission’s Complaints Management Framework, CMF, in expressing their reservations if any, in the capital market.
The Acting Director General of the SEC, Ms Mary Uduk who stated this in an interview in Abuja weekend, said the aim of the the CMF was to address the complaints of Capital Market investors.
According to her, the initiative is not only to help investors lay their complaints through the right channel but also assist the regulator in addressing the issues in the shortest time possible.
The DG said: “Before this framework people complained to many offices, some go to EFCC, some go to the police, some go to any person that they think even thugs, to come and get their invesment back but then, it was not yielding fruit and it was dragging the regulator on many fronts, we therefore saw the need to change our strategy and come up with a more robust framework.
“Our current complaints management framework will guide investors and ultimately protect their investments in the market. If you have question about the capital market, you know where to go to”.
Uduk said as a step further, the SEC also now closely monitors and supervises the capital market operators so that the investment of investors are not violated, misused or mismanaged in any way.
“We have now set up a framework where we now monitor them more regularly. We also have other initiatives arising from our 10-year master plan, which is to protect investors and bring confidence in the market such as the e-dividend mandate. When people invest in the Capital Market they expect returns, they expect to make money. So one of it is to be able to protect your dividend and get your dividend as at when due”.
According to the SEC Boss, others are the multiple subscriptions, National Investors Protection Fund that protect investors arising from problems that Capital Market Operators go through other than those of them that are brokers, as brokers are covered by the Nigeria Stock Exchange, NSE.
“In the past, people subscribe for shares and bond in many different names. Some as many as 5, 6 different names and because of that they are not able to get the benefit of investing in the Capital Market. For instance if you have a bank account, a bank account recognizes only one name with only one BVN and therefore if you have different names thay are not your real names and your share certificate does not carry those names and the banks does not recognize those names, you are not able to get the dividend of investing the market.
“Therefore, we have given the stakeholders, the market a window of opportunity for people that engaged in multiple subscriptions to come and regularize those holdings that they have and consolidate them to be able to get the benefit of investing in the Capital Market.
Uduk disclosed that many investors have taken advantage of the window leading to the regularisation of 3.4bn so far, and urged investors to take relevant steps to regularise their multiple accounts.
The Commission had earlier required CMOs to register with their relevant trade groups, to ensure compliance to this directives, SEC also requires proof of registration with these trade groups as a perquisite for operators to carry out transactions or make any submission at the Commission.
According to Uduk, all these steps are geared towards protecting investors in the market and making the Capital Market more attractive to would be investors.
In doing all these, the SEC Acting DG advised retail investors to invest in Collective Investment Schemes and Mutual Funds because those are managed independently by professionals and they are diversified thereby reducing risks.
“We also implore investors to take ownership of their investments. They have to be able to monitor their investments, attend annual general meetings as well as read the annual reports sent out to them.
“The SEC is committed to protecting investors in the work we do. We will keep working on our rules and the possibility of amending them when the need arises, we want more transparency in the market so that investors will feel comfortable and the market can be better” she added.
A payment of N169.4 billion has been reportedly paid by the Federal Government as subsidy in August.
It is alleged the payment was to keep the pump price at N620 per litre.
According to a report by DailyTrust, a document by the Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), reviewed on Wednesday, September 20, showed that in August 2023, the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) paid $275m as dividends to Nigeria via NNPC Limited.
The revelation by FAAC effectively indicates that the subsidy is back and NNPC is now taking NLNG dividends to pay the subsidy, the report added.
Also, the current price stagnation despite the worsening exchange rate and international crude price crossing $95 a barrel suggests a return of subsidy despite the numerous assurances by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that the subsidy is gone.
The revelation by FAAC indicates that the subsidy is back and NNPC is now taking NLNG dividends to pay the subsidy.
Reports by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC), showed that petrol subsidy cost N1.57 trillion in 2021 alone and another N1.27 trillion from January to May 2022.
Another N3 trillion was used to cover petrol subsidy costs from June 2022 to June 2023.
The report comes barely four months after President Bola Tinubu on May 29, declared that there would no longer be a petroleum subsidy as the current 2023 budget did not contain it.
He revealed that the current 2023 budget has provision for the fuel subsidy till June.
Tinubu stated that funds for subsidies would be diverted to other things like public infrastructure, education, health care, and jobs but the removal of subsidy led to a massive increase in the cost of fuel which had a ripple effect on the economy skyrocketing prices of everything.
The CBN on Wednesday in Abuja unveiled a new online platform for the submission licence applications by microfinance banks.
Its Director, Corporate Communications, Mr Isa AbdulMumin, said the platform, known as the CBN Licensing, Approval and Other Requests Portal (CBN LARP), would be the place to process applications.
AbdulMumin said the portal replaced the current manual process where applicants for microfinance banks’ licences submitted applications to the CBN physically.
He said the new portal would improve accessibility, reduce paperwork, and expedite licence approvals.
“In due course, the CBN will extend the platform to other categories of licences.
“The online application system offers numerous benefits, including a simplified process, time saving, enhanced communication, and robust security measures.
“By digitising the application process, the CBN aims to improve accessibility, reduce paperwork, and expedite
licence approvals, benefiting both applicants and the economy.
“Consequently, with effect from Sept. 25, microfinance bank licence applicants are required to submit both hardcopy and online applications (via the CBN LARP) as part of a parallel run,’’ he said.
He added that the parallel run would end on Dec. 31, after which the manual submission of hardcopy bank licence applications would no longer be required and accepted.
“From Sept. 25, prospective microfinance bank applicants are urged to log on to www.larp.cbn.gov.ng to submit their applications,’’ AbdulMumin stressed. (NAN)
An ad-hoc committee of the House of Representatives is quizzing the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) over the sale of 16 vessels for N156.24 million in 2019.
Among the vessels were ML Pategi sold at N3.2 million; ML Misau sold at N1.06 million; PB Kabba sold at N5.
Documents before the committee also showed that NPA sold exotic vehicles like Ranger Pick-Up, Toyota Coaster Buses, Toyota Corolla cars, Toyota Hiace buses, Toyota Camry Salon Cars, among others at cheap prices
The documents equally indicated that NPA sold 45 million other items at the Apapa Port, Lagos in 2022 at N1 each, thereby collecting N45 million after the sales.
The property was sold through an invoice dated Aug. 9, 2022.
The NPA also sold 10,800,700 other items at its Apapa Dockyard in 2021 also at the rate of N1 each, netting N10.800 million in the process.
The documents further showed that NPA sold 20 million scrap metals at the Kirikiri Terminal II, Apapa, at N1 each, thereby netting N20 million also.
Prof Julius Ihonvbere, chairman of the committee adjourned sitting on Wednesday to Sept. 25 to enable NPA officials to prepare answers to questions posed at them.
The officials were directed to bring along with them list of properties slated for auctioning and evaluation reports on the adjourned date.
Ihonvbere said the NPA officials should also present the committee with the names of registered property valuers involved in the transactions.
The officials were also directed to present the valuers’ reports and government approval for the sale of the property from the office of Bureau of Public Procurement.
The officials were also directed to present Certificates of No Objection to the sales by appropriate government agencies and evidence of remittances of accrued revenue into Federal Government’s coffers.
Ihonvbere also told the NPA officials to present bidding procedures, newspaper publications, selection and every other document that could assist the committee in its investigation.
The committee’s job is to unravel the extent of illegal auctioning of public property, non-remittance of revenue realised into the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federal Gove Rep. mourns Rivers lawmaker
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