KEMI OMONIYI
The Independent Shareholders Association of Nigeria, (ISAN), has called on the Federal Government to lift the ban on certain vital food imports for the country to benefit from the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), agreement.
The National Co-ordinator, Dr Anthony Omojola, disclosed this to journalists ahead of its forthcoming 7th triennial delegates’ conference and gala night scheduled to hold this week in Lagos.
According to him, “There is an obvious need for the Central Bank of Nigeria and Ministry of Finance to use the instrumentality of the favourable monetary and fiscal policies to stem the ravaging hunger and inflation in the country. There should be unbanning of certain vital food imports for the country to benefit from the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement. The Federal Government should be able to grant tariff reliefs to certain industries and reduce taxes for some sectors to reduce the operating cost of businesses.”
He further disclosed that: “ISAN has been engaging the government on the unclaimed dividend which becomes statute-barred after 12 years and returned to the companies that declared it, based on the provisions in the Companies and Allied Matters Act, CAMA.
“However, the new Finance Act has taken it to six years and created the Unclaimed Funds Trust Fund. Thank God I have been nominated as one of the Governing Council. So I will ensure shareholders are protected.’’
On its 7th triennial delegates’ conference, he said: “As the name states, is a three yearly event which all our members and all strategic stakeholders in the nation’s economy and the Nigerian capital market in particular always eagerly look forward to. This event is used to address issues that are pertinent to Economic Development and Corporate Governance.’’
