Private companies operating in Nigeria are to contribute five percent of their net profit as levy to the Police Trust Fund. This was reflected in a Bill, known as Nigeria Police Trust Fund (Amendment) Bill, 2019, which President Muhammadu Buhari assented to today, July 3.The Bill, which was one of the nine the President signed into law, said that an amount constituting another five percent of the total revenue accruing to the Federation Account would also be part of the sources of the fund for the Police Trust Fund.
Another source of funding, the new law states, is any take-off grant and special intervention fund as may be provided by the Federal, State and Local Government of the federation, such as may be appropriated “to meet the objective of this Act by the National Assembly in the budget.”
The grant may also consists of grants, donations, endowments, bequests and gifts, whether of money, land or any other property from the sources; money derived from investment by the Trust Fund.
“The Fund is to be listed for meeting the training and re-training needs of the personnel of the Nigeria Police Force and its auxiliary staff within and outside Nigeria; for the purchase of equipment, machineries, including operating vehicles for the Nigeria Police Force; for the construction of police stations, provision of living facilities such as quarters or barracks for the Nigeria Police Force.”
Others are to finance the procurement of books, instructional materials, training equipment for use at Police Colleges and such other similar training institutions, among others.
“The Board of Trustee shall consist of Retired Inspector-General of Police, Inspector-General or his representatives, as an ex-officio as member and an Executive Secretary as Chief Secretary, (serving) as Chief Executive of the Fund.”
The full text of the nine Bills which President Buhari signed into law is reproduced here:
1. The Nigeria Police Trust Fund (Establishment) Bill, 2019 is established to provide funds for the training and retraining of the personnel of the Nigerian Police Force as well as provide state-of-the-art security equipment and machineries to improve the general welfare of the personnel of the Nigeria Police Force.
The Bill provides for funding from the following sources:
(a) An amount constituting 0.05% of the total revenue accruing to the Federation Account;
(b) A levy of 0.005% of the net profit of companies operating business in Nigeria;
(c) Any take-off grant and special intervention fund as may be provided by the Federal, State and Local Government of the Federation;
(d) Such money as may be appropriated to meet the objective of this Act by the National Assembly in the budget, among other sources;
The Police Fund shall consist of:
(a) An amount constituting 0.05% of the total revenue accruing to the Federation Account;
(b) A levy of 0.005% of the net profit of companies operating business in Nigeria
(c) Any take-off grant and special intervention fund as may be provided by the Federal, State and Local Government of the Federation;
(d) Such money as may be appropriated to meet the objective of this Act by the National Assembly in the budget;
(e) Aids, grants and assistance from international bilateral and multilateral agencies, non-governmental organisations and the private sector;
(f) Grants, donations, endowments, bequests and gifts, whether of money, land or any other property from any sources;
(g) Money derived from investment by the Trust Fund.
The Fund is to be listed for:
(a) For meeting the training and re-training needs of the personnel of the Nigeria Police Force and its auxiliary staff within and outside Nigeria;
(b) For the purchase of equipment, machineries, including operating vehicles for the Nigeria Police Force;
(c) For the construction of police stations, provision of living facilities, such as quarters or barracks for the Nigeria Police Force;
(d) To finance the procurement of books, instructional materials, training equipment for use at Police Colleges and such other similar training institutions, among others.
The Board of Trustee shall consist of:
(a) A Retired Inspector-General of Police;
(b) Inspector-General or his representatives, as an ex-officio member
(c) An Executive Secretary as Chief Secretary as Chief Executive of the Fund
2. The Nigeria Natural Medicine Development Agency has been established to provide research, develop, promote, collate, document and preserve Nigeria’s indigenous (traditional) health care system.
Among others, the Bill seeks to:
– Cultivate and grow medicinal, aromatic and pesticidal plants and ensure proper identification of active substances used in natural medicine practice and translation of relevant information into Nigeria languages;
– Establish model experimental farms and activity centers in each of the six geo political zones of the country;
– Establish and maintain a virtual and digital library and national databank, information references centre on Nigeria’s indigenous (traditional) health systems, medication and non-medication healing arts, sciences and technologies;
– Research, collate, document and disseminate all published and unpublished research works and findings on all aspects of traditional medicine, products and practices including medicinal, aromatic and pesticidal plants indigenous health sciences and technology;
– Support, facilitate and promote the conduct of safety assessment, observational studies and clinical trials of Nigeria traditional therapies;
– Stimulate, support, and facilitate the development of policies and legal instruments for the protection and preservations of the nation’s intellectual property rights, traditional medicines knowledge and biodiversity; and prevent bio piracy;
– Educate practitioners of traditional medicine to improve their products development and practice skills and encourage the documentation of their traditional medicine knowledge through sensitization and interactive workshops and training.
3. Suppression of Piracy and other Maritime Offences Act, 2019 is promulgated to give effect to the provision of the United Nations Convention on the law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982 Convention for the suppression of the unlawful acts against the safety of Maritime Navigation (SUA) 1988 and its protocols.
One of the key objectives of the Act is to prevent and suppress piracy, armed robbery and any other unlawful act against a ship, aircraft and any other maritime craft, however propelled, including fixed or floating platform.
This Act applies to any person on board a –
(a) Ship or aircraft navigating in, on or above the territorial and internal waters of Nigeria or on or above international waters; and
(b) Fixed or floating platform in, on or above the territorial and internal waters of Nigeria or on or above international water.
The Act states that ‘’where a state of armed conflict exists to which Nigeria is either a Neutral Party or a Party to the armed conflict and the conflict has a maritime aspect involving Nigeria, the Laws of Armed Conflict shall apply in addition to the provisions of this Act.’’
4. Institute of Transport Administration of Nigeria Bill, 2019 is charged with the responsibility for advancing the study, training and transport management and administration in Nigeria.
The objectives of the Institute are to:
(a) Set standards of practice and determine the knowledge and skills to be attained by persons seeking to become registered members of the Institute and practice as Chartered Transportants and reviewing those standard from time to time as circumstances may require;
(b) Secure, in accordance with the provisions of this Act, the establishment and maintenance of register of Students, Associate Members, Members and Fellows of the Institute and the publication from time to time of a list of those members entitled to practice as Chartered Transportants;
(c) Perform such other functions, as may be necessary for the advancement of the Institute and the transport management profession.
5. National Institute of Construction Technology and Management (Establishment) Bill, 2019 is established to provide full time and part-time courses of instruction and training in construction and engineering technology, applied and management sciences and other fields of study, and make provisions for the general administration of the Institute.
The Act empowers the Institute to among others:
(a) Provide full-time and part-time courses in construction and engineering technology, applied and management sciences and other fields of study leading to the award of Ordinary National Diploma, Higher National Diploma, Certificates in specialized programmes;
(b) Provide facilities and encourage research in all areas of focus to aid the development of Nigeria in the areas of industry, commerce, technology and engineering;
6. National Agricultural Seeds Council Act, 2019 repeals the National Agricultural Seeds Act, CAP. N5, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and establishes the National Agricultural Seeds Council to promote and stimulate the development of dependable seed industry, regulate and control the released varieties, protect the farmers from the sales of poor quality seeds, facilitate the production and marketing of high quality seeds in Nigeria, and provide legal backing for official testing certification, sales, importation, exportation and use of seed.
This Act also promotes greater private sector participation in the seed subsector in line with the current agricultural seed policy globalization and export trade promotion.
7. Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme Fund (Amendment) Act, 2019 amends the Agricultural Credit Guarantee Fund Act CAP. A11, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 to enhance the capital base, expand the coverage of the Scheme, increase the size of the loanable fund, increase membership and give more powers to the Board.
Section 5 of the Principal Act is amended by –
(a) substituting for the words, ‘one hundred million Naira,’ in line 1, the words, fifty billion Naira;
(b) inserting a new subsection ‘’(2)’’ –
‘’(2) The fund of fifty billion Naira may be increased by such amount as the Board may be determine and that amount shall be distributed in a proportion as the Board may prescribe’’ and
(c) renumbering the section appropriately.
8. Federal Capital Territory Primary Healthcare Board (Establishment) Act, 2019 provides for the development and operation of primary healthcare structure, equitable distribution of primary healthcare facilities and effective access to healthcare services within the Federal Capital Territory.
The Act states that the Board shall:
(a) provide guidance and oversight for the provision and efficient running of PHC systems for all residents of the FCT;
(b) approve all annual work plans, budgets, programmes, capital expenditure, and projects, any other major undertaking that may be necessary to enhance the functions of the Board;
(c) Approve budget for submission to the Health and Human Services Secretariat to be included in FCTA budget estimate proposals to the National Assembly;
(d) mobilise funds necessary for the provision of effective and efficient PHC services;
(e) undertake capital projects as needed to improve PHC services in the FCT.
9. Federal Capital Territory Hospitals Management Board (Establishment) Act, 2019 is aimed at providing for the development and operation of primary healthcare structure, equitable distribution of primary healthcare facilities and effective access to healthcare services within the Federal Capital Territory.
The Nine Acts have come into effect as laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
