Section 18: Power of Minister to require information about hire-purchase business, etc.

(1) The Minister may by regulations published in the Federal Gazette make provision-
(a) for requiring persons who carry on, or have carried on, the business of disposing of goods by means of hire-purchase or credit-sale transactions, or of making funds available for the purposes of such transactions, to furnish to the Minister, at such times and in such form as may be prescribed by the regulations, such information relating to the business as may be so prescribed;
(b) for prescribing penalties for offences against the regulations not exceeding-
(i) in the case of an offence involving the furnishing of false information, imprisonment for a term of two years or a fine of one thousand naira or both;
(ii) in any other case, a fine of two hundred naira.
(2) The Minister, or the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry on his behalf, may authorise in writing any officer of the Ministry to act as an inspector under this section; and any person so authorised may, for the purpose of enforcing any regulations made under this section, and on producing his authorisation if so required, enter at all reasonable times any premises used for the purposes of any such business as is mentioned in subsection (1) of this section and-
(a) inspect any books or documents on those premises which appear to him to relate to any such business; and
(b) take copies of, or of anything contained in, any such book or document.
(3) A document which purports-
(a) to authorise a person whose full names are set out therein to act as an inspector under this section; and
(b) to be signed by the Minister or the Director-General of the Ministry,
shall, except in so far as the contrary is proved, be deemed to be a valid authorisation under this section of the person named therein.
(4) Any person who wilfully obstructs or delays any person in the exercise of his powers of entry, inspection or taking copies under subsection (2) of this section shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding one hundred naira.
(5) If any person discloses, otherwise than on the directions of the Minister or for the purposes of legal proceedings taken in pursuance of regulations made under this section, any information obtained by him-
(a) by virtue of any such regulations; or
(b) in the exercise of any power conferred by subsection (2) of this section,
he shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years.