The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Bola Akinterinwa

  • Firm sues NIIA over intellectual property rights

    A firm, Delhi Media Consulting Nigeria Limited, has sued the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) and its Director-General Prof Bola Akinterinwa at the Federal High Court in Lagos over the alleged theft of its intellectual property.

    In a Writ of Summons numbered FHC/1/CS/1676/14, the firm is seeking a declaration that it is the bonafide owner of an intellectual property attached to an international brainstorming session on “migration and terrorism” which it presented to NIIA for a collaborative execution.

    “The plaintiff states vehemently that it generated solely the funds in the sum of 14million from sponsors for the purpose of executing this project concept and to ensure that the first and second defendants did not dip hands into its own resources to actualise the project,” the plaintiff said.

    Delhi said the defendants, without its consent, held the conference in Abuja from July 24-25, last year at the Conference Hall of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tafawa Balewa House, under the name: ‘15th Special Brainstorming Session on Migration and Terrorism in West Africa’.

    The firm said sometime in 2012, it conceived a project named: “International security summit on migration and terrorism in West Africa” and presented it to the defendants for possible collaboration in execution, adding that NIIA accepted it as Delhi’s intellectual property and held meetings on the project’s literature, list of target groups, speakers and possible sponsors, with NIIA allegedly agreeing to be the institutional partner.

    The plaintiff is seeking a declaration that the project’s execution by the defendants without its consent amounts to unlawful conversation of its intellectual property.

    It is praying for N5million “misappropriated” from the session, and for an order directing the defendants “to furnish the plaintiff with the whole account of the execution of the project, as well as N20 million as general damages for unlawful conversion of intellectual property that belonged to plaintiff in the project.

     

  • Five years of achievement

    Five years of achievement

    Committee of the Indigenous Association of Lagos State (CIALS) held its 5th annual national conference and gave awards to some of its own penultimate Saturday. The event was held at the Awori House in Oregun, Ikeja, Lagos.

    Prof. Bola Akinterinwa, DG NIIA, was the keynote speaker while the chairman was Rev. Julius Akindele.

    The theme of the conference was: ‘National conference: Answering national questions’ and sub theme: ‘Analysis of Yoruba agenda and its implication for Lagos State’.

    The awardees are Chief Saka Akanbi Opeifa, Justice Solomon Olusola Hunponu-Wusu, Chief Babatunde Benson (SAN), Justice Ishola Oluwa (rtd), Chief Muraino Obagun, and Brigadier Mobalaji Johnson.

    They stood tall as they received the award and guests cheered them on. They were given the First CIALS award of good leadership.

    The duo of Taiwo Ogundipe, the Associate Sunday Editor of The Nation and Taiye Akinpelu anchored the event.

     

    Report: OLATUNDE ODEBIYI

    Photo: ABIODUN WILLIAMS

  • Fed Govt urged to revisit oil for infrastructure deal

    Fed Govt urged to revisit oil for infrastructure deal

    THE Federal Government has been urged to revisit its oil for infrastructure deal with China.

    The Director-General, Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Prof. Bola Akinterinwa, said this in Lagos at the institute’s inaugural monthly lecture.

    Akinterinwa, who argued that the oil for infrastructure deal was better than the oil for cash currently practised, noted that accepting it would eradicate corruption in the oil sector.

    He said lack of continuity of policy in governance was a hindrance to economic development and called for a policy, which would foster continuity of development policies, irrespective of change in administration.

    The DG, who lamented lack of positive impacts of the Western World’s treaties with Nigeria, advised the government to re-adopt and negotiate a deal with China on the provision of infrastructure across the country, in exchange for crude oil.

    “Nigeria is challenged by threats of disintegration not because the people want it, but due to deficit in infrastructure.

    “Oil for infrastructure will not only guarantee the most rapid upgrade and development of the country’s infrastructure, but will also act as the most optimal, effective and efficient use of oil resource endowment, while mitigating the unbridled corruption, which has acted as a bane to the nation’s economic growth.

    “From power to transport and communication, health and agriculture, education and financial services, the dearth of critical support infrastructure continues to hold back development, forcing operational capacity to function at sub-optimal levels.

    “It is imperative for Nigeria to explore new sources of development financing by leveraging on its resource endowments, particularly its oil resource, as this will mitigate its exposure and vulnerability to the rather stringent politico-economic conditionality, which has been associated with Western sources of development financing.

    “The oil for infrastructure deal is an opportunity that will be most helpful to the objectives of government’s transformation agenda,” he said.

    At the event were former Foreign Affairs Ministers, Olu Adeniji and Bolaji Akinyemi; elder statesman, Arthur Mbanefo; Special Adviser to Governor Olusegun Mimiko on Energy, Prof. Ige Bolodeoku; former presidential aspirant, Prof. Pat Utomi, among others.

    Mbanefo, who chaired the occasion, said there was need for the country to develop infrastructure, although he disagreed with Akinterinwa that oil for infrastructure would eradicate corruption.

    “The problem is not oil for cash but the system. We run a system, which encourages corruption. Whether oil for cash or oil for infrastructure, what we need to do as a people is get professionals to analyse and negotiate our part of the agreement. We need to know how many barrels that will be taken and also what we will get in exchange and within what time frame.”

    Mbanefo lamented the faulty accounting system in the country, as well as the absence of people with technical abilities in measuring contract deals.

    To Utomi, the benefit of discipline in pursuit of set goals must be emphasised.

    He said Nigerian leaders need to know how to structure the right kind of contract and to also involve the best hands in the negotiation deals.

     

  • Ambassador to China: Treat Nigerians well

    Ambassador to China: Treat Nigerians well

    Nigeria’s Ambassador to China, Amin Wali, has urged Chinese consular officials in Abuja and Lagos to treat Nigerians applying for visas with dignity.

    He said alleged shabby treatment of senior citizens and officials could affect the “smooth operations of diplomatic relations” between both countries.

    The ambassador spoke in Lagos during a special session on Nigeria-China Business Environment, jointly organised by the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) and ICBS Consult.

    “I have received very sad and unpleasant commentaries on the practice and I hope our Chinese friends will turn a new leaf and emulate the practices of other nations in their handling of visa matters,” Wali said.

    The envoy regretted that 43 years after both countries established diplomatic relations, Nigeria had not been allotted land in Beijing, China, to build its chancery or residence on.

    This, Wali said, was despite Nigeria’s allocation of three plots of land (one in Lagos and two in Abuja) to China, where it built its chanceries and residences.

    Nigeria has also given the Asian country another piece of land for the construction of the Chinese cultural centre in Abuja.

    Wali said: “We have made a series of requests for reciprocal offers from the Chinese authorities without success. I wish, therefore, that the Chinese government reconsiders its position on this matter, based on diplomatic principle of reciprocity and shared mutual relations.”

    The envoy said he received numerous complaints on the failure by some Chinese companies to ship goods ordered by Nigerians, the refusal to refund money deposited or paid by importers and the importation of sub-standard products to Nigeria.

    “These are unacceptable commercial practices. We must work assiduously to stem these ugly developments being perpetrated by a few in our commercial relations,” he said.

    The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SFG), Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, who was represented by NIIA’s Director-General, Prof Bola Akinterinwa, said Nigeria was interested in deriving benefits from China’s giant economic strides.

    These, he said, included skill acquisition and technological development to position Nigeria as a regional and global economic player by 2020.

    “The volume of trade between Nigeria and China hit about $13.3 billion in February 2011 and it is expected that trade between the two countries would continue to grow by 15 per cent in the coming years,” Anyim said.

    The Director-General of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) Dr Joseph Odumodu said the agency was tracking importers of unbranded products for conniving with Chinese producers to import sub-standard products.

    “It is when products’ quality abide by acceptable specifications that the quality of life of the people can benefit and this will reflect on the overall economy,” Odomodu said.