The Nation Newspaper

Tag: chinese firm

  • Chinese firm invests $200million in Nigeria

    Chinese company, the Lee Group, has invested some $200 million in Nigeria in the last five years.

    Its Chairman, Sheau Lee, made this claim at the inauguration of a footwear factory at Kijawal community in the Ringim Local Government Area of Jigawa State.

    Lee said his company has also employed 25,000 Nigerians across the states and its catchment areas..

    He thanked the Federal Government for its support to the company since it opened shop 44 years ago in Nigeria.

    The chairman stated that the footwear factory in Kijawal community would provide 1,500 direct jobs.

    He said the factory was currently producing 20,000 pairs of shoes and that the figure would increase to 120,000 when the factory reached its peak level.

    Lee said his company has concluded plans to cultivate about 12,000 hectares of land for sugar cane production  in Gagarawa and Sule-Tankarkar communities in the state.

    He said: “We equally have plans to go into rice and tomato production in the state as well as juice manufacturing.”

    The state Governor, Alhaji Muhammad Badaru, said that his administration was committed to making the state viable through industrialisation, stating that the footwear factory was a testimony that the state was ready to create an enabling environment for investors.

  • Manager, two others arrested for ‘defrauding’ Chinese firm of N50m

    • Suspect in property acquisition spree

    The sales manager of a Chinese firm that undertakes sales, distribution, supply and marketing of agro-allied products such as pesticide and other agricultural chemicals, Femi Eric Omotunde, has allegedly been arrested by operatives of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS), Lagos State Police Command, Ikeja, Lagos.

    Arrested with the middle-aged suspect were his alleged cohorts, namely: John Olawale Olamiyan, identified as the warehouse chief security and Saidu, a co-security personnel of the company with head office at Plot 817, Ifeanyi Uba Crescent, Omole Phase II, Lagos and branch offices in the Western, Eastern, Southern and Northern parts of Nigeria including Kotangora, Niger State.

    According to a source, the Assistant General Manager of Eagrow Nigeria Company Limited, Mr.  WU Hongzhou, through the company’s lawyer, Deji Roland and Terry Badmos Adeniji and Co., petitioned the Inspector General of Police.

    On several occasions, it his said that the AGM undertakes internal auditing of stock in the warehouse.  On one occasion, specifically October 20, 2015, he discovered that some staff of the company, including Omotunde, Olaniyan and Saidu, who are sales manager, warehouse chief security and security man respectively, had allegedly fraudulently sold goods worth approximately N50 million with the money paid into their individual bank accounts.

    The source disclosed that further investigation by the AGM showed that Omotunde has since 2014 operated two bank accounts to perpetrate the fraud and that the suspects individually lodged several sums into the said accounts amounting to N50 million.

    He gave the account details as follows: Keystone Bank; Name: Femi Eric and First Bank Plc; Account Name: Omotunde Femi Eric.

    It was also revealed by the AGM that one Alhaji Sanusi paid N10 million into Omotunde’s First Bank account, representing sales of goods bought from the company, which caused the company great financial loss.

    Omotunde was arrested on December 3 while in a meeting at the company’s head office in Lagos.  According to the Deputy General Manager, Jackie Guo, represented by Lin Guoliang, the company discovered the fraud because it audits the accounts every year. It discovered that there was low patronage and low income in the statement of account and goods from the year 2013 to 2015.

    He said the company usually counts goods every one or two months. The warehouse, he said, is small and goods are packed in palates. Each palate contains 100 cartons of goods coming in and going out.

    It was discovered that there was a hole inside the warehouse through which goods were siphoned.

    Mr Guoliang said: “We suspected Femi and the security men, and when the police arrested him, he confessed. We also discovered that he inflated transport fare, put additional cartons in the ones distributedto customers. Instead of 100 cartons, he packaged 110.

    “He also brought his own truck to convey the goods from the warehouse in Kotangora to Sokoto and sold it to one Alhaji Mohammed based in Sokoto. The 100 cartons he supplied to him cost N900, 000, which was paid into his personal account, and nothing was paid into the company’s bank account.

    “Femi also allegedly sent 100 cartons to one Daniel of 1K Agro located at Road Block, Zuru, Kebbi State in 2013 and 400 cartons worth N3, 000, 000 which was paid into his personal account.

    “The company also discovered that Femi allegedly used the money to build a mini-estate in Kotangora, Niger State,” said Guoliang, adding: “He also built a four-bedroom duplex in Minna, Niger State and bought two plots of land undeveloped in Kotangora. He also had an uncompleted building. He also bought a trailer and car, and there were deposit slips made by customers to his account.

    “When the security man noticed that what Femi was doing was illegal, he used his phone to take pictures and capture them whenever they were carrying out the goods.”

    Guoliang revealed that the fraud made the company to close down, and the staff of 20 were sacked, adding that such fraud can discourage foreign investment in Nigeria.

    Following the arrest by the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS), many Agro- allied companies are reportedly scrambling to also get the suspect arrested once he is through with the security enforcement unit of the Lagos State Police Command.

  • Ortom signs MoU with Chinese firm

    Benue State government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a group of Chinese companies under the auspices of CGC Alliance.

    It was signed for the industrial and commercial revitalisation of the state.

    Areas of focus include coal power plant, potable water and irrigation, renovation of agriculture service centres, building of Makurdi-Guma Road and reticulation of water in Makurdi, Otukpo and Katsina-Ala.

    Others are airport and industrial park construction, sugar cane plantation and refineries.

    Governor Samuel Ortom signed on behalf of the government in his office in the Benue Peoples House. The Managing Director of the group, Tony Ye, signed on behalf of the companies.

    The governor expressed confidence in the ability of the group to deliver, as it had built the Otobi and Katsina-Ala water works.

    He said although the state owed CGC a huge amount on the two projects, he appealed for understanding, assuring that his administration would do its best to honour contractual agreements.

    Mr. Ye said companies could team up under the alliance to handle infrastructural projects, if given the opportunity and thanked the Ortom administration for inviting them to partner in the development of the state.

    The governor has appealed to the Bill Gates Foundation to consider the whole value chain in its approach to promote the cultivation of cassava and rice in Benue.

    Ortom, who spoke when he received a delegation from the Synergos Institute, led by Adewale Ajabi, on behalf of the foundation, expressed the willingness of the state to partner viable investors and create an enabling environment to boost investments.

    He said unless attention was given to the value chain, the cassava produced would be wasted.

    Ajabi noted that the foundation was willing to collaborate with the government to assist in cassava and rice processing.

    He said the objective was to assist farmers to get value for their produce and boost the state’s economy.

    The governor also received a delegation from the Mutual Union of Tiv in America (MUTA), who were in the state for a health fair.

    He assured Mr. Doo Gar and Mrs. Tivzenda that although things were difficult, the state would assist the team.

     

  • Oyo, Chinese firm sign MoU on light rail

    The Oyo State government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a Chinese firm, CCECC, for the building of a light rail transport system covering about 24 kilometres within Ibadan, the state capital.

    Speaking at the ceremony, which took place at the Executive Council Chambers of the Governor’s Office, Ibadan at the week-end, Governor Abiola Ajimobi described the development as another milestone in his administration’s quest to modernise major cities in the state.

    He said  the project was long overdue for the state with a

    population of over 10 million, stressing that any city with a population of at least two million required a light rail system of

    “We believe that in our quest to modernise Oyo State, particularly in

    the area of transportation having a light rail system is a sine qua non.

    “Ibadan as a city, and indeed, Oyo State, with over 10 million people, is overdue for a rail system that can move people in large numbers from places to places. Rail is the largest and most effective transportation system to achieve this.”

  • Chime signs industrial park MoU with Chinese firm

    Chime signs industrial park MoU with Chinese firm

    Enugu State Governor Sullivan Chime has said that his government has put in place adequate measures and infrastructure that has made the state more than ready to host investors from around the world.

    The governor stated this during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the State Government and a Chinese Company, Goalmark Group for the establishment of a mega industrial park in Enugu.

    He noted that the measures which, according to him, have already triggered an influx of both local and foreign investment into the state were to be sustained and strengthened.

    He stated that due to the importance the government attached to the project, it has already provided a large expanse of land for the establishment of the Industrial Park and would also ensure that all necessary facilities were provided to ensure its successful take off.

    “This project is dear to our hearts, we are full of expectations and we want to see GoalMark Group developing the place immediately. The land in question is immediately available and we are making sure that all necessary infrastructure including proper access road to the estate will be put in place”, he said.

    Chime also noted that the Industrial Park will complement the massive infrastructural development of Enugu City that his administration had embarked on to give it a brand new and modern outlook.

    The leader of the delegation from Goalmark Group which has its headquarters in Beijing, China, Mr Lin Feng said the company decided to go ahead with the project after a careful study that confirmed Enugu as a conducive place for it.

    He disclosed that the project which, according to him, will cost billions of dollars to complete, will bring massive investments to Enugu from all over the world and ensure the tremendous improvement the economy of the state and environs.

    He said that the park will comprise investments in such major areas as cement, coal, power and water treatment plants as well as cassava and rice processing concerns.

    Feng added that the project will also entail the establishment of a specialised school for training of manpower to handle the various investments that the park will be attracting and called for continued support of the government to ensure that all of its objectives are met.

    He expressed delight that the project has become a reality and commended the government for its commitment towards ensuring its successful take off.

     

  • Chime signs industrial park MoU with Chinese firm

    Chime signs industrial park MoU with Chinese firm

    Enugu State Governor Sullivan Chime has said that his government has put in place adequate measures and infrastructure that has made the state more than ready to host investors from around the world.

    The governor stated this during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the State Government and a Chinese Company, Goalmark Group for the establishment of a mega industrial park in Enugu.

    He noted that the measures which, according to him, have already triggered an influx of both local and foreign investment into the state were to be sustained and strengthened.

    He stated that due to the importance the government attached to the project, it has already provided a large expanse of land for the establishment of the Industrial Park and would also ensure that all necessary facilities were provided to ensure its successful take off.

    “This project is dear to our hearts, we are full of expectations and we want to see GoalMark Group developing the place immediately. The land in question is immediately available and we are making sure that all necessary infrastructure including proper access road to the estate will be put in place”, he said.

    Chime also noted that the Industrial Park will complement the massive infrastructural development of Enugu City that his administration had embarked on to give it a brand new and modern outlook.

    The leader of the delegation from Goalmark Group which has its headquarters in Beijing, China, Mr Lin Feng said the company decided to go ahead with the project after a careful study that confirmed Enugu as a conducive place for it.

    He disclosed that the project which, according to him, will cost billions of dollars to complete, will bring massive investments to Enugu from all over the world and ensure the tremendous improvement the economy of the state and environs.

    He said that the park will comprise investments in such major areas as cement, coal, power and water treatment plants as well as cassava and rice processing concerns.

    Feng added that the project will also entail the establishment of a specialised school for training of manpower to handle the various investments that the park will be attracting and called for continued support of the government to ensure that all of its objectives are met.

    He expressed delight that the project has become a reality and commended the government for its commitment towards ensuring its successful take off.

  • Why public communication project was delayed, by chinese firm

    Chinese equipment vendor, ZTE, has said the National Public Service Communication System (NPSCS) was not completed on schedule because of difficulties in getting land for the erection of base transmission stations (BTS) and problems with Customs.

    Deputy Managing Director, ZTE Nigeria Limited, Brielle Gao, said during a visit to the Matori, Lagos Corporate office of Vintage Press Ltd, publishers of The Nation that it was a relief the project has now been delivered to the government. The project, she added, has helped to provide answers to some security questions in the country.

    “We are buidling a completely secure security platform for the Federal Government across the nation. The project has about 700 BTS as component. The BTS will provide the platform for the whole country. The implementation was slightly delayed because of issues on securing land for the BTS and customs. The contract was awarded by the Federal Government and it has been handed over to the government,” she said.

    Gao dispelled insuinations that the security solutions installed by the firm in the country were of obsolete technology, adding that over the years, ZTE has built a reputation for providing security solutions to more than 40 countries across the world. She said the allegation was baseless as there is no evidence to substantiate the claim.

    “ZTE is a global security solutions provider. One of our best selling solutions is the security solutions we provide to the world. This system is called the global trunkey system. It has been sucessfully implemented in more than 40 countries around the world including Nigeria. ZTE is worried about the misinformation making the rounds about the quality of our solutions. We may be forced to take legal action against those peddling the rumour because they don’t have the evidence but just spreading rumours all over the town.

    “All the solutions that we have provided for Nigeria is the same provided all over the world in recent time. In China, it is the same thing. If you go to Ghana, Senegal and some other African countries where we have this security communications project, all the projects are the same,” she said.