The Nation Newspaper

Tag: EU

  • Brexit, to leave or remain in the EU?

    SIR: As the British people vote today, June 23, to either ‘remain’ or ‘leave’ the European Union, who ever thought that Scottish sentiments for ‘to remain’ in the European Union would be higher than those of Britain? Over 60 percent of folks in Scotland want to remain in the EU and are threatening to push for independence should Britain walk out of the EU.

    What I find bemusing is the argument by the “leave” campaigners on immigration. You would think that London as the financial capital of the world was developed only by the British people and should be occupied only by them.

    And so the palpable gains to the daring campaigners would be the stoppage of citizens of any EU country to live and work in Britain legally.  But how about British people and expatriates who chose to work outside the UK and in the EU? Should they all return to Britain, in a world that guarantees freedom of movement and work anywhere?

    I think the argument of the “leave” faction to take back control of Britain’s immigration policies is flawed. After all Margaret Thatcher it was who said that, “we are a civilised people and we teach the rest of the world how to live.”

    Teaching the rest of the world how to live right to me shouldn’t include nihilism and discrimination but joining of progressive forces to make Europe and the world a better place. That would include spending money on the health care system in caring for the medical needs of immigrants and not wanting out of the EU so as to save those funds for “our country and people.”

    Could it be that the “leave” campaigners are following the principle of Thatcherism, “prestige is a form of power?” “Not sending our own representatives to international commissions but rather settling for representation by E.U. doesn’t make us a powerful nation to reckon with,” one campaigner was quoted to have said.

    But “leave” many have said would hurt the global financial market. It’s almost like doing business in a coup prone country. Nobody likes to do business in an unsteady environment.

    We shouldn’t also discount the fears of those worried about legal immigrants from other EU member countries having the right to come and work in Britain, especially since Turkey’s quest to join the EU is on a fevered pitch and if successful would make her not only the largest country in the EU after Germany but the only majority Muslim country in the EU. Not even Sadiq Khan’s emergence as Mayor can soften such apprehension by the British people.

    If Greece could balk from leaving the EU sensibly when they attempted why not civilised Britain? And are they scared of Turkey? Why weren’t they scared of Sadiq Khan before they elected him into office?

     

    • Simon Abah,

    Port  Harcourt, Rivers State.

  • Reps wade into EU, Nigeria’s beans’ export ban

    Reps wade into EU, Nigeria’s beans’ export ban

    The House of Representatives has expressed disappointment with the decision of the European Union (EU) to extend to three years its ban of the exportation of Nigeria’s dried beans into the European market.

    The initial ban was to lapse  this month before the latest extension due to Nigeria’s inability to work towards the lifting of the initial ban according to the EU.

    The House has, therefore, mandated its  Committees on Agriculture, and Commerce and Industry to investigate the extension.

    Sponsor of the motion of urgent public importance,  Ferdinand Nwankwo (APGA, Anambra) in his debate recalled that last June, the EU banned the export of dried beans from Nigeria on the ground that the produce contained high level of pesticide considered hazardous to human health.

    He said: “The ban was to last till June 30, 2016 to allow Nigerian authorities time to provide an export control plan and assurance that the beans exported complied with EU Minimal Risk Level for Hazardous Substances.

    “It was, however, of  concern that few days to the expiration of the ban, EU had extended it for three years.

    “Several relevant agencies of government including the Standards Organisation of Nigeria  (SON), National Agency for Food, Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment claimed to be collaborating with each other to resolve the issue before close of the deadline.

    “The alleged reason for the extension was that Nigeria did not do enough to lift the ban during the period of suspension but the effect of the extended ban on Nigerian economy should be of concern, especially as the current administration was focused on diversifying the economy through export of agricultural products.”

    The joint Committee has two weeks to carry out the assignment and report back to the House for further legislative action.

  • OPS, EU hail CBN’s flexible exchange rate policy

    OPS, EU hail CBN’s flexible exchange rate policy

    THE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) yesterday got commendation for allowing the exchange rate of the naira to be market-driven.

    The Organised Private Sector     (OPS) under the auspices of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI) and the European Union (EU) through its delegation to West Africa said the  decision will make the local economy more attractive and stimulate growth.

      According to LCCI’s Director- General, Mr. Muda Yusuf,  the policy was in line with the position consistently canvassed by the OPS in the past 18 months.

       On the expectations of the OPS, Yusuf said manufacturers expect improved liquidity in the forex market, significant improvement in the allocation of foreign exchange (forex) and improved  investors’ confidence.

    He maintained that the policy will enhance the flow of foreign currencies into the forex market from capital importation, export proceeds and Diaspora remittances.

    The LCCI chief said the policy will also moderate the exchange rate in future as the supply of forex improves.

    “The policy is a major incentive to exporters as they will have unfettered access to their export proceeds. Besides, the Federation Account will benefit from better revenue inflows from the CBN as sale of subsidized forex comes to an end,” he said.

    He urged the CBN to review its policy on the exclusion of 41 items from forex market, describing  many of the items on the list as inputs for industries.

    According to him, the policy has led to job losses in the manufacturing,  distributive trade  and maritime sectors.

    Besides, he noted that the country has been losing forex earnings accruable  ffrom imports.

    He warned that the retention of the policy could encourage smuggling.

    The Head of Trade & Economics, EU Delegation to Nigeria and West Africa, Mr. Fillippo Amato, said the new policy will attract huge investments into the economy.

    Amato stated that the policy will encourage prospective foreign investors, who have withheld their funds and have no choice but to invest since the value of the naira would henceforth be determined by market forces.

  • EU extends beans import ban from Nigeria

    EU extends beans import ban from Nigeria

    The European Union (EU) has extended the ban it placed in June last year on the importation of dried beans from Nigeria by three years.

    The Coordinating Director, Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS), Dr Vincent Isegbe, who spoke yesterday, lamented that the ban extension came when the Federal Government and its relevant agencies were working to ensure that the June deadline to lift the ban was met.

    The EU had banned the produce on the ground that it contained high level of pesticide considered dangerous to human health.

    Isegbe quoted the official journal of the EU of accusing Nigeria of not doing enough to lift the ban during the period of suspension

    “The continued presence of dichlorvos (pesticide) in dried beans imported from Nigeria and maximum residue levels of pesticides shows that compliance with food law requirement as regards pesticide residual cannot be achieved in the short term.

    “The duration of the importation prohibition should therefore be extended for an additional period of three years to allow Nigeria implement the appropriate risk-management measure and provide required guarantees.

  • EU trains counterparts to access immunisation fund

    To rid the country of children killer diseases, the European Union Support to Immunisation Governance in Nigeria (EU SIGN) has trained its counterparts, such as health workers and accounting officers in the country to access its fund.

    EU SIGN Training, Contracting Advisor/ Procurement Expert, Technical Assistance Team, Aminata Sidibe, assured that the fund was available, but most states did not know how to get it.

    Sidibe, who spoke during the overview and guide for zonal training on the follow-up programme estimates (PEs) financial procedure in Lagos, said 23 states and Abuja were on the list to access the fund.

    She underscored the need for the workshop, stressing that states counterparts’ teams now understood the financial procedures of European Union (EU) projects, especially on spending and documentations (financial prudence). The workshop, she said, were held in Kano, Jos, Calabar and Lagos.

    According to her, N4.3 billion was released by the EU for the operation programme estimate two (OPE II).

    She said N3.7 billion was allocated for equipment and infrastructure, while the remaining N0.6 billion was assigned for other technical activities and logistics.

    Participants, she urged, should study the programme estimate (PE) to know how to write their fund request effectively.

    “The follow up training for the participants was to expose them more to the European Development Fund (EDF) rules and regulations for better management of the on-going PE fund and proper utilisation and consumption of available resources for the planned activities,” she said.

    Immunisation Expert, EU SIGN, Mr James Attah said Nigeria along with its partners, have done so well in routine immunisation as there were no cases of wild polio virus in more than 24 months.

    He said the introduction of new vaccines, such as pneumococcal, and pentavalent, among others, since 2012, have yielded dividend.

    “With this in place, Nigeria is doing very well in preventive healthcare because there are logistics and human resources requirement for immunisation,” he said.

    He said the placement of health workers should not be left to the partners or donors as it is the job of the governments at the three tiers.

    “Health workers should be everywhere so that resources by partners are used appropriately,” he said.

    Attah said the EU procured 777 direct drive solar refrigerators, which were distributed among 23 focal states and Abuja. “These are supposed to be distributed to healthcare centres in villages where there are no national grid. So, the EU is making impact in this regard,” he said.

    He added: “EU programme is supporting states in the areas of routine immunisation, cold store construction and renovations and manpower development.”

  • EU, UNICEF hail Bayelsa on Child Rights Law 

    The European Union (EU) and the United Nations Children Funds (UNICEF), Thursday, commended Bayelsa State for domesticating the Child Rights Act.

    Bayelsa became the 23rd state in Nigeria to ensure the legal protection of children from all forms of violence, through the domestication of the Act.

    It was gathered that UNICEF, the State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, the State Ministry of Justice and civil society groups, especially the Child Protection Network (CPN), advocated for the passage of the law.

    The law was reportedly passed under the Support to Justice Sector Reform Programme, a €26m initiative funded by the EU.

    The law passed by the Kombowei Benson-led state House of Assembly, was assented to on May 6, by the state Governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson.

    The law for the first time in state criminalises violence against children and sets out the role of every stakeholder in preventing and responding to violence against children, which is said to be widespread in Nigeria.

    According to UNICEF, a national survey it conducted in conjunction with the National Population Commission (NPC), the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and UNICEF, in September last year found that six in 10 children suffer one or more types of violence before they reach the age of 18 years.

    Quoting the report, UNICEF said: “One in two suffers physical violence, one in four girls and one in 10 boys suffer sexual violence and one in five boys and one in six girls suffer emotional violence. Most children never tell anyone what happened to them. Less than four per cent ever receive the support they need to recover.”

    The Representative of UNICEF in Nigeria, Jean Gough, who spoke in Yenagoa added: “In response to these findings, President Muhammadu Buhari launched the Year of Action to End Violence against Children, calling on states to take action to strengthen their laws, policies and services to protect children.

    “Bayelsa State has heeded the Federal Government’s call and is warmly congratulated. This groundbreaking law is a significant step in protecting and supporting the millions of children suffering physical, sexual and emotional violence every year in Nigeria”.

    In his remarks, Dickson said the law would offer protection for children in the state.

    He said: “I am delighted that the new Child Rights Law will offer protection for children in Bayelsa state. I stress that anyone caught violating the rights of children will be prosecuted according to the provisions of this new law”.

    Also, the Head of EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Michel Arrion, welcomed the domestication of the Act by Bayelsa State.

    Arrion urged other states which yet to do so to follow the example of the state saying: “Bayelsa has taken an important step to further the protection of children in Nigeria”.

  • Abuja summit will build on successes against Boko Haram – EU

    The European Union on Saturday said the ongoing Regional Security Summit in Abuja will build on the successes already recorded against Boko Haram insurgents.

    The Office of the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS said this in a statement in Abuja.

    “The Regional Summit builds on the work of the first Summit focused on the security issues hosted by France, two years ago, which had helped in degrading Boko Haram insurgency,” the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quoted the Office as saying in the statement.

    The statement said the EU remained committed to building capacities of the African partner countries in support of security and development.

    It added that building capacities of the African partner countries in support of security and development will enable them to prevent and manage crisis by themselves.

  • UK exit from EU will endanger peace – Cameron

    Peace in Europe could be at risk if Britain votes to leave the European Union, David Cameron has warned.

    The United Kingdom has regretted “turning its back” on Europe in the past, the prime minister said, arguing the EU had “helped reconcile” countries and maintain peace.

    Was leaving the union a “risk worth taking,” Mr. Cameron asked.

    But ex-London mayor Boris Johnson hit back, saying the EU’s “anti-democratic tendencies” was “a force for instability and alienation.”

    The Vote Leave campaign said: “During the renegotiation the PM said he ‘ruled nothing out’. Now he thinks leaving the EU would lead to war. What changed?”

    Despite his security warning, Mr. Cameron defended his decision to call the referendum, telling the BBC: “You shouldn’t try to hold an independent sovereign nation in an organisation against its will.”

    There are just over six weeks to go until the 23 June referendum which will decide whether Britain remains in or leaves the EU.

    The PM’s comments – and a rival speech from Mr. Johnson – came as the referendum campaign intensifies, following last week’s elections.

    Mr. Cameron, who was introduced by former Labour foreign secretary, David Miliband, argued the EU – with Britain in it – had helped bring together countries that had been “at each others’ throats for decades.”

    He warned the peace and stability Europe has enjoyed in recent years could not be guaranteed, saying leaving risked “the clock being turned back to an age of competing nationalism in Europe.”

  • Erdogan to EU: Turkey won’t change anti-terror laws

    Turkey’s president has told the European Union the country will not change its anti-terror laws in return for visa-free travel.

    “We’ll go our way, you go yours,” Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.

    The EU said Turkey needs to narrow its definition of terrorism to qualify for visa-free travel – which is part of a larger deal between the sides aimed at easing Europe’s migration crisis, the BBC reports.

    Mr. Erdogan was speaking a day after Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, who largely negotiated the EU deal, said he was stepping down.

    Mr. Davutoglu had also reportedly opposed Mr. Erdogan’s plan to give more power to the presidency.

    Mr. Erdogan said the proposed constitutional changes were a national need, not a personal requirement.

    The wide-ranging EU-Turkey deal involves the return of migrants, mainly Syrians, from Greece to Turkey, along with increased aid and other measures.

    One of these is to allow Turkish citizens visa-free travel for short stays in the EU’s Schengen area which comprises 22 EU and four non-EU members.

     

  • EU, UNODC organise funding workshop for anti-corruption agencies

    The European Union (EU) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) have organised a workshop for anti-coruption agencies (ACAs).

    The five-day workshop, which came up at the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON), Badagry, Lagos, focused on the mandate, weaknesses and strength of the ACAs; especially as  they relate to the use of strategic planning to achieve organisational objectives. While also striking a balance between these factors, the training provided a forum for participants to discuss strategic plan process with a view to building a successful organisational model reflecting realities of the present and the future.

    Participants were acquainted with key concepts, spanning ”Strategic Plan and Management; Strategic formulation process; human and financial resource management; environmental scanning analysis and the concept of ‘’thinking out of the box’’.

    The workshop also enabled participants to share knowledge of the strategic plan developed by various ACAs, as well as identifying certain gaps in the formulation and implementation process based on the new insight gained at the workshop.

    One striking lesson learnt about resource management in strategic planning is that organisations should prioritise their activities by using the Pareto law of optimality to delineate important activities from non-important ones.

    Participants were reminded of the fact that going by the government Anti-corruption stance, it is imperative for the ACAs to be strategic in fulfilling their mandate of corruption prevention and enforcement.