The Nation Newspaper

Tag: European Union

  • Polls: MURIC cautions foreign embassies against interference

    An Islamic human rights organisation, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) yesterday cautioned foreign embassies in the country not to interfere in the ongoing announcement of results of the elections.

    A statement by its Founder and Director, Prof Ishaq Akintola, alleged that a former Nigerian High Commissioner to Canada has been contracted by the main opposition party to spread propaganda among foreign envoys particularly the United States, United Kingdom and the European Union with a view to discrediting the electoral process.

    According to him, the plan is to get the foreign embassies to propose a stoppage of the announcement of results which is already ongoing under the excuse of widespread violence.

    Akintola said: “This will be a disservice to the Nigerian people, a subversion of democratic process and a diplomatic coup against Rousseau’s General Will. The elections were generally free, fair and peaceful. There were only pockets of violence in two out of 36 states (Rivers and Lagos). Even that of Lagos was infinitesimally insignificant as it was curtailed within minutes.

    “We call on the ambassadors of US, UK and EU not to allow themselves to be used as tools by looters and deceptive politicians. It is interesting that those attempting to deceive the foreign diplomats are the same people who are defending corrupt judges, the same people who oppose the use of card readers and the same people who oppose action against ballot box snatchers. Why? It is simply because they are adept at such games. Western diplomats should avoid becoming willing tools in the hands of desperate politicians.

    “Nigerians should to be left alone to handle their elections. We appeal to foreign diplomats to respect our values and norms as a people by steering clear of the announcement of results. We have succeeded in holding a peaceful, free and fair election. It will amount to a brutal rape on democracy for western diplomats to intervene during the announcement of results.”

  • Mauritius, Liberia, in EU’s blacklist of tax havens

    Three major African countries have topped the list of non-cooperative tax jurisdiction in the world.

    It may be recalled that the European Union had last Wednesday published its first list of international tax havens, tagged: ‘named and shamed” 30 territories on list of international tax havens.

    EU Economic Affairs Commissioner Pierre Moscovici told a news conference that “we are today publishing the top 30 non-cooperative jurisdictions consisting of those countries or territories that feature on at least 10 member states’ blacklists.”

    The full list is: Andorra, Liechtenstein, Guernsey, Monaco, Mauritius, Liberia, Seychelles, Brunei, Hong Kong, Maldives, Cook Islands, Nauru, Niue, Marshall Islands, Vanuatu, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Grenada, Montserrat, Panama, St Vincent and the Grenadines, St Kitts and Nevis, Turks and Caicos, US Virgin Islands.

    On the list were three African countries namely: Liberia, Mauritius and Seychelles. This current list follows a previous list released by the EU in December 2017 of so-called non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes. Countries on the list are deemed by the EU not to meet its set criteria for transparency because they do not comply with international standards on the exchange of information, have harmful tax regimes which result in unfair tax competition and have not committed to implement the OECD’s Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) minimum standards.

    Namibia was the only African country among the 17 countries listed in Annex 1, comprising of countries regarded by the EU as being non-cooperative.

    Botswana, Eswatini, Mauritius, Morocco and Seychelles were listed in Annex 2. i.e. countries which are cooperative and have undertaken to successfully deliver the commitments they have made to align with the EU criteria within a set period.

    Apparently worried about this development, The Nation learnt that the African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF) is reportedly in so in discussions with the EU about the listings. The ATAF Executive Secretary Logan Wort said: “ATAF has met with EU representatives and strongly rejected the EU listings which do not provide a fair picture as countries such as Namibia do not provide fertile grounds for tax avoidance. We informed them that the listings are bullying on the part of the EU.”

    Countries on the list could be subjected to a range of sanctions by EU members. These could include, amongst others, being deprived of development aid and being subjected to stricter reporting requirements for multinationals with activities in listed jurisdictions

  • FG invited our observers, EU replies El-Rufai

    The European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) on Wednesday replied Governor Nasir El-Rufai and said its observers were invited for the February poll by the Federal Government.

    It said its observers are always impartial and do not interfere in the electoral process.

    It also clarified that its observers will continue their work across the country in the run-up to – and beyond – the 16 February elections.

    The EU EOM, which made its position known in a statement in Abuja, said the “security of EU observers is of paramount importance and will remain under constant review.”

    The statement said: “We are aware of the comments by the Governor of Kaduna about non-interference by foreigners during a talk show on the elections Tuesday 5 February.

    “The EU only deploys an election observation mission when it is invited to do so by the authorities of a country. The EU has been invited to observe all of the general elections in Nigeria since 1999. Thus this is the sixth time the EU is observing elections in Nigeria.

    “The Independent National Electoral Commission invited the EU to deploy an observation mission for the 2019 general elections.

    “EU election observation missions give commentary and analysis and make recommendations about the electoral process. EU election observation missions are impartial, do not interfere in the electoral process, and operate according to a strict code of conduct.”

    Notwithstanding, the EU said its observers will continue to do their work while their security remains under constant review.

    Read Also: El-Rufai: PDP threatens to pull out of peace accord

    While the security of EU observers is of paramount importance, and will remain under constant review, EU observers will continue their work across the country in the run-up to – and beyond – the 16 February elections.

    The statement added: “For the last month the mission’s team in Abuja, as well as 40 long-term observers across the country, have followed the elections.

    “We have met with a wide range of candidates, parties, election officials, security agencies, and civil society organizations, and have enjoyed good cooperation at federal and state levels.

    The mission looks at all aspects of the election, including the campaign tone, the transparency of the election administration, the neutrality of security forces, and the independence of the judiciary.“

  • EU urges politicians to be wary of utterances

    The European Union Election Observation Mission in Nigeria 2019 has urged politicians to be conscious of their utterances as the general elections approached.

    The Chief Observer of the mission, Maria Arena, made the call while fielding questions at a press conference on Tuesday in Abuja.

    She added that the mission would monitor developments such as vote buying during the elections.

    “As politicians we really have to be conscious of what we say because we have to trust and give trust to the institution with whom we are going to work with. This is important. There is a limit to what we can do.

    On vote buying, she said that the mission would observe what happens on the field, saying “we already have people on the field and they will be observing the situation.’’

    Arena added that the mission was not in the country to interfere with the Nigeria electoral processes but to monitor the compliance of the election with national and international laws which Nigeria had signed to.

    `It is important to understand that Nigeria election is election for Nigerian people and they are managed by Nigeria institutions.

    “What we do is observing if all these are done in line with national and international practice and make our observation reports.’’

    Arena said that EU Election Observation mission was in Nigeria for the sixth time, adding that democracy for EU was something important, not only in Nigeria but across the globe.

    “We are doing this observation mission not only in Nigeria, we have a lot of observation missions in Africa, Asia, Latin America because we have values and we want to share these values.

    “We are also here because we were invited by Nigeria authority and we are proud to be invited by Nigerian authority for the sixth times. ‘’

    Arena also disclosed that the mission would also monitor the use of the media including how the social media was used during the poll.

    On whether the mission had it concerns about insecurity in deploying members of its team, Arena said that the security of its members was important.

    “We work with Nigeria authority to guarantee the security of observers, even in the North East,’’ Arena said.

    The Deputy Chief Observer, Hannah Roberts, said that members of the EU 40 long term observer would monitor election in different locations including the North East.

    Roberts explained that EU mission had strict methodology being used for elections monitoring across the globe.

  • EU deploys election observation mission to Nigeria

    The European Union (EU) has deployed a high-level election observation mission to monitor the February General Elections in Nigeria.

    Mr Federica Mogherini, High Representative of EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy; and Vice-President of the EU Commission, made the announcement in a statement on Friday in Abuja.

    Mogherini said that EU had appointed Maria Arena as the Chief Observer of the EU Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) for the elections scheduled for Feb. 16 and March 2.

    He said the deployment of the observation mission followed an invitation by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

    He said the EU had consistently followed electoral processes and deployed an EOM to Nigeria’s general elections since 1999, reflecting its long-term commitment to supporting credible, transparent and inclusive elections in the country.

    “As Africa’s largest economy and a key political and economic player in West Africa, Nigeria is an important partner for the EU.

    “The EU is committed to supporting Nigeria’s path towards stronger democracy and further political stability, building on the 2015 General Elections.

    “I am confident that the deployment of an EU EOM, under the leadership of Chief Observer Maria Arena, will contribute to an inclusive and transparent electoral process,’’ he said

    He also disclosed that Election Observation Mission Core Team of 11 EU election analysts, had arrived Nigeria on Jan. 4, and would stay in the country until the completion of the electoral process.

    He said that the Core Team would be joined by 40 long-term observers, who will be deployed across the country later this month.

    “The European Union’s Election Observation Mission looks forward to cooperating with other international and domestic observation missions

    “Shortly after both election days, the mission will issue preliminary statements during press conferences in Abuja.

    “A final report, including recommendations for future electoral processes, will be presented at a later stage, after the finalisation of the electoral process,” he said.

    The statement also quoted Arena as saying it is a great honour for him to lead this important Mission to Nigeria.

    “I hope that our observation will provide meaningful contribution to the electoral and democratic process in Nigeria,” he said (NAN)

  • Dollar weakens as cautious Fed leads to rate-hike rethink

    The dollar weakened against other major currencies on Thursday as markets took Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell’s comment that U.S. interest rates were just below neutral as a signal that a three-year rate-hiking cycle is nearing an end.

    The dollar index, which measures the value of the greenback against a basket of other major currencies, fell 0.2 per cent to 96.64 — its lowest level in almost a week.

    Powell took markets by surprise on Wednesday when he noted that the policy rate, at 2 to 2.25 per cent, is now “just below” the broad range of estimates of neutral which in September was 2.5 to 3.5 per cent.

    That marks a departure from comments in October when Powell said rates were a “long way from neutral at this point”.

    “Clearly, Powell’s comments about where the neutral interest rate is has created a shift in market expectations with respect to Fed policy,” said Jane Foley, a senior currency strategist at Rabobank in London.

    “That is a dovish factor for the dollar and is positive for risk appetite.”

    That shift was reflected in money markets where expectations of Fed rate increases declined to around 47 basis points over the next year from 52 basis points earlier this week.

    The dollar was also weaker across the board and was last down 0.4 per cent at 113.25 yen and a quarter of a per cent weaker against the euro.

    The euro fetched $1.1394, having touched $1.13975 – its highest in almost a week.

    Benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury yields fell to their lowest level since September at 3.013 per cent on Thursday, adding to the bearish sentiment towards the dollar.

    Read Also: Naira loses marginally against dollar at investors’ window

    Focus now turns to the release this session of the October U.S PCE price index, the Fed’s favoured inflation gauge, for more clues on the outlook for U.S. interest rates. Minutes from the Fed’s November meeting are also released later in the day.

    Analysts said the minutes were likely to reaffirm market expectations for a rate hike in December, but were unlikely to have a significant impact, since market focus has now turned to whether the Fed will pause the tightening cycle next year.

    Dollar weakness in the wake of Powell’s comments was expected to be limited, given a note of caution ahead of the G20 summit on Friday and Saturday where U.S. President Donald Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping are scheduled to discuss contentious trade matters.

    Rodrigo Catril, senior currency strategist at NAB, said safe-haven buying could return if there were no signs of a truce between Washington and Beijing over the course of the G20 summit.

    Elsewhere, sterling rose to $1.2830, but weakened 0.2 per cent against the euro to 88.81 pence, reflecting uncertainty about whether British Prime Minister Theresa May be able to get her Brexit deal approved by a fractious parliament.

    The Bank of England warned on Wednesday that Britain risked a bigger hit to its economy than it suffered from the global financial crisis a decade ago if it leaves the European Union in a “disorderly” manner, which would include a 25 per cent crash in the value of the pound.

    NAN

  • 2019: PDP chair restates doubts over INEC’s neutrality

    The National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus has again expressed lack of confidence in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct free, fair and transparent elections 2019.

    Secondus spoke Wednesday in Abuja while receiving a delegation of the European Union of the Election Exploration Mission to Nigeria, led by Niclay Paus.

    According to the party chairman, all intelligence available to the party showed that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has concluded arrangements with INEC to manipulate the electoral process.

    Secondus recalled events during the governorship election in Osun State, saying they merely underscored his fears that INEC might not be ready to be neutral.

    He insisted that redeploying Mrs. Amina Zakari from INEC’s ICT department to the commission’s Health unit was not enough to instill confidence in the opposition, adding that the woman ought to have been eased out of the electoral body.

    Secondus said Mrs. Zakari, who is widely believed to be a blood relative of President Muhammadu Buhari, was still capable of influencing other officials with INEC during elections.

    The party chair said, “When we eschewed violence after the electoral theft in Osun State and decided to exercise our right to peaceful protest, the Inspector General of Police directed his personnel to tear gas us notwithstanding the personalities involved in the protest.

    “The Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, five state governors, the PDP National Chairman and members of the National Working Committee NWC and other critical leaders of our party were teargassed.

    “Our fear is strong that the APC and the administration are not disposing themselves for a peaceful 2019 general election and we base our position on the multiplicity of induced crisis across the country

    “With all the unprecedented bloodletting in the country, the President is not engaging the people and a select group operating as cabals have hijacked the system”.

    The party chairman urged international partners of Nigeria, especially the European Union and United States to bring their influence to bear on the INEC to conduct free, fair and credible elections.

    He urged his visitors and other international bodies also to show more than passing interests in the activities of Nigerian security agencies, stressing that a biased police force could be an instrument of violence.

  • Nigeria, EU member-states seal N8.9tr trade deals in one year

    The value of trade between  Nigeria and European Union (EU) member-states stood at 25.3 billion Euros (about N8.9 trillion) in 2017.

    Deputy Head of Delegation, European Union (EU) to Nigeria and ECOWAS,  Richard Young, disclosed this while briefing the press on the EU-Nigerian Business Forum yesterday in Lago.He said  that to further build on the relationship with EU companies in Nigeria, the EU Delegation, EU member States and European companies active in Nigeria have established a European Business Organisation (EBO) which would represent the voice of European companies across various sectors of Nigerian economy.

    “The EBO Nigeria will also ensure a high-level policy dialogue with Nigerian authorities and organised private with the objective of improving the business and investment and fostering business and trade relations between the EU and Nigeria,” he said.

    Young noted that EU has also launched an External Investment Plan (EIP) to encourage investment in partner countries, including Nigeria, adding that the EIP would strengthen its partnerships by promoting inclusive growth, job creation and also tackle some of the root causes of irregular job migration.

    He stated: “The EIP is a new approach to supporting sustainable development through investment. It will improve the way in which scarce public funds are used and how public authorities and private investors cooperate on investment projects. Through a new guarantee mechanism, the EIP will increase private investment in higher risk environments, facilitate private sector investments that otherwise would not be available.” According to him, the 7th  EU- Nigeria Business Forum would address issues surrounding business climate, certainty of government policies.

  • EU to the rescue

    Since it is part of a development partner’s structured programme, to fill a certain void, the announcement that the European Union (EU) is to fund the construction of public toilets  in 14 small towns in Ekiti West and Gbonyin local government areas of Ekiti State, should not come as too much of a surprise. It is under EU’s Water Supply and Reform Programme III,  a development assistance programme entering the third phase. This particular phase is titled: “Farewell to open defecation”.

    Yet, given the rotten statistics about how Ekiti has fared in the provision of public toilets, it is both a developmental shame, and an inability to turn open adversity into advantage, either by the government directly building public toilets to be later commercialised; or by putting in place policies to attract private sector investment in that area. That way, the Ekiti people’s dire needs could be turned into a job provider.

    According to EU’s own survey, as revealed by Babatope Babalobi, team leader of this new public toilet initiative, Ekiti lugs 68 per cent (almost seven out of every 10) of open defecation in Nigeria’s South West, from the EU’s Water, Sanitation and Hygiene  (WASH) policy.

    It also has only 32 per cent safe sanitation coverage in its rural and small towns. That the hyper-populated and hyper-urbanised Lagos could even post better stats on open defecation just shows how deep Ekiti has fallen in a key development index.

    Another UNICEF 2014 survey showed that in Gbonyin Local Government Area, 92 per cent of the communities — that means practically none — had no public latrines. From that same survey, 124 communities in Ekiti West had no form of public latrines. Perhaps these local governments are largely rural? Even then, the surveys showed a huge health and sanitation gap that any alert government should have been filling, over a period of time.

    Therefore, between October 2018 and May 2019, Ekiti settlements, Iluomoba, Agbado, Egbe, Imesi, Ijan, Aisegba and Ode (all in Gbonyin) and Erio, Ido-Ile, Ipole-Iloro, Aramoko, Oke Imesi, Erinjiyan and Ikogosi (in Ekiti West) would be beneficiaries of these new public toilets.

    The toilets, tagged “Integrated Sanitation Demonstration Units” (ISDU) are made up of three units of pour flush toilets, urinals, hand-washing facilities, bathing room, laundry, car wash and a sanitary centre. Water would be supplied by a solar-powered motorised borehole, with three pre-paid meter public water standpoints.

    Located in the market place, bus stop, garage or motor park, these facilities would also act as hub for Pulitzer enlightenment on the environment and sanitation. Sanitation task groups, in the two local governments, would use these facilities as base for their advocacy and people’s enlightenment.

    As conceived, the EU ISDUs are public sanitation hubs that also double as job opportunity hubs.  When car washes are integrated into public toilets, laundries and baths, there could be endless opportunities there for citizens to make respectable living.

    That is the positive the Ekiti government, and indeed, other state governments nationwide, should take from the Ekiti EU initiatives. It is bad enough that it is a foreign donor agency or development partner that is doing the thinking. That should be the forte of state governments, pushing local governments to implement such.

    From public sanitation to an economic hub. That is the way to go. It holds the key to both improving health and sanitation, and providing jobs. Such economic hubs could also help to boost the government’s internally generated revenue (IGR).

     

  • May: Britain committed to free trade with Kenya after Brexit

    Britain is committed to free trade with Kenya after it leaves the European Union, British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Thursday on a visit to Nairobi.

    May, speaking on the third stop of a trip to Africa, said she would want Britain to become the biggest investor on the continent out of the world’s richest nations.

    “As Britain prepares to leave the European Union we are committed to a smooth transition that ensures continuity in our trading relationship with Kenya, ensuring Kenya retains its duty free quota free access to the UK market.”

    May also announced Britain would set up a cyber-center in Nairobi to help authorities fight online child sex abuse by tracking the sharing of abusive images on the internet.

    The EU is currently Britain’s biggest trading partner. Skeptics say closer ties and more trade with Africa will do little to offset the economic impact of Brexit.

    Total trade with Nigeria, South Africa, and Kenya, the three nations on her tour this week, amounted to just over 13 billion pounds in 2016, official British figures show, compared with 554 billion pounds of trade with the EU that year.

    Read Also: Buhari to May: 2019 polls will be free, fair, credible

    The prime minister has used her first official visit to the region of more than one billion people to stress that Britain’s relationship with former colonies, including Kenya and other African nations, is increasingly focused on private investment, not on aid.

    In Nigeria, Africa’s biggest economy and most populous nation, May also promised closer commercial ties and promoted the longstanding presence of British companies in the country.

    Britain is Kenya’s largest trading partner and a major market for its exports of cut flowers. The rapidly expanding agriculture sector is Kenya’s biggest foreign exchange earner and a big source of jobs.

    Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, speaking alongside May at a news conference, said he welcomed her assurance that Kenyan duty free exports would continue after Brexit and said Kenya would be pressing for an increase in exports.

    Kenyatta said two agreements signed on Thursday-one to enhance military cooperation, the other for Britain to return assets and proceeds of corruption to Kenya- indicated the close ties between the two countries.
    Kenyatta, who was re-elected for a second term after a bloody and prolonged elections season, said his government’s fight against graft was important for national unity and his legacy.

    Corruption drains billions of dollars from the state every year in Kenya, and foreign businessmen complain it is hard to get things done without paying bribes.

    Margaret Thatcher was the last British prime minister to visit Kenya, in 1988.