The Nation Newspaper

Tag: expatriates

  • Kidnappers of expatriates, slain Taraba lawmaker arrested

    Kidnappers of expatriates, slain Taraba lawmaker arrested

    Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have arrested kidnappers of the Canadians and Americans on the Abuja/Kaduna road.

    A statement by the spokesman, Tony Opuiyo, added that the kidnappers of the late Taraba Lawmaker Hosea Ibi, a Senator, a lecturer and an Army Warrant Officer were also arrested.

    They were arrested between last December and February.

    Isaiah Suwe (23), was said to have led the DSS operatives to Gbise in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue State, where Barnabas Torva Amadu (aka Ataminin); Aondi Tersoo (21); Nengenen Mbaawuaga (22); Aondoase Kayitor (18) and Ternenge Tersoo (19), were arrested for their alleged involvement in the kidnap and murder of Ibi.

    The statement reads: “Suwe is an accomplice of the notorious kidnapper, Terwase Akwaza (aka Ghana), who is wanted. Amadu participated in the kidnap and murder of Ibi. About nine SIM cards, different telephone brands and accessories, as well as a First Bank ATM card, a flash drive, one Voters’ card and one ID card, belonging to Moses Yaro, a member of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria in Taraba State, were recovered from the gang.

    “On February 21, at Igu area of Benin City, Edo State, the service arrested five members of the Gemere kidnap gang – Usman Umaru; Abubakar Umaru; Garba Umaru; Abubakar Garba and Umar Bello – which operates on the Lokoja/Okene highway. They were responsible for the kidnap of some Canadians and Americans.

    “The service, on January 20, arrested the gang leader, Abubakar Muhammed (aka Gemere) on the Lokoja/Okene highway. He was killed in a gun battle.

    “On February 20, at Ambaliya area of Jalingo, Taraba State, Mohammed Babangida Isma’il was arrested in possession of firearms and he is being investigated…”

  • Four kidnapped Chinese nationals rescued

    Four kidnapped Chinese nationals rescued

    Four expatriates were at the weekend rescued by men of the Nigerian Army and Nigerian Naval Forward Operating Base (FOB) Igbokoda from kidnappers in Ilaje Local Government of Ondo State.

    The victims, said to be Chinese were kidnapped on their way from Lagos through Ayeton Creeks to Ogooluayo community along Ebute by a gang of sea pirates.

    In the operation of the joint routine patrol on the waterway, men of the Nigerian Army and Navy intercepted the sea pirates and their victims.

    It took the gallantry effort of the joint security operatives to rescue the four Chinese who have sustained gun wounds from the kidnappers.

    The rescued victims are currently receiving treatment in an undisclosed hospital.

    During the operation, one of the kidnappers was apprehended and now undergoing interrogation while other kidnappers fled with gun wounds.

    Sources hinted  that youths from Ogooluwa community led by Job Omogunwa joined the security officers in demonstration of good  community relations between the Military and members of the public.

    Meanwhile, spokesman for the 32 Artillery Brigade, Owena Barracks, Akure, Major Ojo Adelegan urged the public especially in the riverine areas of the state to avail them with useful information on the fleeing kidnappers with gun wounds.

    He pointed out that the security agencies in Ondo State are at alert to continue protecting lives and properties in the state.

     

  • Gov revokes residence permits of expatriates in Intels, others

    The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) said it has revoked the residence permits of expatriate staff in about six Nigerian companies, including Intels Nigeria Limited.

    No reason was given for the latest development.

    NIS in a statement yesterday by its Public Relations Officer, Sunday James, said the  Comptroller-General NIS, Muhammad Babandede, gave the directive.

    It reads: “The Comptroller General of Immigration Service, Muhammad Babandede, hereby revokes the Residence Permits of the Expatriate staff of the under listed companies, in the exercise of the powers vested on him in section 39, subsection 1 of Immigration Act 2015 and section 5, subsection 5 of the Immigration Regulation 2017 after withdrawal of the operational licenses of the under mentioned companies by the Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority.”

    The statement listed the other companies to include PRODECO International Limited, West Africa Machinery Services Limited., Net Global System International Limited., MGM Logistics Solutions Limited., ORIEAN Investment Limited.

    The directive required that the expatriate staff of the affected companies should leave Nigeria not later than 30th November, 2017.

  • Barclays Bank sets limit to expatriates’ minimum deposits

    Barclays Bank has asked expatriates, including Nigerians, with less than £100,000 deposit to close their accounts.

    In a letter dated June 12, 2017, the bank informed the customers that would be affected by the policy of its decision to raise the minimum client balance requirement for international banking service.

    “The new minimum level will now be £100,000. Top up your savings and investments to £100,000 or more before 1 August 2017, to continue with the service, or close your account and transfer your monies to another provider without charge,” the letter read.

    “We understand that you may be disappointed by this and we will aim to offer you as much assistance as possible during this transition period.”

    As far back as 2013, the bank announced that it would focus on 70 countries globally and customers in those that are not considered as core as others.

    In recent times, high-security measures have made it more difficult for foreigners to open accounts with high street banks in the UK.

    Revelations made in the Panama Papers leak, which showed how Panamanian law firm, Mossack Fonseca, helped clients evade tax through the use of offshore accounts and various cases of money laundering have also contributed to this.

    The London-based bank had posted a net loss in the second quarter of 2017 and reduced its stake in Barclays Africa Group to 15 per cent from 51 per cent through a share sale, which allowed the firm to free up capital.

    The bank did not disclose how many people will be affected by the new regulation.

  • Obasanjo to expatriates, others: don’t undermine Nigeria’s economy

    Obasanjo to expatriates, others: don’t undermine Nigeria’s economy

    •Ex-President urges investors to key into economic recovery

    Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has warned foreign and local firms doing business in Nigeria against engaging in acts that can undermine Nigeria’s economy.

    Obasanjo counselled the firms that their emphasis should be to make Nigeria self-sustaining in production and consumption, vowing that he will kick against companies that want to use unwholesome business practices to sabotage the country’s self- reliance drive.

    The ex-President, who spoke in Abeokuta on Saturday at an interactive session with the Indian Professionals’ Forum (IPF) in Nigeria, condemned a situation where some companies have elected to make the country a dumping ground for sub-standard and fake products.

    The IPF members, led by its President, Mr. Dinesh Rathi, organised the interactive forum to identify with Obasanjo and to tap from his experience.

    The Ota farmer explained that wrong business dealings were not only acts of undermining the economy, but also give a bad name to companies doing genuine business in Nigeria.

    He noted that his administration had cause to expel some Indians from the country because of unethical business practices,  saying  the duty of companies is to improve the lot of the country where  they do business and not to undermine its economy.

    Obasanjo added that he visited India sometime ago and witnessed to his admiration, what India and Indians were doing “for self-reliance,” wondering: “Why any Indian company should come here (Nigeria) and undermines our own self-reliance initiative.”

    He deplored a situation where “jollof rice is (allegedly) being prepared and shipped to Nigeria as ridiculous and bad”.

    According to the ex-President, that was not what the country needed.

    He admitted that there are genuine Indians doing business  in Nigeria, engaging Nigerians as workers and contributing to the economy’s growth.

    He challenged the representatives of the firms to fish out the bad eggs in their midst.

    Obasanjo said: “There are Indians, who are in partnership with Nigerians and they are doing well. We have some even here in Abeokuta. They are doing very well and it is very encouraging.

    “But there are Indian companies that have been doing what they will not do in India and that is unfortunate and I hope those of you who are doing the right things, who really make us proud and our association with India, will make sure that this type of bad things are stopped.

    “I have the unfortunate responsibility to deport some Indians from what they have done wrong. My successors brought them back. He too later sent them back again – the one who brought them back, send them back again because you see, a Leopard never changes his skin and they believe that they can bribe their way in this country.”

  • LADOL, Immigration to check influx of expatriates

    LADOL, Immigration to check influx of expatriates

    Lagos Deep Offshore Logistics (LADOL) and the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) are seeking ways to curb influx of expatriates into the oil and gas free trade zones across the country.

    The development resulted in a meeting between the Nigerian Immigration Service and LADOL management in Lagos. The discussion centred on how to improve the operation of the nation’s oil and gas by improving indigenous participation in the sector.

    The Nigerian Immigration Service, Comptroller General, Mohammed Babandede, said the command would help in promoting the participation of Nigerians in the energy and other sectors.

    He said NIS would tighten its noose on Oil and Gas Free Trade Zones (FTZs) to make it difficult for expatriates to unduly come into the zones.

    He said the body has decided to embark on strict monitoring of the zones after seeing the job potentials in some of the Oil and Gas Free Trade Zones in the country, especially LADOL Free Trade Zone.

    He said the agency is taking this step  to prevent immigrants or foreigners from taking over some oil and gas jobs, and further promote the local content policy of the Federal Government.

    According to him, it is imperative to look into the activities of foreigners that are coming into Nigeria in order to ascertain their level of fitness.

    Babandede said Nigeria has enough experts to work with, adding that the country should by 2040 be exporting its labour to other countries instead of allowing illegal expatriates to come and take its jobs.

    “The country boasts of experts, mainly graduates that can provide services, hitherto rendered by expatriates.  Technology transfer is stimulating the growth of the economy and Nigeria is benefiting from this idea. NIS, as a service, must assist in providing jobs and safety of the country. Things have changed in Nigeria. Business is not done the way it is being done before.

    “Business is no longer based on corruption.  There is a vision that would take Nigeria to another level. As law enforcement agency, we want to be part of that vision.  We do not want to see ourselves as people who wear uniforms and berets only. We want to see ourselves as contributing to the economic development of the country.  We want to see ourselves as law enforcement agents that would provide jobs and make the society safe,” the NIS boss added.

    He said the Immigration would partner with other law enforcement agents, the management of LADOL Free Zone, technocrats, investors and other stakeholders to protect jobs in the country.

    The Managing Director, LADOL, Ms Amy Jadesimi, reiterated the need to create more jobs in the oil and gas free trade zones, adding it is imperative to move the economy forward.

    She said this can only be possible when foreigners were thoroughly screened before they were allowed into the country, noting that some foreigners do not have the required papers to stay in the country.

    She said the firm has created more jobs for Nigerians than expatriates, adding that LADOL would keep to its vision of providing jobs in the country.

  • Police confirm expatriates’, poly proprietor’s abduction

    Police confirm expatriates’, poly proprietor’s abduction

    Akwa Ibom State Police Command yesterday confirmed the abduction of two expatriates from their hotel in Eket, Eket Local Government, on Sunday.
    It said the Proprietor of Sure Foundation Polytechnic, Ukanafun, Dr. Idongesit Udom, was kidnapped same day in a church.
    Police spokesman Chukwu Okechukwu told reporters in Uyo the command had begun investigation.
    He said the police had no information on the identities, workplaces and nationalities of the expatriates.
    “We are working hard to ensure their release.”
    Okechukwu said Police Commissioner Mr. Donald Awunah had led a team of senior officers to Eket and its environs to secure the expatriates’ release.
    Said he: “We are aware of the incidents. I assure you that efforts are on to rescue them.
    “The police commissioner and senior officers are on ground in Eket and its environs searching for the expatriates and even the man from Ukanafun.”

  • ‘Expatriates may take over aviation jobs in 10 years’

    Expatriates may take over  high-end technical positions in  aviation in 10 years because of  lack of well-trained and type-rated technical personnel, former Aviation Round Table (ART) president Captain Dele Ore has said.

    Ore, who spoke in Lagos, said the government’s signing of Bilateral Air Service Agreements (BASAs) with foreign countries and other unfavourable airlines’policies   would continue to hamper growth.

    Ore warned that with expatriates taking over the positions of local technical personnel, the next 10 years might be worse for the industry.

    He explained that many pilots trained at home and abroad were roaming the streets without jobs, noting that local airlines were getting approvals from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for expatriate quota, which would negatively affect Nigerian professionals in the future.

    He recalled that  as far back as 1984, the defunct Nigeria Airways had put Nigerians in critical positions,lamenting that  the reverse was now the case as foreigners had taken over.

    According to Captain Ore,since the demiseof the Nigeria Airwaysin 1984, local jobs and training  have been  in jeopardy.

    “If care is not taken, soon, we will have half-baked aircraft commanders in the cockpit, ” he said.

    On policy, Ore declared that bad policy formulations and implementations of the government in the past led to the early collapse of operating airlines in the country, stressing that despite this, such bad policies still continued unabated .

    He insisted that there was nothing wrong with signing of BASAs, but said the nation must benefit with such arrangements.

  • Kidnappers kill solider, abduct two expatriates in Bayelsa

    Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers, Tuesday, killed a soldier and abducted two expatriates along Ogbia – Nembe Road, Bayelsa State.

    It was gathered that the soldier was killed in gun duel between security operatives attached to the expatriates and the gunmen.

    The operatives were said to have tried to stop the abduction but were overpowered by the gunmen.

    The incident, which occurred at about 8am was said to have caused pandemonium on the road.

    A source who spoke in confidence said the expatriates and the security operatives ran into an ambush laid by the kidnappers.

    The security operatives were attached as security details to the expatriates working with Setraco Construction Company. They came under heavy fire from the bushes. It was an ambush but they did not notice,” he said.

    Some of the Indigenes of Nembe kingdom, who were returning to Yenagoa by road reportedly, witnessed the incident.

    A driver who identified himself simple as Monday, said: “it was a movie scene. The soldiers were shooting and the armed men were shooting. We later saw signs of blood everywhere when the soldiers removed the blood soaked colleague and some expatriates.”

    The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Asinim Butswat, could not be reached for confirmation at the time of filing the report.

     

  • Expatriates threaten local engineers’ survival- NSE boss

    Expatriates threaten local engineers’ survival- NSE boss

    PRESIDENT of the Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE), Engr. Ademola Olorunfemi, has said influx of expatriates into the Nigerian engineering industry is threatening the survival of local practitioners.

    Olorunfemi made this disclosure at the induction ceremony of new graduates of the Faculty of Technology, University of Ibadan. He was represented at the event by Engr. Oluyemi Morakinyo.

    Assuring that the NSE is making efforts to address the anomaly, Olorunfemi said the association is planning to advise the incoming government to take the issue of local content more seriously as a way of assisting indigenous practitioners to thrive.

    In his inaugural speech, the Country Manager of Schumberger Nigeria, a major oil servicing multinational company, Engr. Muyiwa Akinpelu, who was the guest lecturer, said the challenges facing the engineering profession today are global in nature, adding that finding solutions to these challenges would make the world more technologically advanced and make life more sustainable, safe, healthy and joyous.

    He advised the inductees to be more proactive and not reactive in order to achieve success in their career, in addition to understanding and actively participating in public policy process.

    In his address, the state chairman, NSE, Engr. Rauf Salawu, said the society expects a lot from the budding engineers as they are seen as the symbol of development and better life.

    He urged the inductees that proffering solutions to the myriads of societal problems should be their primary focus as they begin their career journey.