The Nation Newspaper

Tag: malta

  • Nigeria, Malta bilateral relations under threat

    Indications are that the hitherto cordial bilateral relations existing between the Nigerian government and its counterpart in Malta may be under severe strain due to an unresolved crisis, which experts within the diplomatic circles say is capable of causing irreparable damage to both countries.

    Malta is one of the world’s smallest countries in Europe occupying a landmass of over 316 km2 (122 sq mi) with a population of about 475,000 and lies 80 km south of Italy, 284 km east of Tunisia, and 333km north of Libya. Like Nigeria, it is a former British colony which gained independence in 1964, with a GDP estimated at $19.721 billion and a per capita of $45,127 according to 2018 estimate. It has been a member state of the Commonwealth of Nations and the United Nations since independence, and joined the European Union in 2004 as well as became part of the Eurozone monetary union in 2008.

    At issue is that the Maltese Government’s request to the Federal Government to ratify the appointment of a new Honorary Consul designate for its home mission in Nigeria has been rebuffed by agencies of government, a development that Maltese authorities considers a slight on its sovereignty.

    The Nation can authoritatively report that the Maltese home office in Nigeria, which used to be in Abuja ceased to be in existence four years ago.

    Further checks by The Nation revealed that the Maltese Government has since appointed a new Honorary Consul designate, one Prof. Chris Onalo, another Nigerian but was still awaiting the approval of the appointment by the Federal Government over two years after the appointment was made.

    According to a statement obtained from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs dated December 8th, 2016 and signed by a representative of Malta, the one-time Honorary Consul of the Republic of Malta, Mr. Otunba O. A. Lawal acted in that capacity for some time until his appointment was terminated in October 27th, 2014 under unpleasant circumstances.

    However in its determination to renew ties with Nigeria, the Maltese Government had appointed Prof Chris Onalo as the new Honorary Consul of the Republic of Malta in Nigeria after various interviews, assessment and evaluation by the Maltese Government in October, 2016.

    The appointment was and still conditional to the approval of Nigeria’s Federal Government. In this regard, a request was sent from the government of the Republic of Malta to the Nigerian Government via the Nigerian High Commission in Tripoli in October 2016.

    The appointment of a Honorary Consul is usually done by the sending country (in this case, Malta) to the receiving country (in this case, Nigeria) and is non-political; it does not involve the receiving country spending any money or making any form of budgetary allocation; the sending country does not spend a dime nor make any budgetary allocation in whatever form to cover any expenses or support the office of the Honorary Consul that they have appointed; the Honorary Consul himself bears totally all the financial costs involved as he sets up the consulate office and represents the sending country. This is why it is called Honorary Consul.

    Further investigation by The Nation revealed that Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in December 2016 transmitted the Security Clearance request to the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), who in their submission on May 23rd 2017 maintained that the new Honorary Consul designate was not worthy for the appointment without giving any tangible reason and therefore, denied the approval of the Nigerian Government.

    The NSA’s report came after the Nigerian police had earlier on carried out a rigorous “Character Integrity” test on the person of the Honorary Consul designate as part of the requirements previously sent to Maltese Government’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

    But the Office of the National Security Adviser submitted its opinion to Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who in turn forwarded to the new Honorary Consul designate, Prof Chris Onalo in Lagos, requesting that he should transmit the NSA report to the Maltese Government.

    It is the contention of the Maltese authorities that the remarks of the NSA is at variance with that of the security agencies of the Republic of Malta which formed the basis of the appointment of the  new Honorary Consul designate in Nigeria.

    Consequently, the Maltese Government is worried that Nigerian authorities action could undermine the thorough investigation and background check its carried out on the Honorary Consul designate, thereby denying its citizens including prospective investors from both countries the opportunities of benefiting from its diplomatic ties.

    The ongoing impasse, diplomatic experts have observed, is capable of causing irreparable damage to the socio-economic interest of both countries especially her citizens with vested interest across frontiers.

    Attempts to get the media aide of the Foreign Affairs Minister, Elias Fatile, were futile as he was said to be away on official assignment outside the country.

    Calls and text messages sent to him by our correspondent were yet to be responded to as at press time.

    When our correspondent also contacted the spokesperson for the Department of State Security, Mr. P.N. Afunanya, his response was still being awaited as calls and text messages sent to him were not returned or answered.

  • Three docked for killing journalist in Malta

    Three docked for killing journalist in Malta

    A Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday charged three men with murder over a car-bomb blast that killed anti-corruption journalist, Daphne Galizia, court officials said.

    Galizia died instantly when her car was blown up as she drove out of her home on October 16, a killing that shocked Malta and raised concern within the EU about the rule of law on the tiny Mediterranean island.

    All three pleaded not guilty at the arraignment, which was attended by her husband, Peter Galizia.

    The men were named as Vince Muscat and brothers Alfred and George Degiorgio.

    It was not immediately clear whether police thought they had acted on their own or were hit men working for others.

    Galizia wrote a popular blog in which she relentlessly highlighted cases of alleged graft targeting politicians of all colours, including Prime Minister Joseph Muscat. Vince Muscat was not a relative.

    Police arrested 10 men on Monday in connection with their investigation into the killing. The other seven were released on bail.

    A close friend of Galizia said that she did not think the journalist had ever investigated the three men charged on Tuesday.

    “She wrote about government officials, politicians and wealthy business types,” the friend said, declining to be named because of the sensitivity of the case.

    The Malta government had offered a one million euro reward leading to information on the murder.

    It also called in the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation and Europol to assist in investigations.

    Maltese media said investigators had homed in on the suspects following telephone intercepts , known as triangulation data – that included the call from a mobile phone which triggered the car bomb.

    Malta, the smallest nation in the EU, has been engulfed by a wave of graft scandals in recent months, including accusations of money laundering and influence peddling in government – all of which have been denied.

    Galizia exposed many of these cases and was loved by her readers as a fearless, anti-corruption crusader.

    Critics saw her as a muck-raking fantasist and she had been hit with 36 libel lawsuits in the nine months preceding her death.

    Much of her criticism was leveled against Prime Minister Muscat and his leftist Labour party, which won power in 2013 after a nearly quarter of a century of uninterrupted rule by the conservative Nationalist Party.

    In the months before her death, she had also regularly targeted senior Nationalist figures.

    Italian newspapers have speculated that she might have fallen foul of men, who were making a fortune by smuggling fuel out of lawless Libya.

    However, her friend said she had never looked into the illegal trade and any mention of it in her blog related to articles already published elsewhere.

    NAN

  • Macedonia president calls for talks after parliament riot

    Macedonian President Gorge Ivanov on Friday invited political leaders to talks after ethnic tensions spiked following the storming of parliament in Skopje by protesters opposed to the election of a new speaker.

    About 100 people, including no fewer than three legislators, received medical treatment after the melee on Thursday.

    Supporters of the nationalist Democratic Party for Macedonian National Unity (VMRO) broke into the main parliament chamber and assaulted members of the opposition Social Democrats (SDSM) as well as ethnic Albanian representatives.

    SDSM leader Zoran Zaev had earlier announced that his party and its partners had elected ethnic Albanian Talat Xhaferi as parliament speaker outside of the regular procedure in order to break through VMRO filibustering.

    Zaev was among the injured, while video from inside parliament showed him with a face bloodied from a gash on his forehead.

    While all of the parties urged for calm, it was unclear whether the SDSM and the Albanians would attend the meeting with Ivanov.

    Report says the president is an ally of the VRMO and had flatly refused to hand Zaev the mandate to form the cabinet in spite of having the majority.

    The European Union swiftly condemned the violence in Skopje and urged the new government to take over.

    “We consider violence always unacceptable, even more so when it happens in the house of democracy, the parliament,” EU’s foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said in Valleta, Malta.

    Macedonia’s parliament has been deadlocked since December, when snap elections failed to produce a clear winner.

    The VRMO party won the most seats but not enough to govern outright.

    Zaev formed a viable coalition with several ethnic Albanian parties but President Ivanov refused to appoint him prime minister.

    Ivanov accused the SDSM and Albanians of intending to undermine Macedonia’s sovereignty by elevating Albanian to the status of the second official language.

     

  • Malta Herbs sets healthy tone at FitFam Fest

    To start the year on a healthy note, the first ever Fitfam Fest (Fit family Festival) has held in Lagos. The theme was: “Healthy fun for everyone”. Top notch trainers and fitness enthusiasts all converged  to make Lagos the fitness capital of Africa. It was sponsored by Malta Guinness Herbs Lite, a Guinness Nigeria brand.

    Brand Manager, Malta Guinness, Ifeoma Agu said Malta Herbs provided opportunity for consumers to have a Malt drink that helps in maintaining a healthier lifestyle by virtue of its low sugar formulation. She said the product is produced in line with the new classifications by industry regulators on sugar content for malt drinks. Malta Guinness Herbs Lite is the first truly light sugar malt in Nigeria, delivering less sugar than most other malt drinks.

    “When the opportunity to partner the organisers of the FitFamFest came up, we gladly embraced it to further show that we have truly responded to the recent NAFDAC/SON statute, prescribing new guidelines for low, light and regular malt drinks. Ours is a perfectly balanced Malt drink that gives you much more than you expect from a regular malt drink,”Agu said.

    A major highlight of the event was the Nutrition Master Class where Chef Eros led the audience through the process of preparing healthy quick meals. He wowed the crowd with master preparation and a blend of fruits and Malta Guinness Herbs Lite into a very tasty and appetising smoothie. The Malta Guinness Herbs Lite, contains the nutritional benefits of herbal extracts, processed with low sugar preparation making it an appropriate and healthy drink for optimum fitness and wellness.

    Basketmouth thrilled the guests to smoothies and rib-cracking moments. He urged the crowd to stay healthy by engaging in regular exercise, good nutrition/diet plan with constant refreshment from the Guinness Malta Guinness Herbs.

    The festival brought a holistic campaign to Lagos, and it was the first of its kind in this part of the globe. FitFam Fest played host to guests across all walks of life, including corporate chieftains, fashionistas, clerics, culinary experts, fitness consultants as well as top entertainment celebrities. They included Malta Guinness Herbs Lite Brand Ambassador, Basketmouth and Chef Eros of Cookie Jar were also in attendance.

    The Festival, according to Tuvie Onojaife, Managing Partner of Fritz, organisers of the Fitfam Fest, “was a celebration of health, fitness and wellness for children, youth and adults of all ages. “We are happy the Guinness Malta Herbs brand team saw the need to partner us. The Fitfam family is happy with this collaboration and hope it will continue,” said Onojaife.

    The Festival ground had on display assortment of gears, kits, apparatus and equipment to demonstrate various physical activities. The activities included live product launch and demonstrations on stage, FitFam assault obstacle course, FitFam strongman car pulling competition, strength and agility training classes, health checks, fitness and wellness conference sessions, VIP after party, Mr. FitFam 2016 and Miss FitFam 2016 competitions, FitFam ultimate frisbee, pickup games and more.

  • Libyan plane Update:65 passengers released

    Libyan plane Update:65 passengers released

    Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has confirmed that 65 passengers have been released from a Libyan plane that was hijacked to Malta.

    The hijacker told crew he was “pro-Gaddafi” and that he was willing to let all 111 passengers leave the Airbus A320, but not with its seven crew if his demands were met.

    The captain of the Libyan passenger plane that was forced to land in Malta has informed the control tower that its hijackers are threatening to blow it up with a home-made explosive device.

    It added that it was unclear what the demands were or whether the hijacker was acting alone.

    Former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi was killed in an uprising in 2011, and the country has been racked by factional violence since.

    There are 111 passengers and seven crew members on board the Afriqiyah Airways A320 jet that was on an internal flight from Sebha to Tripoli in Libya but was forced to divert to the Mediterranean island of Malta.

    According to Muscat, the passengers included 82 men, 28 women and one infant.

  • Ambode woos foreign investors in Malta

    Ambode woos foreign investors in Malta

    Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode stepped up his government’s campaign for direct foreign investment in the state at the just concluded Commonwealth Business Forum in Malta.

    He used the forum to invite investors to take advantage of the numerous investment opportunities that abound in the state.

    Ambode spoke on Wednesday at the Forum in Malta, an event which attracted over 1,200 business leaders from 80 countries.

    Lagos was the toast of many investors, as the Special Session hosted by the state government had prospective investors from several countries in attendance.

    Ambode, who was accompanied by a contingent consisting of Commissioners and a Special Adviser from the State Executive Council, intimated investors to various investment opportunities in Lagos State.

    He said: “The strong team I have here with me is a statement of our commitment to facilitating business in Lagos for investors. With the establishment of the Office of Overseas Affairs and Investment, the government will eliminate whatever bottle-necks may want to frustrate investors.

    “This Office is a one-stop- shop that will handle all your needs and ensure that there are no obstacles hindering investors who come to our state,” he stated.

    Mark Simmonds of the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council, who anchored the Lagos State-sponsored session, said he was very impressed with the interest shown in Lagos, adding that this was a strong indication that the state is not just an investment destination but an emerging economic hub.

    There were representations from the Kingdom of Nepal, Kuwait, Malaysia and Malta.

    Lord Jonathan Marland, Chairman of the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council, commended the Lagos team for its role and contribution to the forum.

    Earlier, Ambode had delivered a keynote address at the Plenary Session of the Forum titled, ‘The Commonwealth, the EU, and the Global Economic Cooperation: A One Way Ticket.’charged all nations on global economic cooperation stating that “whether you are in the EU, in the Commonwealth or whatever other organization out there, the only true common wealth we all have is to ensure a healthy financial and economic global order through economic cooperation.”

     

     

     

     

  • Fidelis Saviour is top scorer in Malta

    Fidelis Saviour is top scorer in Malta

    Nigerian striker Fidelis Saviour has shot to the top of the goal scorers’ chart in Malta after he scored in Mosta’s 3-0 win over St.Andrews.

    The former Enyimba striker hit the third goal in the 87th minute, just a minute after he was introduced to the game.

    He is now the top scorer with three goals from as many games.

    He told AfricanFootball.com he hopes to sustain the momentum.

    “It was a miracle. It was from my first touch of the game. It was a cross from the flank, I didn’t know how I went past the defenders and returned to volley in for the goal.”

    “I lack words to explain how it happened.I will keep working hard and trust in God,”he said.

  • Bernard Cassar joins BON hotels

    Bernard Cassar joins BON hotels

    Management of BON Hotels International West Africa (BHIWA) welcomes Bernard Cassar has he now joins the company as Executive Director.

    BON international Hotels, which was launched in June this year, was founded by a formidable board of directors who strongly believe that the ‘survival of Africa by Africans’ is the only way to go.

    They are a group of individuals who understand the culture, the people, the trading environment, the productivity and daily challenges, who thrive in this environment – they are Africans who have done it all before.

    One such seasoned advisor on the board, Bernard Cassar, Executive Director of BHIWA, is excited about being a part of this new African hotel group and the opportunities it presents.

    With a career in the industry that spans some 35 years, Bernard is regarded as one of the most successful hotel industry pioneers in the African market.

    Semi-retired since 2008, he continues to consult part-time to the University of Cape Town and the hospitality space in general. Much of his career was spent rising through the ranks at Protea Hotels, starting out as a hotel management trainee, then moving on to sales, rooms division manager, front office manager and national sport manager.

    Cassar was also General Manager at Mabula Lodge, Protea Hotel Hazyview, Piggs Peak & Casino and The Ritz before moving up to Director of Protea Hotels Africa and of New Developments for the group.

    Bernard originally hails from Malta, (an archipelago in the central Mediterranean between Sicily and the North African coast), but grew up in Cape Town, South Africa.

    He matriculated from Christian Brothers College and went on to obtain a National Diploma in Hotel Management from the School of Tourism & Hospitality, University of Johannesburg.

    Over the years he has also studied at the University of Cornell, USA, at the centre for professional development in hotel administration, and tackled The Disney Approach to Quality Service at the Disney Institute.

    Sporting many awards and honours, Bernard is less about the accolades and more about changing lives, adding value, living life to the fullest, making significant change and having fun doing it all.

    The African sky is the limit and BON Hotel International West Africa is on the rise, even more so with having the experienced Bernard Cassar on board.

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  • Omeruo hits Malta to see brother

    Omeruo hits Malta to see brother

    According to leaks gathered by allnigeriasoccer.com editorial staff, Lucky Omeruo, the younger brother of Chelsea stopper Kenneth, is in talks with Maltese Premier League vice – champions Birkirkara.

    The offensive all-rounder was linked with a transfer to Standard Liege this summer,  but  failed to bag a contract after testing with the Belgian club due to work permit problems.

    It is the same red tape rule that prevented him from joining ADO Den Haag in July last year after impressing the club during tests.

    Nigeria international Kenneth Omeruo is currently on his way to Malta to link up with his sibling, and give him all the moral support while he negotiates terms with Birkirkara.

    It is understood that the future of the Super Eagles defender will be sorted out after his vacation.

  • Sani Emmanuel: I’m not joining Malta

    Sani Emmanuel: I’m not joining Malta

    Lazio starlet Sani Emmanuel has denied reports which emanated from the Maltese media linking him with a switch to the Malta Premier League in the ongoing summer transfer window.

    In a telephone conversation with allnigeriasoccer.com from Italy on Wednesday evening, the 20-year-old said :”No, It is not true that I am moving to Malta. Let us see what will happen before the end of the month. Then, I’ll know my next club.”

    Sani Emmanuel, Golden Ball winner at the FIFA Under 17 back in 2009.He trained with Partizani Tirana last month but failed to agree financial terms with the Albanian Super League side.

    He had attracted interest from Greece powerhouse Panathinaikos earlier in August.