The Nation Newspaper

Tag: MAN

  • MAN faults U.S. call for import liberalisation

    The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has disagreed with the United States Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, Mr Charles Revkin, over his suggestion to the Federal Government to open its borders to pave way for more imports.

    Its President, Mr Frank Jacobs, said opening up the economy to unfettered importation will definitely not be in the best interest of the country.

    He warned the Federal Government against allowing imported goods into the market, saying that opening the market to cheap and sometimes substandard foreign goods is a capitalistic ideology that will not support the employment and poverty exigencies in Nigeria.

    Jacobs was reacting to the call by Mr Revkin, warning President Muhammadu Buhari not to shut off foreign competitors from importing their finished products into Nigeria through prohibitive tariffs, import ban or exchange control.

    Jacobs said: “I was not surprised at his warning considering that Mr. Revkin was speaking at an event involving the Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce Conference for Small and Medium Enterprises in Abuja which objective must have revolved around trade relations between Nigeria and America. Of course, Nigerians are aware of the benefits of engaging in international trade.

    “Mr. Revkin’s assertion is a noble one but it is more relevant to advanced economies. Over time, the economic framework that are effective in maintaining advanced economies have been proven to be ineffective in developing economies.”

    Jacobs said the industrial sector in Nigeria is a fledging one that is yet to find its feet, adding that it has over the years, gone through several challenges and is still import-dependent for most essential input.

    He said successive governments in the country have come up with several policy options in order to set the right path for the economy.

    “I, as the President of the MAN, recognises the huge disadvantage Nigeria would be exposed to if the country opens up its economy without caution to indiscriminate trade relations with advanced countries.’’

    “First, the advanced countries would trade capital goods such as plant and machinery, medical equipment, agricultural machinery, aviation equipment and airplanes, and so on, while Nigeria would only trade commodity goods such as cocoa, pepper, sesame seed etc.   The implication will be that while the advanced countries get richer and more industrialised, Nigeria will remain a commodity country and in perpetual de-industrialisation.

    “As mentioned earlier, trade is important but Nigeria must be cautious to ensure that most of the goods coming into the market are input materials for the productive sectors and not finished consumer goods that will wipe out existing domestic industrial efforts and truncate new industrial initiatives,” Jacobs said.

  • VAT: MAN backs govt’s decision

    The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has praised the Federal Government’s decision not to increase the Value Added Tax (VAT).

    In a statement by its President, Dr. Frank Jacob, the group described the manufacturing environment as very unfriendly, saying it has many challenges that have lingered on for decades.

    “Manufacturers in Nigeria are faced with the challenges of providing their infrastructure which in some states of the federation are subjected to taxes by the government.

    “A situation where a manufacturing company is forced to run on generators most of the time is, to say the least, unacceptable. This accounts for about 40 per cent of the cost of production whereas in some climes, these are taken for granted. Lending rates in Nigeria, especially to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), are about the highest in the world. Major challenges include infrastructure, cost, environmental and social challenges. With these challenges and the consequent high cost of production, Nigerian products cannot be competitive in any way,’’ he said.

    Jacob said increasing the VAT rate would only exacerbate the challenges of the sector as well as the cost of production and make local products less competitive.

  • MAN canvasses ‘development economics’

    MAN canvasses ‘development economics’

    The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) is pushing what it calls development economics as against the unfettered opening of the country  to cheap and sometimes substandard  goods. It said unrestricted access to “our markets promotes unemployment and poverty”.

    NAN President  Dr. Frank Jacobs, responding to a statement credited to  US Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, Charles H. Revkin, warning Nigeria of the dangers of shutting out foreign competitors, said MAN recognised the  disadvantage the country would be exposed to if it opens up its economy to indiscriminate trade relations with advanced countries.

    “First, the advanced countries would trade capital goods, such as plant and machinery, medical, agricultural machinery, aviation equipment, airplanes, and others while Nigeria would only trade commodity goods, such as cocoa, pepper, sesame seed, among others.

    “The implication will be that while the advanced countries get richer and more industrialised, Nigeria will remain a commodity country and in perpetual de-industrialisation.

    “Trade is important but Nigeria must be cautious to ensure that most of the goods coming into the market are input materials for the productive sectors and not finished consumer goods that will wipe out existing domestic industrial efforts and truncate new industrial initiatives”, he advised.

    He maintained that for Nigeria to sit on the same table with countries such as the United States, Britain, Germany, Japan, China, to appropriate the gains of trade, it must be able to trade industrial goods like the advanced economies.

    Jacobs advised policy makers on the need to look inwards to improve its industrial capacities by insisting on the tenets of the Backward Integration agenda as embedded in the Nigerian Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP).

  • Group lauds MAN Rector

    President Muhammadu Buhari has been commended on the re-appointment of Dr Joshua Okpo as the Rector of Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron.

    In a statement by the President, Akpakip-Oro Graduates’ Forum (AGF)  Mr Dominic Esifa, the group stated that Ambassador Okpo in the last four years has boosted various developmental projects through his harmonious working relationship within the institution and her host communities.

    The group also congratulated the MAN boss on his well deserved reappointment and urged him to keep up his good work.

    According to the group, the Maritime Academy has witnessed an unprecedented infrastructural and manpower development revolution under Amb. Okpo as the Rector.

    The Oro graduates enjoined all stakeholders in the institution to give the Okpo-led administration more support to enable him complete his transformational policies.

    On the  controversy surrounding the tenure elongation of the MAN Rector, the group condemned  the recent attack on Okpo by some faceless groups and urged  them to rather sheathe their swords and seek ways of enabling a peaceful environment to ensure that the only Federal Government presence the Oro community can boast the development of the community.

    While stressing that Okpo is proactive and capable of delivering the Federal Government’s blueprint of reconstructing and transforming the institution the group said he should not be distracted.

    The group equally gave a positive appraisal of the Academy’s lofty strides that have made the cadets churned out by the Academy be a toast for national and international maritime sector employers.

  • Man commits suicide in Aba

    Man commits suicide in Aba

    A young man in his late twenty living at Umuobe village, Ovom 1 and a graduate of Abia State Polytechnic, Aba, has allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself with a rope in his family house.

    According to the reports, the man whose name was yet to be ascertained allegedly killed himself on Sunday after attending a church service in one of the Catholic Church in the area.

    The young man who was said to be an orphan, The Nation was told, would be among the next set of graduates that would be shortlisted for the compulsory one National Youth Service Scheme.

    Until his death, many who knew him said that he was doing tiling job and was feeding well as he has customers and was making a lot of income from the business.

    They however said that they were yet to point out the reason why he should end his life through such a deadly mission on that fateful Sunday.

    Though the family members were yet to be reached, a source in the area who confirmed the incident said; “he returned from church on Sunday after attending one of the church services and nobody suspected that such a thing was going to happen. It was around 5pm that the bad news broke.

    “The mother and the dad we learnt are all dead. I think he is the breadwinner of the family. It is very unfortunate. We learnt that he will be among the people that will be going for NYSC soon because he schooled in Abia poly. We are yet to understand how the incident happened. The boy has a handwork which was fetching him money, so I don’t think that it was hunger or out of frustration that led him into such action. I learnt his girl friend and a few other persons were around, though I learnt that the girl friend was said to be in the kitchen when the incident happened.

    “According to the people of the area, the incident is a sacrilege and that they have to perform some rituals before his body could be touched and buried. So, it was on Monday that they (villagers) after performing the rituals took away his corpse from the room where it was lying,” the source stated.

    The source said that fiancé to the deceased was later invited to the Azuka Police station in whose jurisdiction the incident happened.

    But when contacted, the Abia State Police Commissioner, CP Joshiak Habila who confirmed the incident said that the matter was yet to be officially reported to the police.

  • Man jailed for defiling neigbour’s daughter

    Man jailed for defiling neigbour’s daughter

    An Ikeja Magistrates’ Court on Friday sentenced a 25-year-old unemployed man, Ogboru Godspower, to 14 years imprisonment for defiling a 13-year-old daughter of his neighbour.

    The Chief Magistrate, Mr Tajudeen Elias, sentenced Godspower after he pleaded guilty to the offence.

    “The accused is hereby sentenced to 14 years imprisonment to serve as deterrent to others and to reform him to be a law abiding citizen,” he said.

    The convict was arraigned on Aug. 14 on a one-count charge of defilement.

    The convict, lives at 30, Egbin Sand filled Ijede, Ikorodu in Lagos.

    The prosecutor, Jimah Iseghede, had told the court that the offence was committed on Aug. 8 at Godspower’s residence.
    Iseghede said that the victim was going to take her bath when the accused waylaid her, removed her towel and defiled her.

    “It was a neighbour who saw the accused in the act that alerted the whole house,’’ he said.

    The prosecutor said that the offence contravened Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

  • Man jailed for abducting three-year-old boy

    Man jailed for abducting three-year-old boy

    A Minna Magistrates’ Court, on Wednesday sentenced one Kabiru Salisu to six months imprisonment for abducting a 3-year-old boy.

    Magistrate Amina Musa said that abduction was a serious crime and one that would have brought agony to the child’s parents.

    Musa, however, said the convict has shown remorse and sentenced him to six months imprisonment without an option of fine

    The convict was arraigned on a 2-count charge of trespass and abduction of a 3-year- old boy.

    The prosecutor, Insp. Alfred Auta, had told the court that one Baba Abubakar, reported the matter at Agaie Police Station on May 16.

    Auta alleged that on the same day at about 2:30 a.m., the convict trespassed into Abubakar’s compound and abducted the child.

    He said the accused was later apprehended by the police and the child rescued.‎

    Salisu pleaded guilty to the charges and begged the court for leniency.

     

  • Man charged with impersonating Customs chief

    A 26-year-old man Alao Akojiime, was yesterday arraigned before an Igbosere Magistrate’s Court in Lagos for allegedly impersonating a deputy comptroller-general of Customs.

    He is facing a four-count charge of conspiracy, fraud and impersonation.

    The defendant was said to have presented himself as Peter Akande, a customs chief, on August 12, in order to defraud a job seeker, Samuel Eze.

    He was said to have obtained N33,300 from Eze under the pretence of getting him a job with the Nigerian Customs Service.

    Prosecuting police Inspector Haruna Ibrahim told Magistrate F.F. George that the defendant also advertises and auctions vehicles as a Customs agent to defraud people.

    The defendant, he said, also defrauded others under the guise of obtaining recruitment forms for them into customs.

    The defendant pleaded not guilty. He was granted N50,000 bail with two sureties in the like sum.

    The matter has been fixed for October 2.

  • Man cleared of fowl theft

    AN Ikorodu Magistrate’s Court in Lagos has cleared a 28-year-old man, Michael George, of stealing a fowl belonging to Mrs Miriam Usman.

    When George was arraigned on June 2, police Inspector Kehinde Muhammed, standing in for the prosecutor, Corporal Kemi Adeniran, alleged that the accused was caught with the fowl on the night of May 31, on the complainant’s premises.

    The charge reads: “That you Michael George on May 31, at 10pm on Adegboyega Street, Ibeshe Titun Area, Ikorodu, did steal a fowl valued at N2000, property of one Miriam Usman.”

    He said the offence contravened Section 285 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2011.

    The accused pleaded not guilty.

    Magistrate A. S. Odusanya, who initially handled the case, granted George N5,000 bail with one surety in the like sum.

    Yesterday, the George’s counsel, Mrs M. O. Folami urged the court to strike out the case, adding that her client was detained for two days at Kirikiri Prison and made to pay N35,000 in restitution for the said crime.

    She said: “Members of the complainant’s community have collected N35,000 from my client already as payment for the fowl and other expenses they said they incurred in prosecuting this matter. Yet, the witnesses, all members of the community, didn’t bother to show up in court.”

    “They didn’t even tell the Investigative Police Officer that they had collected any money from the accused.”

    Magistrate A. Oshodi struck out the case for want of diligent prosecution and discharged George.

     

  • Man ‘steals’ phones, cash

    A 24-year-old man, Hassan Balogunk, was yesterday arraigned before an Ogba Magistrate’s Court in Ikeja, Lagos, for alleged stealing.

    Balogun was alleged to have stolen a Nokia phone worth N5,000;  Blackberry Q5 worth N35,000, Techno phone worth N70,000  and a N30, 000 cash all belonging to Kehinde Omokhilo.

    The defendant was arraigned on a two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing.

    According to the prosecutor, Superintendent of police Lugard Ahole, the defendant and others at large stole the items at Balogun junction in Iju-Ishaga, Lagos, on August 26.

    Ahole said the offence is punishable under Sections 285 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos state 2011.

    The defendant pleaded not guilty.

    Magistrate T. Akani granted him N100, 000 bail with one surety in the like sum.

    Akani adjourned the case till September 16.