The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Nigeria newspaper

  • MTN closes shop in Edo

    Offices of MTN telecommunications were on Wednesday closed over fears of reprisal attacks over killings of Nigerians in South Africa.

    At the MTN office at Dawson junction in Benin City, customers were not seen even as it was placed under lock and key.

    Security personnel at the MTN office refused comments on why they did not open for business.

    Several multi choice offices visited were closed as businesses were discreetly.

    There were however no street protest in Benin City as at press time.

    Meanwhile, the lawmaker representing Ovia Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon Dennis Idahosa, said the ongoing attack of Nigerians in South Africa was an embarrassment to the world.

    Idahosa, who is the Chairman, Legislative Compliance Committee, called on the South Africa government to urgently proffer solution to end the attacks in the country.

    In a statement issued to newsmen in Bénin City, Idahosa said the attacks that have led to killings of many Nigerians and their properties either looted or burnt is highly condenmable.

    Idahosa said the attacks could cause a strain in the relationship between Nigeria and South Africa if not checked.

    He urged the people of South Africa to remember the role played by thegovernment of Nigeria during the Apartheid crisis.

    According to him, “The unfortunate news of continued killing, looting and burning of properties of Nigerians in South Africa by few criminals elements in that country should be condemn by all.

    “President Muhammadu Buhari must as a matter of urgency, meet with his South African counterpart to put a stop to this ugly menace.

    “South Africa must never forget that during the appathied period, Nigeria was there for them, we stood by them through thick and thing all though their trying period.

    “South Africa governemnt should know that the cordial relationship that have always  existed between the Nations is not allowed  to be ruined by some few criminally minded individuals.

    “If we cannot be our own brothers keepers in even Africa soil, then who will outside the shore of the continent.

    “The attack is not only shameful but barbaric, and should be condemned by all lovers of the two nation as well as lovers of peace.”

  • Okorocha, wife, others to forfeit assets to EFCC

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it has obtained orders for the interim forfeiture of assets traced to a former Imo governor, Rochas Okorocha, and his wife.

    The Head, Enugu Zonal Office of the commission, Mr Usman Imam, disclosed this on Wednesday in Enugu while briefing newsmen on the activities of the commission in the last eight months.

    Imam said that the commission also obtained similar order on a property traced to a former aide to Okorocha, Mr Paschal Obi, and the former governor’s daughter.

    He said that the commission had established prima facie cases against the suspects which they would answer to.

    Imam said that the commission would like to know how the Rochas Foundation and other accomplices acquired and or converted some of the property for personal use.

    He listed some of the property to include a 16-block cum 96 flats and an eight-bungalow multimillion naira estate, hotel, two schools, shopping plaza, supermarket, hospital and four vehicles.

    The EFCC chief said that while the hospital was traced to Obi, the remaining property were traced to the former governor and his family, including his wife and daughter.

    “We hope to get permanent forfeiture orders on the property in order to return them to the people of the state,” he said.

    Read Also: The unending Ihedioha, Okorocha feud

    Imam said that all the facilities, including the schools, would remain functional as the commission would not like to shut them down for the sake of the students and other users.

    “Other recoveries were made and are awaiting forfeiture, but for the court vacation. They include a twin three-storey building with a three bedroom bungalow and a duplex, both in Enugu.

    “The property were recovered from cyber fraudsters,” he said.

    Imam said that the commission, within the period, recovered N213.85 million and 10, 600 US dollars.

    “In one of such recoveries, one Augustine Ejimokor, who defrauded his victim of the sum of 5,000 US dollars and used it to acquire a Mercedez Benz C300 was ordered to forfeit the vehicle.

    “So far, the zone has arrested 88 suspected fraudsters since 2015, with 70 of them in 2019. This underscores the efforts of the present zonal head in conformity with the acting chairman’s directives,” he said.

    Imam said that the zone also obtained 59 convictions out of whom were the 51 arrested and prosecuted in 2019.

  • Breaking: Lokpobiri rejects Bayelsa APC primaries

    A former Minister of State for Agriculture, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, has rejected the outcome of the just-concluded primary election in Bayelsa State using a direct mode.

    Lokpobiri said it was still trying to get details of what transpired in Bayelsa insisting that he and his team never participated in any primaries that declared David Lyon the flag bearer of the party.

    Lokpobiri, who is a frontline APC aspirant in the state said there was no way he would be defeated in any election in Bayelsa by Lyon adding that the majority members of the APC were supporting him.

    Read Also: UPDATED: David Lyon wins APC primary in Bayelsa

    He wondered why a primary was said to have started in a hotel in Yenagoa and ended in the hotel sidelining the secretariat of the party in the state.

    He said party members gathered at the secretariat in Yenagoa and waited in vain for the arrival of the committee saddled with the conduct of the primaries.

    He also queried why a result was purportedly declared by someone other than the Returning Officer and Governor of Yobe State, who chaired the committee.

    Lokpobiri expressed optimism that the national leadership of the would look into the development in Bayelsa and ensure a credible process that would throw up a popular candidate for the APC.

    The former minister said there are hundreds of thousands of APC members in the state noting that it was not possible for a direct primary to produce less than 45000 voters as purpotedly announced in Bayelsa.

  • House of Reps member condemns xenophobic killings

    The Chairman, House Committee on Diaspora, Hon. Tolulope Akande-Sadipe has condemned the killing of Nigerians in South Africa describing it as ‘humiliating and traumatizing’.

    In a statement released, Akande-Sadipe called on the South African authorities at all levels to find lasting solution to the incessant killing of Nigerians.

    She said, “Xenophobia must be put to an end because it is an excuse for mass premeditated murder. This must stop, not by violent retaliation but by reorientation.

    Read Also: Xenophobia: Nigerians retaliate attacks on countrymen in South Africa

    “This is a misplaced aggression, a result of post-apartheid economic disparity, which should be addressed through social economic policies rather than the blame game against non-nationals”

    “I urge the South African government to ensure that lives and properties of all are protected without any bias against foreigners and to avoid being complicit in the attacks. Africa needs to unite for the collective progress of the continent”. She further added.

    While sympathizing with Nigerians living in South Africa, she promised that the house will collaborate with other relevant arms of government to ensure that a speedy diplomatic solution is achieved.

  • UPDATED: David Lyon wins APC primary in Bayelsa

    Mr David Lyon of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has emerged the winner of the just- concluded governorship primary in Bayelsa.

    He scored 42,138 votes to defeat its closest rival, Mrs. Diseye Nsirim, who scored 1,533 votes.

    Others are Heineken Lokpobiri, who scored 571 votes while Preye Aganaba scored 354 votes and Mr Amgbare scored 633 votes with Prof. Maureen Etebu scoring 564 votes.

    Read Also: PDP will retain power in Bayelsa, Diri assures

    The Chief Coalition Officer, Sen. Dangana Emmanuel, announced the result in Yenagoa.

    He said the mode was direct primary as agreed by Bayelsa stakeholders and confirmed by the National Working Committee.

    The Returning Officer for the Bayelsa APC Primaries is Gov. Mai-Mala Buni of Yobe.

    News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the APC adopted the direct primaries mode to select the candidate to fly its flag in the Nov. 16 governorship election in Bayelsa.(NAN)

    (NAN)

  • Is LADOL truly a Nigerian company?

    Even with the signing of the Nigerian Oil and Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act of 2010, many Nigerian investors still exploit the old loopholes in the system to take advantage of this law.

    Many Nigerians still parade foreign-owned companies as local entities to take advantage of the opportunities provided by the NOGICD Act at the detriment of the Nigerian economy.

    LADOL, for instance, prides itself as a local company and is reaping the huge benefits that accrue to local companies in Nigeria but its shareholding structure appears to question this claim.

    It is not an offence for foreign companies to operate in Nigeria. After all, President Muhammadu Buhari has travelled all over the world to woo foreign investors to come into Nigeria and harness the investment opportunities his administration has created.

    Also Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has made tremendous efforts to improve Nigeria’s ranking in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business to attract foreign companies.

    Buhari and Osinbajo’s efforts have paid off by attracting many foreign companies and investments since 2015.

    All these investments by foreign companies operating in Nigeria have provided employment for Nigerians and helped to grow the Nigerian economy.

    The Nigerian government has also provided benefits for these foreign companies to thrive.

    But it is worrisome when some foreign-owned companies parade themselves as local companies because they shortchange both the Nigerian economy and truly Nigerian companies.

    Foreign-owned companies, which should enjoy the benefits provided by the Nigerian government for foreign companies have claimed to be local companies to enjoy the benefits in the NOGICD Act.

    A peep into the shareholding structure of LADOL, for instance, reveals that the ownership is foreign-dominated because this conglomerate, which claims to be a bona fide Nigerian company, has its substantial 84 per cent shares held by foreign companies.

    The two foreign companies that own the 84 per cent stake in LADOL are Sable Offshore Investment Limited, registered in British Virgin Island and Alsba Ventures, also registered in the British Virgin Island.

    While Sable Offshore Investment Limited has 53 per cent stake in LADOL, Alsba Ventures Group has 31 per cent.

    When two foreign companies establish a company in Nigeria, the company can be rightly regarded as a foreign company.

    Read Also: Africoat – A bright hope for American investment under threat in LADOL

    So, substantially, and legally too, it can be argued that LADOL is a British Virgin Island company and not a Nigerian indigenous company because it is owned by entities registered in British Virgin island.

    If British Virgin Island companies owned by Nigerians establish a company in Nigeria, the company is not a truly Nigerian company because it is owned by foreign companies.

    When Nigerians establish companies in British Virgin Island and use these companies to set up a company in Nigeria, their motive becomes questionable and suspicious.

    The question is: Why did they not set up the company in Nigeria instead of setting up companies in foreign countries and using these foreign companies to set up a company in Nigeria? What is their motive?

    What are they trying to dodge? Which rules are they trying to circumvent?

    It is also well known all over the world that British Virgin Island is a tax haven where companies do not pay tax.

    These companies are shell companies and regulators and anti-corruption agencies in most countries have had cause to probe the business activities of these companies.

    Despite this obviously foreign ownership structure, LADOL is one of the greatest beneficiaries of the opportunities provided in the NOGICD Act.

    Indeed, the company has benefited enormously from the local content policy in the oil and gas sector. The opportunities and benefits LADOL have enjoyed are clearly meant for Nigerian companies. But is it truly a Nigerian company?

    Many people have called on the government regulators to probe the ownership structure of LADOL to ascertain if it is truly a Nigerian company. The earlier this is done the better for the Nigerian economy.

    Adeoye writes from Yenagoa

  • BREAKING: David Lyons is Bayelsa APC gov candidate

    An oil magnate and businessman, Chief David Lyon, has been declared the winner of the governorship primaries conducted in Bayelsa State through the direct method.

    Details shortly…

  • Fed Govt submits 2020 budget September

    The federal government has disclosed that the 2020 budget will be submitted to the National Assembly by the end of September.

    A statement from the Finance Ministry signed by Special Adviser Media and Communication to the Minister, Yunusa Tanko Abdullahi, said the Finance Minister, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed made this disclosure in her opening remarks at a high-level roundtable on National Donor Coordination in Abuja on Wednesday which resulted in the decision to create a Donor Coordinating Unit.

    According to Ahmed: “The 2020 Budget preparation process is well-underway and we intend to finalise and submit the 2020 appropriation bill to the National Assembly by the end of this month.”

    The Minister noted that it has become important to capture the planned and ongoing programmes of donor agencies in the country.

    Ahmed said the “first step towards ensuring that your donor programmes are aligned with our strategic priorities and are in turn reflected in our upcoming national budget, we will hold meetings in the next few days to better understand your ongoing and planned programmes.”

    She added that at “this consultative meeting, a set of guidelines will be provided to support submission of your cost short to medium term plans, broken down annually.

    “This process will ensure that we consider on-going and planned aid interventions when making our 2020 budgetary allocations, and that said interventions are reflected in the Appropriation Bill.”

    Read Also: FG to Nigerians in South/Africa: Avoid high risk areas

    The Minister also revealed that the present administration has designed 11 Economic Priority Areas.

    In the area of economic and governance reforms, Ahmed said government will focus on macroeconomic stability through coordinated economic, monetary, fiscal and trade policies; fight corruption and improve governance.

    With regards to enhanced investments in physical infrastructure, human capital development to spur job creation and economic growth, Ahmed said government will target improved health, “education and productivity of Nigerians; ensure energy sufficiency with power; ensure energy sufficiency with petroleum products; improve transportation and other infrastructure; and drive industrialisation, focusing on macro, small and medium-sized enterprises.”

    To optimise investments in physical security and food security to drive inclusive socio-economic development, Ahmed outlined the following economic agenda the government will pursue: Improved security for all citizens; enhance agriculture self-sufficiency to achieve food security; enhance social inclusion by scaling-up social investments; and improve access to mass housing & consumer credit to enhance financial inclusion.

    Speaking on the activities of donor agencies in Nigeria and the creation of a coordinating unit on donor programmes Zainab Ahmed said “the need for a government-driven national donor coordination mechanism cannot be overemphasized in that a well-structured approach is key to ensuring that external financing is maximised and of benefit to Nigerians.”

    She the said there was need to “work together to put in place a National Donor Coordination Mechanism that is aligned to government’s key strategic priority areas as set out in our national plans, policies and annual budgets. While government-led, this process must be collaborative in order to succeed.”

  • Anambra commences enumeration of herdsmen

    Anambra State Government has commenced registration of herdsmen in the state.

    The exercise took place at Amansea, Awka South Local Government Area on Wednesday.

    The chairman of the Committee and the traditional ruler of Enugwu-Umuonyia, Igwe Peter Eze -Amama, said the aim of the exercise was to checkmate herdsmen and farmers conflict in the state.

    He added that the enumeration would assist the cattle menace control committee to fish out the bad eggs from the herdsmen in Anambra state.

    The Chairman of Miyetti Allah in the South East, Alhaji Gidado Siddiki, commended the government and people of Anambra state for carrying the herdsmen along in the governance of the state.

    He assured that the cattle breeders were solidly behind the administration.

    Read Also: Oyo traditional ruler decries incessant bloody attacks by herdsmen

    However, he advised his tribe’s men in the state to respect their host communities, warning that anyone found wanting would be dealt with.

    One of the Committee members, Dr Basil Okechukwu, said that herdsmen as well as butchers would be captured in the enumeration exercise in order to easily trace them whenever they commit any offence.

    The Special Assistant to Governor Willie Obian on Muslim Religion, Alhaji Garuba Haruna, described the state as real light of the nation.

    He said other states should emulate the state, adding the tireless efforts of the committee in ensuring peaceful co-existence among herders and their host communities should continue.

    Mallam Idris Ismaila, one of the cattle breeders, blamed the crisis between the communities on his people, adding that some of their people would infiltrate the state, cause havoc and disappear.

  • BREAKING: Musa Wada emerges PDP gov candidate in Kogi

    Engr. Musa Wada has emerged as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) flag bearer for the November 16 governorship election.

    Musa Wada, a younger brother of the immediate past Governor Idris Wada, who also contested for the ticket, scored 748 votes to clinch the party ticket.

    He was closely followed by Abubakar Mohammed Ibrahim, the son of a former governor, Ibrahim Idris (Ibro), who polled 710 votes.

    The immediate past governor, Capt. Wada, came third with 345 votes while Senator Dino Melaye polled 70 vote to emerge fourth.

    Others include Aminu Suleiman- 55 votes, Victor Adoji-54, Erico Joseph- 42, AVM Saliu Atawodi (retd.)- 11, Emmanuel Omebije- 9 votes, Mohammed Shuaibi- 4 votes, Bayo Michael- 2 votes and Jabiru Haruna- 0.

    Read Also: Counting continues in Kogi PDP gov primary

    Counting resumed on Wednesday in the disrupted Kogi Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primary.

    The exercise, which was ongoing ended abruptly in the early hours of Wednesday following the invasion of the Lokoja Confluence Stadium, venue of the primary, by gunmen.

    Voting by the delegates had however ended and sorting of ballots under way, when the gunmen stormed the venue at around 1.45am, causing pandemonium.

    Votes in eight out of the 10 ballot boxes had been sorted and counted before the disruption, following which the Governor Umar Fintiri-led election panel called a meeting of all the 13 aspirants at the end of which it was agreed that sorting and counting should continue.