The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Nigerian news

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Tribunal dismisses Ndoma-Egba’s petition

    The petition of the All Progressives (APC) candidate for the Cross River State Central Senatorial District elections, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba SAN, challenging the polls that saw Dr Sandy Onor of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) emerge winner has been dismissed by the Tribunal in Calabar.

    Reading the judgment on behalf of the three-man Tribunal panel on Wednesday, Justice Vincent Agbata said the petitioner’s argument that he was unlawfully excluded by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from participation in the election of 23rd February was not valid because INEC acted within the ambit of the rule of law in obeying the order of a Federal High Court judgment in delisting the name of the petitioner as candidate of the APC.

    Read Also:  Tribunal upholds Bomoi’s election as Yobe South Senator

    The Tribunal judge noted that the APC in crisis at the time had several pre-election litigations one of which gave rise to the exclusion of their candidates in the election which the Tribunal averred as a lawful act since there was no superior order of the court to that lower court which ordered the exclusion.

    Also, the Tribunal viewed the petition as a pre-election matter being that the exclusion by INEC took place before the election, hence they lacked jurisdiction.

    Ndoma-Egba said he was going to appeal the decision as there were many loose ends that had not been addressed.

  • UPDATED: Red line drawn against South Africa, says Foreign Affairs minister

    The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, on Wednesday, confirmed Nigeria’s boycott of the World Economic Forum (WEF) scheduled for South Africa.

    According to him, President Muhammadu Buhari agreed with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo not to go to South Africa under the climate of xenophobic attacks.

    He briefed State House correspondents on Wednesday, stressing that red line has been drawn against South Africa.

    On the alleged recall of Nigerian ambassador to South Africa, he said that it is one of the options the government is considering and that final decision will be taken after the report of the special envoy sent to South Africa is received and considered.

    The Minister also said that the Nigerian government is insisting on full compensation for Nigerian victims of the xenophobic attacks.

    He said “We have made it clear that what has happened in South Africa is totally unacceptable. We will not accept it and as I said earlier, enough is enough and we are not going to come back to this, we are going to address it once and for all.

    “So this is the position of government that we are going to draw a redline here. Whatever measures needs to be taken to ensure the safety of Nigerians in South Africa, we will take.

    “We have been in touch with the South African government at the very highest level with the President of South Africa as to what we want to achieve. The special envoy has very clear directives about the commitment and the guarantees that we expect from the South African government.

    “Of course a lot of things have been circulating in social media which have not helped matters. Some of them have really distorted the situation and because of that have impacted our response.

    “So, number one is that the information we have from the High Commission, from the Consul General in South Africa is that no Nigerian life has been lost during this crisis. And I think that is very important because on social media, there is a lot of stories going around of Nigerians being killed, jumping off buildings and being burnt. This is not the case. What we know is that premises, shops of Nigerians have been looted and property destroyed.”

    On the boycott, he said “The Vice President as you know was scheduled to go to South Africa tomorrow to attend the World Economic Forum, clearly with this climate, he and Mr. President have agreed that he should not go to the World Economic Forum in Cape town and we are looking at other measures to take.”

    He also pointed out that the President was particularly distraght at the act of vandalism that has taken place here in Nigeria, in retaliation of what is happening in South Africa.

    The government, he said, believed that Nigerians have to take the moral high ground on the matter.

    “We are victims here and have made that position clear to the international community and to the South African government. We here in Nigeria must not fall into the temptation of also resorting to the acts that we are condemning in others.”

    Stressing that the President has pleaded with Nigerians, he said that President Buhari is likely to make a statement on this.

    “Addressing the Nigerian people to please desist from acts of vandalism and aggression, destroying properties.

    “Now, these businesses- Shoprite, MTN and others, yes they are South African but these are subsidiaries in Nigeria owned by Nigerians. So, as attacks are made against shoprite and other such institutions, it is actually the property owned by Nigerians within Nigeria and the people working there are Nigerians.

    “So the people that will suffer from those acts of vandalism and aggression are not South Africans or anyone else but Nigerians. But morally, it is wrong not even because of who will suffer and not suffer.

    “Mr. President is appealing to Nigerians, the government is acting, we cannot state everything in public domain with regards to what we are doing obviously, but we want to assure all Nigerians that this government is determined that the redline has been drawn and we will not give in on this occasion and that the South African government has to assumed its responsibilities and do the right thing, protect Nigerians and other Africans. I might say in South Africa and we have to hold them to count.”

    Read Also:  Red line drawn against South Africa, says Foreign Affairs minister

    On compensation, the Minister said “Full compensation has to be paid because as we have discovered from previous experience, a lot of these Nigerians lose their property and it is a long drawn out process and every often are not compensated for it.

    “But on this occasion, the Nigerian government is going to fight for full compensation and hold the government of South Africa to count. And we are going to consider other options to ensure that the message gets across to the government of South Africa.
    It is not a question of weakness or anything of the sort but we have to move decisively and that is precisely what the government is going to do.

    “We have all the options on the table and on the return of the special envoy, we will all sit down and look at all the options and assess the report.
    Continue on Page 2

  • 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 underway, when the gunmen stormed the venue around 1.45am, causing pandemonium.

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

    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.

    The resumption of counting is presently ongoing at a lodge, adjacent the Government House Lokoja, with all the aspirants and their agents present. Five journalists were allowed into the premises.

    Unconfirmed results from the agents indicate that Engr. Musa Wada is leading with 570 votes, followed by Abubakar Idris- 513; Senator Dino Melaye- 232 and former Governor Idris Wada- 200 votes.

  • Xenophobia: Mission denies shutting gate against Nigerians in S. Africa

    Amb. Kabiru Bala, the Nigeria High Commissioner to South Africa, says the missions never shut its door against Nigerians who came to register their grievances over xenophobic attack in that country

    Bala said this in a telephone conversation with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) from Pretoria, South Africa on Wednesday.

    The high commissioner debunked the claims in some quarters that the mission in Pretoria was attacked by Nigerians in South Africa because it did not give them attention.

    Bala, who said story was appalling and wicked, added, “the two missions were never closed. Two groups of Nigerians came to the high commission last week Thursday. They were received by the Acting High Commissioner while I was away.

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

    “They came around 9 p.m. and were received and assured of safety and security. So it was not true that they were turned back.

    “Let those who came and were either turned back or found the embassy closed give specific date and time.’’

    He said that the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria and Nigerian Consulate in Johannesburg had offered immense assistance to the affected Nigerians in the crisis.

    Bala said that the mission had started to compile a list of Nigerians affected for engagement with the South African government and other stakeholders.

    According to him, all Nigerian victims of the current attacks are requested to come forward to report their situation to the High Commission and the Consulate.

    “The two missions will continue to be home to all Nigerians in these trying times and in the future.

    “Since the outbreak of the attacks last week, the two missions have remained open and continued to render normal services to Nigerians and other customers without hindrance.

    “We appeal to Nigerians to remain calm and avoid any action that may jeopardise efforts to engage the South African government through diplomatic channels to bring situation under control and restore normalcy.

    “The two missions are currently working alongside all relevant authorities in South Africa, including the police to address the unfortunate situation,” he said.

    Mr Ben Okoli, the President of Nigerian Citizens Association in South Africa (NICASA), who corroborated the high commissioner claim, stressed that the report was not true.

    “The mission’s gate has never been shut against Nigerians; it has always kept its door open.

    “What happened is that after the crisis in Pretoria where South African’s have destroyed Nigerian business and property, those whose property were destroyed had gone to the mission out of frustration and anger.

    “So, I understand the situation; though it is not easy for somebody to lose his property and just be watching, but the mission gate was not shut against them,” he said.

    According to him, they were received and invited by the minister of consular affairs who went as far as organising food for them and drinks to make sure that they are comfortable.

    “So they were attended to and nobody would say that the gate was shut against them.

    “The mission allowed them even though they came in by forced and destroyed part of the entrance, the mission provided food for them and gave them some drinks and that is it.

    “And, they were encouraged to go and calculate their losses and bring back the report through the organisation. So, we are actually collaborating with people, who have lost their property.

    “We are collecting inventories of what our people have lost which I will make available to the high commissioner in due time,” Okoli said.