The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Spanish Government

  • Catalonia referendum: Call for pro-unity rallies in Spain

    Catalonia referendum: Call for pro-unity rallies in Spain

    Rallies are expected in Spain against Catalonian independence, after Sunday’s disputed referendum.

    Demonstrations are planned in the capital Madrid and other cities, with supporters calling for a similar rally in Catalonia’s capital, Barcelona, the BBC reports.

    Meanwhile, Spain’s government representative in Catalonia earlier apologised to those hurt during police efforts to stop the referendum.

    But Enric Millo blamed the Catalan government for holding an illegal vote.

    In the first apology by a Spanish government official over the violence during the referendum, Mr. Millo said he could not help but “regret it and apologise on behalf of the officers that intervened.”

    Hundreds of people were injured as police, trying to enforce a Spanish court ban on the vote, attempted to seize ballot boxes and disperse voters.

    Catalan President, Carles Puigdemont, now plans to address the Catalan parliament on Tuesday at 18:00 local time (16:00 GMT), the speaker of the parliament in the autonomous north-eastern region said.

  • Referendum: Spain apologises to injured Catalans

    The Spanish government’s representative in Catalonia has apologised to those injured during police efforts to stop Sunday’s independence referendum.

    But Enric Millo blamed the Catalan government for holding an illegal vote.

    Meanwhile the government in Madrid has issued a decree making it easier for companies to move their headquarters away from Catalonia.

    A Catalan minister told the BBC his government would go ahead with an independence debate in parliament.

    “Parliament will discuss, parliament will meet,” said Catalan Foreign Affairs Chief, Raül Romeva.

    “Every attempt the Spanish government has used to impede things to happen, they have been demonstrated completely not only useless but counter-productive,” he told the BBC.

    In the first apology by a Spanish government official over the violence on Sunday, which saw hundreds injured as police, trying to enforce a Spanish court ban on the vote, attempted to seize ballot boxes and disperse voters, Mr. Millo said he could not help but “regret it and apologise on behalf of the officers that intervened.”

    Catalan President, Carles Puigdemont, now plans to address the Catalan parliament on Tuesday at 18:00 local time (16:00 GMT), the speaker of the parliament said.

    Spain’s Constitutional Court had earlier suspended the Catalan parliament session that had been planned for Monday.

     

  • Spain deports 23 Nigerians for various offences

    Spain deports 23 Nigerians for various offences

    The Spanish Government on Tuesday deported 23 Nigerians for committing various offences in the country, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

    They were deported barely five days after 34 Nigerians were sent home from six European countries for committing immigration-related offences.

    NAN reports that 34 Nigerians were jointly deported by six European countries on June 22 for committing immigration-related offences.

    The deportees were sent back home from Switzerland, Germany, Iceland, Austria, Belgium and Hungary.

    NAN gathered that the new set of deportees arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMlA) Lagos, at about 6.40 a.m on Tuesday.

    The new deportees, comprising 21 males and two females, were brought back in a privilege style aircraft with registration number EC-IZO.

    DSP Joseph Alabi, the spokesman of the Lagos Airport Police Command, confirmed the development to NAN.

    Alabi said that the deportees were received by officers of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and the Police.

    He said that others also on ground to receive them were officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

    According to him, nine of the deportees, who were deported for drug-related offences, were handed over to the NDLEA.

    He said that two others, who were deported for criminal offences, were handed over to the police.

    Alabi said that the remaining 12 deportees, accused of breaching the country’s immigration rules, were profiled and allowed to go to their respective destinations. 

  • Nigeria-Spain Relations: Reps seek ties in agriculture, tourism, oil

    The House of Representatives said it would strive to evolve favourable business ties with the Spanish Government to support Federal Government’s diversification objective.

    Chairman of the house’s Ad hoc Committee on Nigeria-Spain Relations, Rep. Diri Douye (Bayelsa-PDP) stated this on Thursday in Abuja when the committee visited the Spanish Embassy.

    He listed areas of key interest in the bilateral ties to include oil and gas, agriculture, culture and tourism, and solid minerals.

    Douye said that he was optimistic that strengthening the existing cordial diplomatic relations between both countries would enhance wellbeing of citizens through the instrument of parliament.

    In his response, the Spanish Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Alfonso De Erico, expressed his government’s readiness in promoting stronger relations with Nigeria.

    According to him, Nigeria is a very generous society and we are very proud to be part of this generosity that we would want the rest of the world to explore its tourism potential.

    “We congratulate Nigeria for winning the fight against Boko Haram; we are aware of the economic challenges in the country presently and we know that Nigeria can improve and move forward.

    “We also congratulate Nigeria on the peaceful transmission of power. We promise to promote stronger relations between Nigeria and Spain,” the envoy said.