The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Switzerland

  • Switzerland, Portugal clubs monitoring Akpeyi

    Switzerland, Portugal clubs monitoring Akpeyi

    According to information gathered by allnigeriasoccer.com, clubs based in Switzerland and Portugal are monitoring the situation of  Daniel Akpeyi and could swoop for the Super Eagles glovesman this summer.

    It is understood that the former Warri Wolves star did not travel with the squad to Abuja on Wednesday morning, opting instead to return to South Africa in order to hold clear-the-air talks with Chippa United regarding his future.

    The Chilli Boys have offered Akpeyi a one-year contract extension but nothing has been finalized at this stage, as he is yet to agree on the financial terms of the proposed deal.

    And this has opened an opportunity for other clubs interested in securing his signature and without paying a single euro.

    Akpeyi was in between the pipes for the Super Eagles against Luxembourg on Tuesday and would have posted a shutout if not for a defensive slip by Chelsea’s Kenneth Omeruo in the closing minutes of the game.

  • Nigeria, Switzerland hold talks on Abacha loot

    Nigeria, Switzerland hold talks on Abacha loot

    Authorities in Switzerland are in talks to arrange the return to Nigeria of $300 million confiscated from the family of former military ruler, Sani Abacha, Nigeria’s foreign minister said.

    The corruption watchdog Transparency International has accused Abacha of stealing up to $5 billion of public money during his five years regime in Nigeria.

    Abacha ruled Nigeria from 1993 until his death in June 1998.

    Geoffrey Onyeama said $700 million had already been repatriated from Switzerland, adding that he met Swiss representatives last week for further talks.

    “They have also now recovered, in the same context, another $300 million of which there is ongoing discussion to have that repatriated as well,” Reuters quoted the minister as saying to journalists on Monday.

    In 2014, Nigeria and the Abacha family reached an agreement for the country to get back the funds, which had been frozen, in return for dropping a complaint against Abba Abacha, the son of the former military ruler.

    He was charged by a Swiss court with money-laundering, fraud and forgery in April 2005, after being extradited from Germany, and subsequently spent 561 days in custody. In 2006, Luxembourg ordered that funds held by the younger Abacha be frozen.

    President Muhammadu Buhari, who took office in May, has made tackling corruption a priority. He has asked the Britain and the United States for help recovering money stolen from Africa’s biggest economy by some of the country’s elite over several years.

     

  • Jonathan to be honoured in Switzerland

    Former President Goodluck Jonathan will on January 21, 2016 be honoured in Geneva Switzerland for his role in promoting peace and democratic practice in Nigeria and Africa by extension.

    The former president, who will also be the guest of honour, is to deliver a key note address at the annual event organised by the Diplomatic Circlers, a group of diplomats from all over the world.

    The group said: “He is the first African leader in and out of office to be so honoured by this revered group for his democratic credentials and upholding human rights in Africa .

    “This goes to show that he has become not just a national asset to Nigeria but to Africa and global community.Since he conceded defeat at the last presidential election and congratulated the winner, Dr. Jonathan’s image has continued soar and is seen as a reference and model for other African leaders.”

  • Sweden, Switzerland promise support for infrastructure, others

    Governments of Sweden and Switzerland have pledged their support for the development of Nigeria’s power and infrastructure sectors. The Ambassador of Switzerland to Nigeria, Mr. Eric Mayoraz, and his Swedish counterpart, Mr. Svante Kilander, pledged the support when they accompanied the Managing Director of ABB in Nigeria, Mr. Mohammed Hosseiny, on a courtesy visit to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

    Amb. Kilander stated after the visit the team had a fruitful discussion with the vice president. “We assured the vice president that the Swedish and Swiss governments are fully behind the activities of ABB Power Company in their activities in Nigeria. “There is a full government support for this Swedish/Swiss company.’’

    The envoy described the relations between Nigeria and Sweden as excellent, saying: “We are happy to be able to promote not only government-to-government relations, but also the relations between Swedish and Nigerian companies. This is where development is taking place, where Nigeria is in such a dynamic stage as it is now under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari and the Vice President.”

    Also, Mayoraz said Switzerland would support the development initiatives of the Buhari administration. “Switzerland, like Sweden, is committed to supporting the new development policy of the new administration of President Buhari and we are supporting our companies that are willing to invest in development activities here in Nigeria,” he said.

    Mayoraz however, declined comment on the challenges facing Nigeria, saying it was the right of Nigerians to assess what the government was doing. The ambassador acknowledged that Switzerland and Sweden have excellent bi-lateral relations, saying: “If we can try to cooperate for the success of the development of Nigeria, we will be very pleased.”

    In his contribution, the Country Managing Director, ABB, Mr. Mohammed Hosseiny, said the meeting was about how the company could play a role in providing Nigeria with power for the development of infrastructure.

    He added that the discussion focused on the nature of solutions ABB had to support the development in both areas as a follow up to the visit of its Group CEO to Nigeria recently.

    The managing director said the response of the vice president was very positive. “He is aware of the company and he has stressed the need to move forward to the next steps in this power and infrastructure development,’’ he said.

  • Switzerland to help strengthen prisons

    The Swiss government after several consultations with the leadership of the Nigeria Prisons Service (NPS) has developed a human rights training manual and human right trainers guide.

    The manual, according to the Swiss Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Eric Mayoraz is aimed at improving the system and modernize the operations of the NPS in the field of human rights.

    Mayoraz while presenting the manual to the NPS Controller General (CG), Dr. Peter Ekpendu at the formal launch said based on an overall training curriculum development by the United Nations (UN), office on drugs and crime.

    He said the manual will also help enhance the human resources capacity of the NPS so that the treatment of prison inmates would comply with international human rights law and UN standards and norms on the treatment of prisoners.

    His words: “In 2011, the Nigeria and Swiss governments jointly decided to strengthen their collaboration in the field of human rights consultations. Over the years we have been working closely together to building the capacity of NPS staff to comply with international standards in the treatment of prisoners. The Nigerian Prisons Service and Switzerland together with the implementing partner UCHEFEM consultants have successfully integrated and mainstreamed a stronger human right emphasis into the NPS training syllabus.”

  • Switzerland to release $380 million Abacha loot

    Switzerland to release $380 million Abacha loot

    Switzerland will return to Nigeria, about $380 million (360 million euros) linked to ex- military dictator Gen. Sani Abacha, Geneva’s public prosecutor said yesterday.

    The release of this cash may bring to an end the 16-year case on the funds.

    Gen. Abacha died in office in 1998 after a five-year iron-fist rule. He was seen as extremely corrupt and faced criticism over his human rights abuses.

    The decision to return the funds followed a July 2014 deal between Nigeria and the Abacha family.

    Under the agreement, the funds would be confiscated and returned to Nigeria, while Abuja would drop its case against the deceased dictator’s son, Abba Abacha.

    The $380 million had been placed in several accounts abroad that were controlled by the Abacha family, which is considered a criminal organisation, the Geneva prosecutors’ office said in a statement.

    The money was seized in 2006 in Luxembourg, under orders from the Swiss authorities.

    The Abacha family had also placed some $500 million (530 million euros) in Swiss banks, though those funds have already been returned to Nigeria.

    The $380 million will be returned under the World Bank’s supervision, said the prosecutor’s office.

    The authorities have also decided to drop their case against Abba Abacha, which began in 1999.

    In 2012, the dictator’s son was handed a one-year suspended prison sentence for participating in a criminal organisation.

    Switzerland’s top court cancelled the sentence in May 2014, citing procedural reasons.

    The Geneva prosecutor’s office on Tuesday said Abba Abacha has already been detained for 561 days from 2004 to 2006, without receiving compensation.

    The cash issue began in 1999, when Nigeria asked the Swiss judicial authorities to help it recover $2.2 billion ($2 billion euros) embezzled and siphoned off by Gen. Abacha while he was in power.

     

  • Agric college, Switzerland partner on capacity building

    The Federal College of Agriculture, Akure is  collaborating with the  Switzerland Government project to  develop manpower in the sector.

    Known as Capacity Building for Agricultural Education in Nigeria, the project is to be implemented by Switzerland School of Agricultural Forest and Food Sciences on behalf of the Swiss State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) in collaboration with the institution.

    The project, the Provost, Dr  Samson Adeola said, has been developed within the framework of the Migration Partnership between Nigeria and Switzerland established in February 2011.

    It   aimed to expand the dialogue and to enhance the cooperation migration between the two partner nations and to find constructive solutions to the challenges of global migration – in a spirit of partnership and trust.

    Odedina said  the  project to  last   two years would consolidate on the achievements already recorded by the college during pilot and first phases of the project where the College excelled.

    Specifically the project is intended to build the capacity of small scale farmers.

    He said the development is a further recognition of the college as a leading provider of agricultural education in the world system.

    He therefore enjoined the Organised Private Sector (OPS), especially the agro-allied industries to partner with the college in capacity building to attain the objectives of the Federal Government through  Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) especially in training young and emerging farmers on value chain opportunities.

  • Switzerland flexes parliamentary muscle as scrutiny of HSBC intensifies

    Swiss lawmakers plan to question the country’s financial watchdog about HSBC’s Swiss bank to determine whether parliament needs to take a more active role in investigation of a trove of details on alleged tax evasion by some of the bank’s wealthy clients.

    The Alpine nation’s banking sector is back in the spotlight after media reports said that customers of HSBC’s Swiss subsidiary had been helped to conceal millions of dollars of assets, sparking regulatory inquiries and an admission by Europe’s largest lender of failings in compliance and controls

    “The committee wishes to inform itself of the situation directly in order to be able to judge whether any parliamentary action is needed in terms of oversight,” a control committee of Switzerland’s upper house of parliament said in a statement.

    The move is an unusual show of parliamentary influence over Swiss financial regulator FINMA, which said that it had taken note of the committee’s decision and would make itself available for inquiries.

    In addition to the tax evasion allegations sparked by whistleblower HerveFalciani, a former IT employee at HSBC, the bank is also the subject of a separate criminal inquiry into alleged money laundering, instigated by Geneva’s public prosecutor on Wednesday.

    FINMA had first investigated HSBC as long as four years ago, when it criticised the bank’s internal controls, and it said that two previously unpublicised investigations had found that HSBC violated money laundering guidelines.

    The regulator said it had ordered remedial measures, which HSBC implemented, though FINMA gave no further detail.

    “These are cases from the past,” the watchdog said on Thursday. “FINMA has since investigated the bank’s anti-money laundering procedures thoroughly.”

    The previous investigations have come to light at a time when FINMA is adopting a far more public approach to sanctioning errant bankers under new head Mark Branson.

    Ursula Cassani, a Professor of Law for the University of Geneva, said HSBC could face a fine of up to five-million Swiss francs ($5.28 million U.S.) if it is proved to have been complicit in money laundering, adding that the reputational fallout would be far more damaging.

  • Olympic ceremony parachutist killed

    The stuntman who parachuted into the London 2012 opening ceremony as James Bond has been killed in an accident, BBC reports.

    Briton Mark Sutton, 42, from Surrey, died during a wing-diving event near Martigny, Switzerland, on Wednesday.

    Police said they did not yet know the cause but it is thought Mr. Sutton died after crashing into a ridge of rock.

    Mr. Sutton doubled for Daniel Craig’s James Bond as he and another stuntman playing the Queen memorably entered the Olympic Stadium from a helicopter.

    Wing-divers wear special suits that are designed to allow them to glide through the air at high speeds, before a parachute is opened for landing.

    Mr. Sutton, a former army officer, is thought to have dived from a helicopter flying at 3,300m (10,826ft) intending to land at a village just across the border in France.

    But reports say the stuntman hit a ridge of rock, suffering fatal injuries. Rescuers believe Mr. Sutton died on impact.

    The stuntman had been invited to take part in the three-day wing-diving event with 19 other experienced wing-suit pilots.

    The accident happened on the first day of the event, which involved the wing-divers being filmed jumping from helicopters.

    Police said a formal identification of the body was under way and an investigation had been opened.

     

  • My father was jailed for refusing to let me attend school – Atiku

    Late father of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar was jailed for refusing to let him attend school in his hometown of Jada, Adamawa State.

    The former Vice President recalled the incident on Sunday  in remarks at  the conferment of an honorary doctorate degree on him by the Geneva School of Diplomacy and International Relations, Switzerland.

    “When my father was put in jail by local authorities because he needed my assistance with herding the livestock, it seemed like a harsh punishment.”

    “Were he to be alive to witness this day (Sunday ) and the last 30 or so years of my life I am sure that he would exclaim “wow! Education pays after all, ” Atiku stated.

    The founder of the American University of Nigeria (AUN), Yola recalled that as a young lad growing up in his rustic village of Jada, he had dreams, but that it was education that made his dreams come true. 

    According to him, “education is what brought me in contact with members of the United States of America’s Peace Corps when I was still a little boy; a contact and interaction that would have profound impact on my life, especially my love for education and service.”

    While underscoring the imperative of education to personal growth and development, the former Vice President said it gave him the friends he made across Nigeria as he attended high school and university; gave him a job in the Nigerian civil service; and provided him with opportunities to meet and form more life-long friendships from across the world. 

    Atiku  attributed the modest achievements he has made in business and politics and the contributions in improving the lives of others to education.

    He stressed that education is what has informed his determination to give back to society, especially through education.

    He noted that the centrality of  education in the improvement of the human condition is one reason why public policy must seek to always improve the quality of and access to public education everywhere in the world, especially in developing countries like Nigeria.

    He advised parents not to choose career options for their children but allow them to discover their innate potentials by charting their own preferred discipline.

    “A young friend of mine, who heads the human resources department of an organization in Nigeria, called me up one night about seven months ago and said he came across an application for employment by one of my children and wondered whether I consented to my child applying to work in that organization. 

    “I asked why he needed to clear that with me first and he said he thought that I would prefer that my child works in one of my establishments.  I then told him that I do not choose careers for my children.  I owe them good education; I support them to acquire good education.  What they do thereafter is up to them as adults,” Atiku said. 

    Others who received honorary doctorate degrees from the same institution are His Excellency (Dr.) Oguz Demiralp, Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey and His Excellency (Dr.) Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Director General of the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG) and Honorary Dean of the Geneva School of Diplomacy.