The Nation Newspaper

Tag: U.S

  • U.S., EU, UK observer team concerned about report on poll

    The United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union observer team said yesterday it would investigate reports of irregularities in the Osun state supplementary governorship election.

    A member of the team told reporters in Osogbo, the state capital, that they heard about irregularities, harassment and interference by inappropriate persons in the election.

    “We are very concerned by these reports and will be checking the facts with stakeholders.

    We call on all stakeholders to remain calm,” he said.

    Another observer group, the Centre for Democracy and Development, said: “In the light of these anti-democratic acts, which have undermined the sanctity of the ballot therefore, we hold strongly the view that the re-run poll of Thursday, September 27, 2018 does not meet up with the minimum standards for free, fair and credible elections.”

  • ‘U.S. judge won’t force Georgia to use paper ballots’

    A federal judge will not force Georgia to use paper ballots for the November election, citing the potential for last-minute confusion.

    United States District Judge Amy Totenberg has, however, expressed concern that the state’s electronic machines could be vulnerable to hacking.

    Totenberg said in a ruling on Monday that while it is important for citizens to know their ballots are properly counted, voters also must rely on a smooth process, especially in a fast-approaching election race.

    “Ultimately, any chaos or problems that arise in connection with a sudden rollout of a paper ballot system with accompanying scanning equipment may swamp the polls with work and voters.

    “It may also result in voter frustration and disaffection from the voting process,” Totenberg said in a 46-page decision.

    The state’s November contests include a gubernatorial race that is among the most high-profile in the country.

    Democrat Stacey Abrams faces Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp, a Republican, who is responsible for the state’s elections and is named as a defendant in the lawsuit.

    If elected, Abrams would be the first black female governor in the United States.

    Georgia is one of five states that use touchscreen machines with no paper record.

    Voting rights groups and individual voters sued Georgia officials in 2017, alleging that the electronic machines are highly vulnerable to hacking and cannot be audited or verified.

    The judge’s decision to reject their request to require paper ballots in November does not affect the underlying lawsuit, which will continue.

    An attorney for the plaintiffs, David Cross, said that while they were disappointed the judge had not imposed paper ballots for November, her decision was nevertheless a victory because she agreed the current election system is “woefully inadequate and insecure.”

    Georgia has used direct-recording electronic (DRE) voting machines exclusively since 2002.

    According to Totenberg, the machines have drawn criticism from various advocacy groups and federal agencies, including U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials who called the systems a “national security concern” in March.

    “Plaintiffs shine a spotlight on the serious security flaws and vulnerabilities in the state’s DRE system,” Totenberg said in the court order.

    However, a representative from Kemp’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

    Kemp on Monday said that Georgia’s electronic voting machines are secure and that switching to paper ballots would cause “chaos”

     

  • U.S honours Azikel chief over growth

    The United States (U.S) government has honoured the President of Azikel Group, Dr. Azibapu Eruani, for supporting industrialisation and economic growth in Nigeria.

    He was honoured with the prestigious merit award of International Partnership through his industries and refinery.

    A statement by the Media Assistant to the President, Azikel Group, Austin Ebipade, said the award was conferred on him by the U.S Embassy in Lagos. The ceremony was attended by distinguished Nigerians, top local and foreign  chief executives officers.

    Azikel Group of Companies, comprising Azikel Dredging/Construction, Azikel Air, Azikel Power and Azikel Petroleum, is privately owned.

    “On behalf of the U.S government, Consul-General  F. John Brady and the Head of U.S Commercial Counsel, Brent Omdahl presented the award to Dr Eruani, extolling his development initiative and for leading the International Partnership, particularly in leading private refinery investment and catalysing the new industrialisation and economic growth in the nation,” the statement read.

    The envoy said the absence of employment and industrial growth hamper industrialisation, slow economy and wellbeing of the citizenry, thereby heightening poverty, conflict, health challenges in any state or country.

    Brady said in support of government at all levels, the Azikel Group and its subsidiaries in dredging/construction, power, aviation and petroleum, has helped to realise government’s  Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP).

    “When the wheel of industries is in motion, as powered by the Azikel Group president in the Niger Delta, restiveness in the region, unstable power supply, insufficient and scarcity of petroleum products, as well as long queues at filling stations would be redressed,” he said.

    Responding,  Dr. Eruani lauded the U.S government for the recognition, stressing that he remained committed to the new industrialisation and economic advancement of the country.

  • Nigerians in U.S. to float community bank

    The Nigerian community in the United States has put measures in place to establish a community bank.

    The proposed bank would serve the interest of the Nigerian community in that country and those at home.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the proposed bank – Nigeria Federal Credit Union – is being promoted by the Nigeria National Association, a non-profit organisation in the U.S.

    The credit union, when fully established, would be a full-fledged financial, banking, and investment initiative, in service for all, especially  Nigerians resident in the U.S., including members of the Nigerian diplomatic corps.

    NAN reports that Credit unions provide banking services nationwide, loans, mortgages, credit cards, checking, mobile banking and more, and many have broader eligibility requirements that include individuals from a location or other broad-ranging characteristics.

    The steering committee of the proposed bank was inaugurated in April by a former governor of the  Central Bank of Nigeria and Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi, during the U.S.-Nigeria Investment Summit in Washington DC.

    The steering committee of the proposed bank, at a meeting at the Nigerian Embassy in Washington, DC, had said the initiative would advance the credibility of Nigerians in the U.S.

    The Chairman of the committee, Dr Kazeem Bello, said a community could not realise its full potential without access to banking services and capital at a favourable interest rate.

    According to him,  it is the prerequisite for economic emancipation through home ownership and business financing among others.

    Bello said: “What we are attempting to do is to create a platform for all Nigerians, young and old, men and women, businesses and every Nigerian resident and non-resident in the U.S. to have an opportunity to have a community-based bank that will be tended to our needs.

    “We’ve been in a society where opportunities abound all over the place but you only accrue those opportunities when you are a direct member of that community.

    “Sometimes, a lot of us (Nigerians) have gone through the pains and hassles of being able to just open a bank account.

    “ So the project that we are unveiling today is called Federal Credit Union, and by the grace of God, it has been tagged as a proposed Nigerian Federal Credit Union.

    “This is a banking and financial institution that we are putting together to be fully chartered and the members are you and I who are Nigerians.

    “Nobody is owning this bank; the bank is membership-owned.

    “Nigerians own this bank. We call on all Nigerians across the four corners of the United States territory to join in this efforts to bring this bank to fruition.”

    Bello said a bank for Nigerians,  the largest group of African immigrants in the U.S., was long overdue.

    According to him, the Kenyan community in the U.S., among others was already at an advanced stage of establishing its own Kenyan community bank while Turkish community has had a bank since 1948 in addition to  Poland.

    A member of the committee, Felix Obi, said Nigerians could not have economic growth and emancipation if they did not have financial independence and access to capital at a competitive rate that reflects their creditworthiness.

    “As you know by law, anybody can go to any bank and open an account or apply for credit yet statistics tell us that minority communities, especially immigrants, are disproportionately pushed into bad financing – high-interest rate financing.

    “This would explain why when the federal housing crisis happened, more minorities have their property foreclosed than non-minorities.

    “These numbers can be even more challenging when it comes to immigrant populations,” he said.

    Mr Bayo Idowu, Minister, Economic, Trade and Investment at the Nigerian Embassy, said the establishment of a Nigerian-based bank had been nursed previously.

    He said taking the critical step of moving forward and making it work had, however, been always challenging.

    Idowu said Sanusi, a respected community leader and an accomplished banker, in launching the steering committee had worked to energise the members to ensure that the vision of a Nigerian-based community bank succeeds.

    “It is important to the Nigerian community in the U.S. for identity, for economic empowerment and for investment in the Nigerian economy because we would have established a direct link with banks at home through this credit union,” he said.

    Mrs Remi Duyile, a seasoned financial professional in the U.S., said owning a federal credit union by Nigerians in the Diaspora was a phenomenon.

    “I am on the board of this committee that is working tirelessly to ensure that we birth something great, just like other nationalities have done, and this is our time; let’s do it,” Duyile said.

    Earlier, the Nigerian Ambassador to the U.S., retired Justice Sylvanus Nsofor had pledged his support to the steering committee to ensure that the establishment of a Nigerian-based community bank becomes a reality.

  • U.S. may resume Abuja consular services next week

    The U.S. Embassy may resume its suspended consular services in Abuja after the Eid-el-Kabir holidays, it was gathered yesterday.

    In the updated information on its website accessed by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday, the embassy said: “We regret the inconvenience this has caused to our applicants in Abuja and hope to resume operations after the Eid-el-Kabir holidays.

    “Please monitor the Facebook and Webpage of the U.S. Embassy for the next status update of consular operations in Abuja.”

    It, however, noted that other offices within the Embassy remained open.

    The embassy stressed that consular functions at the U.S. Consulate in Lagos were not affected with the development.

    The mission encouraged applicants to contact the Consular Office in Lagos for immediate emergency travel.

    “Please monitor the Facebook and Webpage of the U.S. Embassy for updates on consular operations. Scheduled visa and ACS applicants for Abuja will be contacted for rescheduling.

    “American citizens in northern Nigeria with urgent travel needs who are travelling before Eid-el-Kabir and who are willing to re-schedule their travel through Lagos should contact the ACS office at the Consulate Lagos (01460 3600 and LagosACS@state.gov) to discuss their options.

    “Those travelling after Aug. 23rd should follow-up with AbujaACS@state.gov to confirm their appointments closer to their appointment date,” the embassy stated.

  • U.S, China trade dispute puts oil prices on edge

    Oil traders will stay focused on a plethora of bearish factors currently weighing on the market in the week ahead, after United States (U.S.) crude prices suffered their sixth straight weekly loss last week – their worst losing streak since August 2015.

    Brent, meanwhile suffered its fifth week of declines in six, as investors worried that global trade disputes, most notably between the U.S. and China, could slow economic growth and hurt demand for energy.

    In the latest round of levies, China said it would impose additional tariffs of 25 per cent on $16 billion worth of U.S. imports.

    Reports of faster supply increases from major global producers are also putting downward pressure on the market after the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and other oil producers led by Russia agreed in June to ease production curbs to make up for lost supplies out of Libya, Venezuela and Iran.

    The deal effectively increases combined oil output by 1 million barrels per day (bpd).

    In another worrying sign, U.S. energy companies added the most oil rigs since May last week, pointing to indications of U.S. output growth.

    The U.S. rig count, an early indicator of future output, rose by 10 to 869 last week, the highest level since March 2015, according to oilfield services firm Baker Hughes.

    Despite these worries, the market will likely draw support from the introduction of U.S. sanctions against Iran, which from November will include oil exports.

    The sanctions are being reinstated after U.S. President Donald Trump pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal earlier this year.

    The International Energy Agency (IEA), in its monthly report published Friday, confirmed that Iran’s output continued to fall last month, reaffirming expectations that Washington’s tough stance on sanctions against Tehran were starting to curb demand for crude from the Islamic Republic.

    Iran’s output was the lowest since April last year at 3.75 million bpd, with buyers in Japan, South Korea and India already dialing back orders.

    Ahead of the coming week, Investing.com has compiled a list of the main events likely to affect the oil market.

    Fresh weekly data on U.S. commercial crude inventories on Tuesday and Wednesday to gauge the strength of demand in the world’s largest oil consumer and how fast output levels will continue to rise will capture the market’s attention.

    Market players will also focus on OPEC’s monthly report on Monday to assess global oil supply and demand levels.

  • U.S. will not stop Iran oil exports

    U.S. plan to reduce Iran’s oil exports to zero will not succeed, Iranian Foreign Minister, Mohammad Zarif was cited as saying by an Iranian newspaper on Wednesday.

    U.S. officials have said in recent weeks that they aim to pressure countries to stop buying oil from Iran in a bid to force Tehran to halt its nuclear and missile programmes and involvement in regional conflicts in Syria and Iraq.

    “If the Americans want to keep this simplistic and impossible idea in their minds they should also know its consequences,” Zarif told the Iran newspaper.

    Read Also: PDP to APC: You can’t woo our members

    “They can’t think that Iran won’t export oil and others will export.”

    President Hassan Rouhani hinted in July that Iran could block the Strait of Hormuz, a major oil shipping route, if the U.S. attempted to stop the Islamic Republic’s oil exports.
    U.S. President Donald Trump responded by noting that Iran could face serious consequences if it threatened the U.S.
    “The Americans have assembled a war room against Iran,” Zarif said.

    “We can’t get drawn into a confrontation with America by falling into this war room trap and playing on a battlefield.”

    Iran sanctions are ‘the most biting ever imposed’: Trump

    In July, Trump offered to meet with Iran’s leaders. Zarif said that Oman and Switzerland have acted as mediators in talks with America in the past but that there are currently no direct or indirect talks being held with the U.S.

  • Osun 2018: U.S calls for free, transparent poll

    •Envoy visits APC candidate’s campaign office

    Ahead of the September 22 governorship election in Osun State, the Consular-General of the Embassy of the United States of America (U.S.A) in Nigeria, Mr. John Bray, has called for a free, fair and transparent election.

    The Consular-General, who spoke yesterday at the IleriOluwa Campaign Organisation in Osogbo, the state capital, said he was in the state to know the candidates of all political parties contesting the election.

    He said his visit was meant to show the commitment of the U.S.A to democracy and support its process.

    Bray, who also said he was in Osun to interact with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies to assess the situation ahead of the poll, added that knowing the candidates, the process and the players before the election would enable him and his team to know the position of things and write a report for the international community.

    The envoy said the U.S was not interested in any candidate but supporting democracy to increase the quality of elections.

    Oyetola hailed the U.S for its commitment to democracy.

    The APC candidate assured the envoy that his party was determined to ensure a free, fair and credible election.

    He described the direct primary method adopted by APC to pick its flag bearer as the best, participatory and cheap.

    Oyetola noted that it was an innovation that should be replicated across the country.

    The APC candidate urged the U.S to continue to support Nigeria and even do more for the nation’s federating components in many other areas.

    He said Osun State under the Rauf Aregbesola administration had become a model for other states in various sectors of the economy, especially in education, agriculture, health, among others.

  • U.S., China trade wars push up oil prices

    The escalating trade conflict between China and the United States, among other pressing financial matters, has pushed up oil prices.

    Stocks across Asia advanced yesterday as China’s efforts to stop sharp declines in its currency and capital flight supported wider sentiment in the region while oil rises.

    Brent crude increased to $73.62. U.S. crude oil rose to $68.82 a barrel.

    Analysts rued blatant oil pricing manipulation.

    Brent sweet crude oil was supposed to be at least $100.

    At the weekend, China raised the reserve requirement on some foreign exchange forward positions, making it more expensive to bet against the Chinese currency.

    The move helped pull the yuan away from 14-month lows.

    It boosted the Australian dollar, which is often played as a liquid proxy for the yuan.

    The Aussie came off two-week lows to climb as high as 0.7412 dollars after the announcement and was last at 0.7403 dollars.

    Yesterday, MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan leapt 0.9 per cent – the biggest jump in a month and its second straight session of gains.

    Japan’s Nikkei edged up 0.4 per cent, while Australian shares added 0.75 per cent.

    Chinese shares were positive too, with the blue-chip share index up 0.5 per cent while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index gained 1.3 per cent.

    On Friday, the Dow climbed 0.54 per cent, the S&P 500 gained 0.46 per cent and the Nasdaq Composite added 0.12 per cent.

    They were helped by strong corporate earnings, although gains were capped by worries over the escalating trade tensions.

    The trade dispute remains a live issue for markets with China proposing tariffs on the 60-billion-dollars worth of U.S. goods on Friday.

    A senior Chinese diplomat cast doubt on prospects of talks with Washington to resolve the bitter trade conflict.

    At the same time, U.S. President Donald Trump said his strategy of placing steep tariffs on Chinese imports is “working far better than anyone ever anticipated’’, citing losses in China’s stock market.

     

  • U.S. investors to revitalise NIGERCEM

    Ateam of foreign investors from the United States (U.S) yesterday pledged to support both the core investor and Chief Executive Officer, Ibeto Nigeria Limited, Chief Cletus Ibeto and Ebonyi State government to revitalise NIGERCEM.

    The team, in collaboration with Ibeto Nigeria Limited,  embarked on an assessment visit to the premises of the cement firm as part of the rigorous  process of actualising the listing of Ibeto  in the U.S.

    Addressing stakeholders at the firm’s premises, Chief Ibeto said the delegation were on self-assessment tour of the firm.

    Ibeto said prior to the visit,  another team of Chinese contractors were in the state three weeks ago to finalise arrangements on the revitalisation  of the cement factory.

    He said: “I am standing before you with a team of American financiers who are here on an assessment visit to the cement company; they are here to see for themselves what is here at NIGERCEM cement company.

    “The team will help in the realisation of the dream of Ibeto  Group together with the Ebonyi  State government in actualising the revitalisation of the company.

    “Very soon, production would commence in NIGERCEM with the production of 6,000 metric tons of cement per day.

    “The Chinese team which visited the state before now would be working on designing; they would ensure that the 2015 contract agreement signed by Ibeto Group Limited and the host community Nkalagu is executed to the letter.”

    He said at the end of the assessment visit by the foreign financiers, every modalities on the revitalisation of the company would  take take effect.

    The leader of the American foreign investors, Mrs Amanda Wester, said the team would support both the core investor, Ibeto Nigeria Limited and the Ebonyi State government to ensure the revitalisation of NIGERCEM.

    The state governor, David Umahi, commended the investors and Ibeto Nigeria Limited for the commitment in ensuring the resuscitation of the company.

    “We extol Ibeto Nigeria Limited, the core investor in NIGERCEM, in their commitment to establish a new 6,000 tons per day dry process cement plant, 45 megawatt (Mw) capacity power plant in this first phase of the project at Nkalagu.

    “I wish to welcome specially our core investors and Dream Team from the U.S. (financiers) to Ebonyi State in their determination to revive Nkalagu cement and commence production in no distant time,” Umahi said.

    He said the state government has enacted  Investors Protection Act  that ensures that the government offers an  Irrevocable Standing Payment Order (ISPO) that insulates the investor from government interference and any change of administration.

    “No doubt, the brand Ibeto is a renowned household name in Nigeria and beyond that epitomises quality which has been tested and trusted. It is also a name which is synonymous with success in its endeavours,”  he said.

    The chairman of Ishielu Local Government Area, Mr Henry Eze assured that the local community would provide an enabling environment for the exploration and other activities in the company.

    He commended the state governor for his support and  efforts at revitalising the cement factory, noting that it was a dream come true for the community and the people of the state.