Day: April 18, 2023

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Chinese gov’t not involved in any form of terror – Embassy

The People’s Republic of China says it is not ”and will never be involved in funding terrorism”.

The Chinese government’s position is contained in a statement released by its mission in Abuja, Nigeria on its official Twitter handle, @china_emb_ng on Monday.

The statement was released in response to a report by a British national daily, The Times, which alleged that Chinese nationals in the mining sector were funding terrorist groups in parts of Nigeria to secure access to the country’s mineral reserves.

According to The Times, it shared its research with a Lagos-based analytical group.

“Our attention has been drawn to a media report titled “Chinese ‘bribed Nigerian militants for access to vast mineral reserves”, published by the The Times of the U.K. on April 15, 2023.

“This report, claiming that “Beijing could be indirectly funding terror” in Nigeria, is based on unverified, unclear and unproven information, to which we have to express our strong dissatisfaction and objection.

“The Chinese government, as well as the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria, have always encouraged and urged the Chinese companies and nationals in Nigeria to abide by the laws and regulations of Nigeria, and to implement the local rules and guidance on labour, environment, health and safety, among others, and would continue their efforts in this regard.

“The Chinese government was and would never be involved in any form of funding terrorism. The allegations contained in the report were totally irresponsible and unethical, and the intention of the report is seriously questioned.”

It also stated that the bilateral cooperation between China and Nigeria had brought tangible benefits to bilateral ties and well-being of both countries.

“We will continue to work with the Nigerian government to promote development and address security issues.

“We welcome international partners to join our efforts in good faith, but would reject any intention or action that would smear our cooperation.”

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

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Independent petroleum producers, others set agenda for incoming administration

The Independent Petroleum Producers Group (IPPG) has called on the incoming administration of Sen. Bola Tinubu to address the bottlenecks mitigating against industry growth and energy security.

The IPPG Chairman, Mr Abdulrazaq Isa, made the call on Monday in Abuja at the sixth edition of the Nigeria International Energy Summit (NIES).

Isa said the administration’s agenda for the industry should be geared toward improving investor confidence through the effective implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and strengthening regulatory institutions.

He said the incoming administration should arrest the menace of crude theft across the Niger Delta which still lingered in spite of the recent successes recorded by the Federal Government.

Isa listed others as harnessing the nation’s hydrocarbon asset, particularly gas, to catalyse and rapidly industrialise the economy, building a broader value-creating midstream (gas processing plants) and downstream (refineries) and transforming Nigeria into a product supplier.

He emphasised the need to eliminate industry-wide subsidies for all hydrocarbon and refined products as they remain detrimental to the growth of a vibrant industry.

Isa also called for an immediate repositioning of the industry.

“The Nigerian oil and gas industry has a very limited window to get things right and must work toward the rapid exploitation of its vast hydrocarbon assets for the socio-economic transformation and deploying same to guarantee our energy security.

“It is instructive to note that this edition of the NIES will be the last of this current administration.

“It is on that note and on behalf of the Board of Trustees and the Governing Council of the IPPG I commend President Muhammadu Buhari, for his unwavering commitment to the survival and growth of our industry.

“Under his leadership, his administration has delivered unprecedented milestones across the entire industry, notably, the enactment PIA in 2021 which has boosted investor confidence after a two-decade lull in activities.

“This landmark legislation has begun the transformation of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry and laid a solid foundation for the growth and development of the industry for future generations,’’ he said.

Also speaking, Dr Omar Farouk, the Secretary-General, African Petroleum Producers’ Organisation (APPO), called for enabling environment for African energy security.

Farouk listed challenges in the African energy industry as lack of funding, technology and reliance on foreign markets.

He said for seven decades that Africa had been producing petroleum; it had relied essentially on external finance and always depended on foreign technology and to some extent expertise to produce the products.

Farouk said that these three challenges had been the focus of APPO in the last three years and it had concluded that the future of the industry lied on the hands of Africans.

“For the funding of the oil and gas projects across the continent, we have gone into partnership with the African Export-Import Bank to establish Africa Energy Bank with objective of financing oil and gas projects in the continent.

“For technology and expertise, the APPO secretariat has just concluded a tour of institutions of oil and gas training in some of our member countries for centres of excellence in petroleum industry.

“We want to banish the mindset that our people are too poor to buy energy and empower people to have access to energy,’’ he said.

The event also featured remarks by the Secretary-General of Gas Exporting Countries Forum, Mohamed Hamel, and Chairman, Oil Producing Trade Section, Mr Rick Kennedy, among others.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the ongoing summit which ends on April 20, has its theme as “Global Perspectives for a Sustainable Energy Future“.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

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Govt with programmes of impact on job growth

President of the MPLA said Tuesday that the Executive has structuring projects in its portfolio that will have a great impact on the economic and social development of the country and on the increase in the supply of jobs.

João Lourenço, who is also President of the Republic, was speaking at the IV Ordinary Session of the Central Committee of the MPLA, which, among other matters, will debate the “Impact of Public Policies on the life of Youth”.

He highlighted that among the scheduled achievements are the entry into operation, at the end of the current year, of the Dr António Agostinho Neto International Airport, the completion, next year, of Porto do Caio in Cabinda, the construction of the new airports in Cabinda and Mbanza Congo and the Caculo Cabaça Hydroelectric Dam.

He added, as works to be completed, the Cabinda, Soyo and Lobito refineries, 17 tertiary hospitals in several provinces, as well as the General Pedalé, University, Main Military, Oncology, Specialized-burn-units and Ophthalmology hospitals, all in Luanda.

He also said that the complete rehabilitation of Américo Boavida Hospital will be carried out and that the programme to combat drought in southern Angola will be fully implemented, focusing on the provinces of Cunene, Namibe and Huíla, including the water solution for Lubango city (Huila).

João Lourenço said that the start of the Bita and Quilonga projects is scheduled to overcome the water deficit in Luanda and 11 University infrastructures will be built in the country.

He believes that such programmes will considerably increase job opportunities for young people, encouraging them to better serve their country on all fronts.

At party level, the President of the MPLA reported a greater appreciation of youth, with the enlargement of the composition of the Central Committee, in the belief that they could become leaders committed to the country.

He recommended work to ensure that young people, dedicated to work, will become the rulers of the future, without vices and excessive ambitions.

He urged the need to extend the militant work to the mobilisation of civil society and representative organisations of young people, students, women, workers, athletes, artists and composers, churches, among others.

In the international political domain, the MPLA leader reiterated the defence of an unconditional ceasefire and the start of negotiations between the parties directly involved in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, for the establishment of a lasting peace between the two countries.

João Lourenço considers that lasting peace for Europe also implies direct negotiations between Russia and NATO, between Russia and the European Union.

“Europe can no longer be the epicenter of a new world war. We need to save Europe to save the world”, underlined the Head of State.

He advises that the US and China, due to the influence they enjoy, put aside what separates them and concert diplomatic actions aimed at resolving this conflict in Europe, in the sense of safeguarding world peace and security.

The president stated that the party must follow with due attention the latest events taking place in the world and that herald a return to the Cold War or even the design of a scenario worse than that of World War II, with alignments formed by two antagonistic axes.

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

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Angolan State recovers around USD 6 bln

Angolan State has recovered around USD6 billion as part of the ongoing asset recovery process, both at home and abroad, the Deputy Attorney General Inocência Pinto said on Tuesday.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office magistrate also confirmed the seizure of around USD 21 billion from overseas.

The magistrate said that the Angolan State adopted a set of measures to combat cross-border economic and financial organised crime.

The measures, she said, include gathering evidence, breaking professional secrecy and confiscating assets in favour of the State.

Speaking at Workshop on Seizure and Management of Confiscated Assets, Inocência Pinto hailed the results, adding that the move encourages Angola to carry on the actions aimed at preventing and repressing bad practices in the management of the public purse.

The magistrate said it was a challenge to discuss the model adopted by Angola, known as the traditional or diffuse model, which gives priority to the creation of a trustee.

According to the magistrate, the National Asset Recovery Service has been working with several competent institutions for managing recovered assets, such as the General Treasury of Justice, the National Institute for State Assets and Holdings (IGAPE).

In turn, the representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Manuela Carneiro, hailed the cooperation of the European Union (EU) in Angola in terms of support and fund the project and the continued effort to fight money laundering and organised crime in the country.

She stressed the commitment of the Italian Embassy and Government to agreed to support and strengthen bilateral cooperation, at the request of the OPG, as well as the facilitation and organisation of this event, which will allow the sharing of knowledge and experience between experts from both countries.

Whereas, Paulo Barroso Simões, representative of the EU, stressed that international institutions were increasingly aware of the situation in each country and efforts are being made to effectively combat organised crime.

He said that Angola and the EU had made strategic international political commitments, with a view to promoting sustainable policies, “and it is up to us, to implement them concretely.

The official noted that with the support of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), “we intend to bring to the beneficiary services expertise of the highest level, in order to share the most recent and effective capacities available”.

Gabriel Magnini, representative of the Italian Embassy in Angola, noted that the event testifies, once again, the commitment of the Angolan authorities in the fight against corruption and illicit financial flows.

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

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Attorney General’s Office backs graft crackdown in education

Attorney General’s Office (PGR) has reiterated the need for the inclusion of subjects on corruption in the academic curriculum in the country.

The need was reiterated by National Director for Prevention and Fight Against Corruption of the PGR, Inocência Pinto, on Tuesday in Luanda, who said that the move was intended to fight against corruption in education sector.

The PGR official was speaking at the ceremony that marked the official launch of the consultation process of draft National Strategy for Prevention and Repression of Corruption (ENAPREC).

In her capacity as coordinator of the technical sub-group, in charge of drafting the proposal, Inocência Pinto, who is also Deputy Attorney General, said the inclusion of the corruption prevention in the education system aims at curbing such practices.

According to Pinto, the consultation process, due to start this month, will last more than 30 days in all country’s provinces.

She said that the proposal aims to allow, from an early age, people to have “contact with matters related to public probity and the common good”.

In her speech, Pinto noted that the implementation of actions to combat corruption in Angola “has been bearing fruit”.

As an example, she highlighted the fact that Angola was ranked 116th in the corruption perception index, according to non-governmental organisation Transparency International, in its report published in January 2023.

Contribution of the institutions

Although the content has already received various contributions from public and private, national and foreign institutions, the coordinators deemed it necessary to conduct a nationwide public consultation process, as part of the participatory democracy principle.

This exercise is extensive to all natural and legal persons interested in sharing their knowledge for the enrichment and conclusion of the document.

The draft National Strategy for the Prevention and Repression of Corruption was prepared by a Working Group created in 2019, integrated by various public bodies.

The group is coordinated by the minister of State and Head of the Civil Affairs Office to the President of the Republic, Adão de Almeida, under the guidance of the President of the Republic, João Lourenço.

The Working Group was also tasked with conducting studies and drafting of proposals and mechanisms for the implementation of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)