BusinessDay 30 Mar 2018

45
Friday 30 March 2018
BUSINESS DAY
C002D5556
BUSINESS DAY Online
Highlight of the news reports on our digital platforms this week
Best five stories this week
Friday 30 March 2018
BUSINESS DAY
29
BD INVESTIGATIVE SERIES:
Nigeria’s cargo airports fail to
take off after billions invested
by FAAN
Efforts to promote exports across the
country are still a mere dream as most
cargo airports have failed to take-off five
years after the Federal Government designated
13 airports for imports and exports
of agro-allied products.
Milost sued in New York for
fraud, violating US securities
exchange law
There’s a tiny detail that Milost has
deliberately concealed from the unassuming
Nigerian public. Milost Global
Inc, a purported US-based private equity
firm, is facing six different charges in the
United States after being sued for fraud by
one Alexander MacGregor, according to a
document filed at the New York Southern
District Court and obtained by Business-
Day.
New import duty threatens
Nigeria’s N18bn solar market
Nigeria’s bourgeoning solar market
valued at over N18bn is under threat,
operators say, due to the imposition of up
to 10% import duty on solar panels despite
belonging to a classification system which
grants it exemption.
Unity debunks Milost claim over
$1bn financing deal
eries…they are not working, they are liabilities
not assets, old and rusted. Nigeria
is importing Petrol because her refineries
are comatose….but President Buhari does
not want to sell or dispose of the refineries.
ON HERDSMEN, KILLINGS IN THE
NORTH, TY DANJUMA & THE
NIGERIAN ARMY
Last weekend during the 10th anniversary
and graduation ceremony of Taraba
State University in Jalingo, TY Danjuma
spoke candidly about the issue of the
herdsmen and the clashes in the State.
Exasperated and angered by the loss
of lives in his immediate community and
across Nigeria, respected retired military
head General Theophilus Danjuma
threw down the gauntlet on March 24. He
doubted the neutrality and impartiality of
the Nigerian defence forces. He then asked
citizens to defend themselves against all
the militias responsible for the mass killings
across the land.
He said: “The armed forces are not
neutral. They collude with the armed
bandits that kill people, kill Nigerians.
They facilitate their movement. They cover
them. If you are depending on the armed
forces to stop the killings, you will die one
by one. The ethnic cleansing must stop in
Taraba State. It must stop in all the states
of Nigeria. Otherwise, Somalia will be a
child’s play. I ask every one of you to be
at alert and defend your country, defend
your territory, and defend your state. You
have nowhere else to go”.
The Nigerian Army responded, speaking
through the Minister of Defence, the
Federal Government dismissed Danjuma’s
statement as an invitation to anarchy.
Colonel Tukur Gusau, speaking for Defence
Minister Mansur Dan-Ali, said, “This
is highly uncalled for and is an invitation
to anarchy and should be disregarded by
well-meaning Nigerians”. He added, “The
efforts of the Nigerian military towards the
restoration of peace, security and order
in Nigeria are evidently clear, and Nigerians
continue to show appreciation for
changing the security environment from
what it was before. The armed forces is
well organised and highly professional in
discharging its constitutional mandate.
“Therefore, if anyone has evidence of
wrongdoing or dereliction of duty against
our troops, (the person) should please
bring forward such evidence through the
channel for necessary action.”
The Army issued two statements on
the matter within 24 hours. The first,
signed by Brigadier General John Agim,
was conciliatory, voicing regard for the
former Chief of Army Staff and ex-Defence
Minister and affirming the commitment of
the Army to best practice. In the second,
Brigadier General Texas Chukwu, Director
of Army Public Relations, confirmed the
constitutional role of the Army in defending
Nigeria’s territory and supporting civil
authority. It said soldiers have died in the
course of duty in Taraba State.
The BusinessDay conducted a survey
to see what Nigerians thought about the
ensuing events.
In a statement filed with the Nigerian
Stock Exchange on Thursday March 29,
Unity bank remained unbending on its
earlier position that no investment of $1
billion from Milost Global was made in
Unity Bank Plc.
Is Mr President Aware The Naira
Has Been Devalued
Another great example are the refin-
Poll of the week
Poll Results
78% were of the opinion that TY Danjuma
was right and that the job of defending
self would have to be left to self. 20% were
of the opinion that the Nigerian Army
could be depended on, while only 2% said
to depend on the police. Some comments
were of the opinion that it was an insult to
put the police on this list.
Tweet of the week
Cartoon of the week
Video of the week