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2023 Elections: US Threatens Visa Restriction On Promoters Of Violence

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The United States of America says it will impose visa restrictions on anyone who promotes violence as Nigeria holds its general election in 2023.

America’s Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Africa, Mr. Michael Gonzales, handed out the warning at an international conference with the theme, ‘United States Policy and Nigeria’s National Decisions in the 2023 Elections’, held at Johns Hopkins University, United States.

NAN reports that the conference, which was held at the School of Advanced International Studies in Washington DC, virtually, brought together Nigerian and American policy communities to discuss issues around the 2023 general elections.

Gonzales said the United States government “will continue to use our messaging, as well as other diplomatic channels at our disposal, including visa restrictions, where warranted, to dissuade those who may be tempted to use violence to undermine Nigeria’s democratic process.”

According to him, the US government remains committed to working with Nigeria to uphold its conventions toward ensuring a peaceful power transition in 2023.

NexTier’s Founding Partner, Patrick Okigbo, clarified that the reason for hosting the conference in the United States was to elevate the election issues and conversations to the international stage.

He reiterated the need for Nigeria’s international partners to assist in upholding her democratic process, even as he pointed out that “democracy is not an end state but a project that requires continuous nurturing”.

Okigbo said, “Insecurity in Nigeria and recent occurrences in West Africa and Sahel regions should cause Nigeria’s elite to use the 2023 elections to douse the tensions and set the country on a growth path.”

He further cautioned that the failure to address the issues raised at the conference could have devastating consequences, whilst attention to the recommendations could yield a bountiful harvest.

Other panelists highlighted the insecurity risks and the need to manage the 2023 elections properly, in addition to other points raised at the conference.

Among these points were the issue of faltering political developments as they concerned elitism and Nigeria’s progress, as it was observed that since 1999, the Nigerian elite had found a way to maintain a modicum of stability for elections and “eventually share the dividends of the election outcomes.”

In his contribution, Retired Brig.-Gen. Saleh Bala observed that “security challenges in Nigeria are true, present, and tangible but what is consistent is the lurking shadow of elite interests and how they serve their interests.”

On insecurity threats to Nigeria’s democracy, the conference found that poor management of the elections, especially the rotational presidency convention, could threaten Nigeria’s democracy against the backdrop of pervasive insecurity, the proliferation of small arms and light weapons, the rise of self-help groups, and increased secessionist agitations in southern Nigeria.

Director of the Centre for Democracy and Development, Ms. Idayat Hassan, noted that “political parties during the Anambra governorship election cycle could not campaign due to insecurity”, and that worse scenarios could happen in 2023.

Hassan asserted that “the zoning of the presidency to the south, particularly the Southeast, will give the region a sense of belonging in Nigeria.”

(NAN)

BIG STORY

JUST IN: UAE Bans Transit Visas, Imposes Stricter Entry Rules For Nigerians

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The United Arab Emirates has implemented more stringent entry requirements for Nigerian travellers and has fully stopped accepting transit visa applications.

This was confirmed by travel agents on Tuesday.

As stated in the latest directives from Dubai immigration, Nigerians between the ages of 18 and 45 are now ineligible for tourist visas unless accompanied.

Applicants who are 45 years old or older must provide a personal six-month bank statement showing a minimum ending balance of $10,000 (or the equivalent in naira) each month.

Travel agents noted that this policy is expected to significantly decrease the number of Nigerians travelling to Dubai, a major hub for tourism and business.

The notification stated, “For Nigerian nationals, please bear in mind that an applicant aged 18 to 45 years travelling alone is not eligible for the TOURIST VISA CATEGORY.

“An applicant who is 45 years or above must provide a Single Nigerian personal bank statement for a period of the last six months, with each month’s end balance reflecting a minimum ending balance of USD 10,000 or its naira equivalent.

“Kindly note that the above points must be taken into consideration before sending your applications with other existing documents such as hotel reservation, data page, etc.”

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Dangote Refinery To End Crude Imports By December — Bloomberg Report

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The Dangote Petroleum Refinery plans to stop importing crude oil by December 2025, aiming to replace hundreds of thousands of barrels per day of imported crude with domestic supply.

A Bloomberg report quoted Devakumar Edwin, Vice President at Dangote Industries, who oversees the 650,000-barrel-per-day facility in Lagos, saying that contracts with foreign crude suppliers will expire, allowing the refinery to shift to sourcing feedstock locally.

Edwin stated that the refinery had previously imported crude from Brazil, Angola, Ghana, and Equatorial Guinea. However, he explained that “improved relations between the refinery, local oil traders and the government will result in a steady supply of Nigerian crude.”

The report noted that in June, the plant received about half of its crude from local producers, who will be able to supply more as their foreign commitments wind down.

Edwin said, “We expect some of the long-term contracts will expire. Personally, and as a company, we expect that before the end of the year, we can transition 100 per cent to local crude.”

Data compiled by Bloomberg revealed that in June, the refinery sourced 53 per cent of its crude from domestic producers and 47 per cent from the United States.

Edwin added that the plant is currently processing 550,000 barrels of crude per day.

According to cargo allocations seen by Bloomberg News, Dangote was scheduled to receive five cargoes from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited in July, with the same amount set for August. Each cargo contains nearly one million barrels of crude.

Aliko Dangote constructed the $20 billion refinery to end the export of Nigerian crude for refining abroad and the subsequent importation of refined products.

The gradual ramp-up of the refinery has already enabled Nigeria to become a net exporter of petroleum products, despite initial challenges in securing adequate domestic crude to reach its full capacity of 650,000 barrels per day. This led to the refinery relying heavily on foreign crude.

Dangote recently stated that despite a naira-for-crude deal, the refinery had been largely dependent on crude from the United States.

The refinery expects a notable increase in local crude supply over the coming months.

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LG Polls: Speaker Obasa Charges Lagos West APC Candidates To Intensify Campaigns, Assures Of The Assembly’s Support

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  • As Lagos Railway Corporation and Ibile Energy Corporation bills scale second reading

 

Ahead of the local government elections holding Saturday, July 12, across the state, Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa met with candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC), from the Lagos State West Senatorial District at the assembly complex on Tuesday, charging them to knock on all doors and campaign vigorously until the very last day to ensure victory at the polls.

As a show of support, Speaker Obasa contributed generously to the candidates’ campaign purses and assured them of the Assembly’s unstinting support before and after the elections.

At the meeting, which was attended by all the APC chairmen, vice-chairmen, and councillorship candidates, Speaker Obasa urged the candidates not to rest on the party’s laurels but to maintain momentum and outreach efforts until the very last day of campaigning. “Engage with everyone in the community, regardless of their ethnic background or religion,” he implored, while harping on the necessity for candidates to actively supervise those assigned to manage their campaigns.

The Speaker also admonished the candidates to adopt a mindset centred on service to the people when they assume office, adding, “Your focus should be on serving your constituents with integrity and commitment, and you must have respect for democratic institutions and practices.”

Further, he proudly noted that Lagos remains unique among states in the country, as it grants local government chairmen a four-year tenure per term, allowing for more sustained governance and grassroots development.

The meeting concluded with a palpable sense of urgency and resolve among the APC candidates, as they prepare to take their campaigns to the grassroots, embodying the spirit of service and dedication imparted by Speaker Obasa.

Meanwhile, the Lagos State Railway Corporation bill and the IBILE Energy Corporation Bill have scaled the second reading.

According to the Majority Leader, Hon. Noheem Babatunde Adams, who spoke during plenary later on Tuesday, the proposed ‘bill for a Law to establish the Lagos State Railway Corporation to improve Railway Transportation in Lagos State and for connected purposes’, seeks to provide efficient and reliable transportation services, and establish a Governing Board tasked with overseeing the corporation’s operations.

Hon. Adams, the member representing Eti Osa Constituency 1, said, “With South Africa leading in Africa with a 20,926 km railway network and Nigeria currently at 3,798 km, Lagos, as Africa’s second-largest city economy after Cairo, must take the lead in innovative rail transport solutions.” He added that the bill will set up a standard railway corporation comparable to any across the globe.

Similarly, the House also read for the second time, ‘A bill for a Law to establish the IBILE Energy Corporation’, which Hon. Sobur Oluwa, chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Mineral Resources, described as a transformative one for the state’s energy landscape.
“If passed into Law, the corporation will attract innovation, investment, and reshape the energy sector of the State,” he said.

In his remarks, Speaker Obasa commended the essence of the bills and noted that when eventually passed into law, they will mark a significant advancement in the assembly’s efforts to modernize infrastructure and strengthen the state’s economy. He, thereafter, committed the two bills to the committees on Transportation and Energy and Mineral Resources with a mandate to submit their reports at the earliest possible time.

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