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Manufacturers Association of Nigeria urges FG not to sign AfCFTA agreement in Kigali

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The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN)  on Wednesday strongly supported the move by the Federal Government on its refusal to sign the agreement establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

The Manufacturers Association frowned at the contents of the agreement, noting that it will lead to gross unemployment in the country as most manufacturing companies in the country will be made to die a quicker death.

The Association President, Dr. Frank Jacobs said his association would not support Federal Government’s adoption and ratification of the agreement establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) until issues of market access and enforcement of rules of origin are addressed.

According to MAN, the agitation from the private sector was a result of lack of consultation and inclusion of inputs of key stakeholders before Nigeria’s position was presented at the meetings of the African Union-Technical Working Group on CFTA in the build-up to AfCFTA negotiation by Nigeria.

The AfCTA is expected to create a trade bloc of 1.2 billion people with a combined gross domestic product (GDP) of more than $2 trillion. The agreement commits countries to removing tariffs on 90% of goods and to liberalize services.

Addressing journalists yesterday, Association of Manufacturers President, Dr. Frank Jacobs explained that the issues of market access that allows only 10 percent of products to be protected as well as government’s enforcement mechanism in the area of enforcement of rules of origin need to be clearly defined before local producers can support the agreement.

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Noting that MAN is not oblivious of the benefits inherent in installing a continental trade agreement like AfCFTA that could improve intra-African trade and enhance economic growth and sustainable development, Jacobs said that Nigeria’s national interest should however be the primary consideration in the decision to sign-on to such an arrangement.

In his recommendations, Jacobs urged the government to set in motion a process that will enable all stakeholders on the international trade value chain in Nigeria to quickly review the text of the draft AfCFTA agreement and come up with comments on areas that are not in the best interest of the Nigerian economy and sectors.

“Government should, as matter of urgency, convene a special meeting of the relevant stakeholders, including experts on trade policy to consider tariff lines rates along the line of efficiency, sectoral and sub-sectoral preferences that would be most beneficial to Nigerian businesses under the AfCFTA dispensation as well as reconsider the national position on EPA vis-a-vis the AfCFTA especially on tariff lines of products on the sensitive/exclusion list, with a view to ensuring that the EU-EPA is not reintroduced through the AfCFTA’s back door.

“Review presentations and prepare a detailed submission for the Government on ways and means of participating in the AfCFTA in a manner that our national interest and that of the budding manufacturing sector are effectively protected”, he added.

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Nightclub killing in Ogbomoso confirmed by Police; officers detained

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The Oyo State Police Command has confirmed the killing of one Iyanfa Damilola at a nightclub in Ogbomoso on Monday and also detained officers involved in the incident.

Police operatives were dispatched to the nightclub at the “Under G” area, Owode Ogbomoso, while the 16th convocation of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) was going on after a distress call over a fighting incident in the place.

But the Oyo State Police Command spokesman Osifeso Adewale said the fracas worsened, leading to the firing of “warning shots” by the officers. This led to one death.

“The incident recorded the death of one Iyanda Damilola, ‘m’, and the injury of his brother one Iyanda Femi Isreal, who has since been discharged from the hospital after treatment,” Osifeso said in a Thursday statement.

“All operatives involved in the incident including Inspr Rasheed Saheed are currently under detention at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Iyaganku,” he added.

According to him, the police commissioner in Oyo Adebola Hamzat has ordered that the case be “taken up by the Homicide Department of the State Criminal Investigation Department with the Deputy Commissioner of Police directly in charge of the investigations”.

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Photos: Four Injured in Collision on Ibadan-Abeokuta -Omi-Adio Expressway

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No fewer than four passengers sustained varying degrees of injuries in an auto crash on the Ibadan, Omi-Adio-Abeokuta Expressway, according to reports from Mega Icon Magazine.

The incident, which unfolded on Monday, involved a Volkswagen Golf car and a tricycle, commonly known as Keke Marwa, colliding at the Command area along the road, in the Ido local government area of Oyo state.

Eyewitnesses recounted to our reporter that the Volkswagen car, driven by an individual with mobility impairments or difficulties with his legs, suspected to be from an accident, was traveling from Apata to Omi-Adio when it veered off the road and collided with the tricycle heading towards Apata shortly after 6:00 p.m.

Four individuals, including the tricycle driver, were injured in the accident, while three occupants of the Volkswagen Golf, including a one-year-old baby, escaped unharmed.

Promptly responding to the scene, officers of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) swiftly took action, transporting the injured victims to an undisclosed hospital at the time of press.

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Tragic Accident Claims Lives of Siblings in Ondo 

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In a devastating incident along the Ibi-Mango area in Ore, Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State, two siblings met a tragic end as they were reportedly crushed to death by a truck.

 

The fatal accident occurred at 10:25 am on Saturday when the victims, riding on a motorcycle, collided with a truck loaded with sand.

 

According to an eyewitness at the scene, the siblings lost control of their motorcycle, leading to a collision with the oncoming truck along the Okitipupa route. The impact of the crash resulted in the untimely demise of the siblings.

 

Confirming the incident, Ezekiel Son-Allah, the Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Ondo State, attributed the cause of the accident to overspeeding by the victims.

 

Son-Allah urged motorists and motorcyclists to prioritise safety on the highways by avoiding overspeeding and dangerous overtaking maneuvers.

 

The bodies of the victims were swiftly transported to the General Hospital Mortuary in Ore, as disclosed by the FRSC boss.

 

Also, the vehicles involved in the tragic collision were handed over to the police of the Ore Division for further investigation.

 

 

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