By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has asked the Special Adviser on media and publicity to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Chief Ajuri Ngelale, to stop dishing out unsubstantiated claims to save Nigeria from facing global opprobrium when such claims are disclaimed.
HURIWA recalled that Robert Maersk Uggla, chair of Danish shipping giant A.P Moller-Maersk, had reportedly denied signing any $600 million investment deal with the Nigerian government despite a Sunday press statement by President Bola Tinubu’s aide saying otherwise.
Mr Maersk met Mr Tinubu at a special session of the World Economic Forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, last weekend, where the Nigerian leader asked the shipping mogul to complement his “administration’s ongoing $1 billion investment in seaport reconstruction.”
“We believe in Nigeria, and we will invest $600 million in existing facilities and make the ports accommodating for bigger ships,” State House quoted Mr Maersk as saying on Sunday.
However, contrary to a widely circulated statement by his media aide, Ajuri Ngelale, that Mr Tinubu secured a $600 million investment deal to expand seaport infrastructure, the Maersk group said no such deal existed.
“We are not able to comment on any investment talks,” the group told UK newspaper Lloyd’s List on Tuesday.
“Maersk has been present in Nigeria for 35 years and, as a global provider of logistics services, we remain committed to develop opportunities for growth to people, the port sector and businesses locally,” the Danish company told the newspaper.
“Therefore, it is natural to have an ongoing dialogue with the administration. However, we are not able to comment on any investment talks.”
The rights group In a media statement by Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, the National coordinator, stated that the latest denial is not the first even as it marks the latest in a trend of the Nigerian government parroting false claims about securing agreements with foreign entities. The Rights group is of the view that any government anywhere in the World that becomes notorious for dishing out deliberate false claims to deceive the citizens, wouldn’t be regarded by members of the civilised World and advanced democracies wouldn’t want to do credible and rewarding international trades and commerce with such a nation ruled by politicians that tell lies.
Recall that last September, the State House announced that Dubai had lifted a visa ban on Nigerians, but this turned out to be false. Seven months after the announcement, Nigerians are still restricted from entering Dubai.
The rights group is therefore calling on President Tinubu to warn his spokesman to desist from spreading misinformation or fake news to Nigerians in a bid to score cheap popularity for the administration because the Rights group said a government that is worth its onion doesn’t have to falsify claims of achievements since the good works of the administration will speak well for that government with or without any orchestrated media propaganda or publicity stunts. HURIWA is asking the government to put qualitative economic policies in place to take millions of Nigerian Households from absolute poverty because the moment the citizenry become prosperous, the rest of the global community of nations would want to identify with that nation.