— Thedust raised by the Federal Government’s clampdown on Intels, a company in which former vice-president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has interests is yet to settle.
The Federal Government yesterday announced revocation of the residence permits of the expatriate staff in Intels and five other companies.
A statement in Abuja by the Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Immigrations Service, NIS, Sunday James, said the order was from its Comptroller-General, Muhammad Babandede.
NIS said it took the decision after withdrawal of the operational licenses of the affected companies by the Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority, OGFZA.
The service gave November 30 as the deadline for the affected staff to leave the country, saying refusal to do so would mean getting the Ministry of Interior to forcibly deport them.
The statement read: “The Comptroller-General of Immigration Service, Muhammad Babandede, hereby, revokes the residence permits of the expatriate staff of the underlisted companies, in the exercise of the powers vested on him in Section 39, Sub-section 1 of Immigration Act 2015 and Section 5, Sub-section 5 of the Immigration Regulations 2017 after withdrawal of the operational licenses of the under-mentioned companies by the Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority.
“The affected companies are INTELS Nigeria Limited, PRODECO International Limited, West Africa Machinery Services Limited., Net Global System International Limited., MGM Logistics Solutions Limited, and ORIEAN Investment Limited.
“Consequently, the CGI has directed that the expatriate staff of the affected companies above leave Nigeria not later than November 30, 2017, failure of which they might be recommended to the Minister of Interior for deportation.”
In a move analysts have described as largely political, the termination of the contract with Intels, alleging that the former vice president’s company did not comply with the Federal Government’s directive on the Treasury Single Account, TSA.
The former vice-president is a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, and his recent moves have indicated that he could be throwing his hat in the ring in the 2019 general elections.
No explanations for revocation, says OGFZA
Reacting to the development, yesterday, spokesman of the Oil and Gas Free Zone Authority, OGFZA, Mr. Iboro Otong, told Vanguard that the Ministry of Interior has not informed the authority of the reason for the revocation of the residence permit of Intels’ expatriate workers.
“There is no explanation for now. We have no formal reason from the Ministry, but I believe that in due time, the Ministry will let us know why the residence permit was revoked.”
‘Don’t axe 95% of Intels because of Atiku’s 5%’
In his reaction, former Senior Assistant to former President Goodluck Jonathan on Maritime Matters, Mr. Leke Oyewole, said government should not because of Atiku Abubakar’s five percent interest in INTELS throw away 95% of the huge investment.
He said there could be some immigration issues which could be resolved without going as far as revoking the residence permits of the expatriates.
He explained that Intels has added value to the Nigerian economy, particularly the maritime industry.
“In as much I do not support transgression of the laws of the country, they should be pardoned if they have transgressed our immigration laws,” Oyewole said.
Similarly, a maritime lawyer, Barr. Chris Ebare, said officials of the Nigerian Immigration Service, NIS, had every right to revoke the residence permits of Intels’ expatriate workers, if they were found to have violated any immigration law.
Ebare also said that some of the affected expatriate workers may also have entered the country illegally and found themselves working in Intels, adding that if that was the case, the government has the right to revoke such permits.
He said: “Some of them may have entered the country legally and perhaps their permits expired, the government in this case can revoke their permit and they may have also committed criminal offenses while working in Intels, they can have their permit revoked.’’
No comments
Post a Comment