"We’ll build airports, power plants with Chinese loan" – Okonjo-Iweala
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| Coordinating Minister for the Economy (CME) and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala |
The Coordinating Minister
of the Economy spoke ahead of President Goodluck Jonathan’s four-day state
visit to China, which starts today. Dr. Okonjo-Iweala said she was also looking
for Chinese investments and increased trade with Nigeria. She said, “China is
desirous of increasing its lifting of Nigerian oil.”
The petroleum minister is
among senior cabinet members on the trip along with several governors. She said
as United States’ demand for Nigerian oil has fallen, India and China have
taken up the slack.
Mrs.
Okonjo-Iweala said the loan is part of the $3 billion approved by China at less
than 3 per cent interest rate.
Also yesterday,
the Presidency maintained that the visit is not a junket. The Special Adviser
to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, spoke with State
House correspondents shortly before the departure. He said there are 13
ministers on the entourage in strategic national interest.
He also denied the reports
in some quarters that the trip was planned to spite United States President
Barack Obama for refusing to visit Nigeria during his recent trip to Africa. He
said, “China is a very important country. China is the largest market in the
world, with its 1.35 billion people. China is also the world’s largest creditor
nation. China is also the largest importer and exporter of goods and it is a
large consumer of primary commodities, including crude oil. In fact, after the
US, China is the largest importer of crude oil in Nigeria.
“So, it is in our
strategic national interest to have very good relationship with such a country.
Nobody can call this trip a junket. The claim that the China trip is a responce
to the fact that Obama did not come to Nigeria is also not true because this trip
was planned one year ago. Every country has the right to determine where they
go.
“We have
excellent relationship with the U.S. and the truth of the matter is that nobody
can overlook America. But China is also an important partner. China has shown a
lot of interest in Africa in the last few years.
He added,
“Nigeria is a major trading partner with China. We have over 30 Chinese
companies operating here.”
According to
him, the President will use the trip to strengthen the bilateral relations
between China and Nigeria.
He also
explained that since the Chinese President just took over in the country, the
trip will provide President Jonathan an opportunity to reach out to key players
in China and provide opportunity for the two leaders to establish rapport.
“What Nigeria
is interested in is long-term sustainable relationship between the two
countries. The third leg of the trip is that China is a major trading partner
in Nigeria. Last year alone, China imported about 80,000 metric tons of cassava
chips.
“China has
shown a lot of interest and support for the President’s determination to
diversify the nation’s economy. So you find China supporting our agricultural
programme.”
“Part of the
purpose of this trip is also to encourage China to invest more in Nigeria;
foreign direct investment. The emphasis is not necessarily on loans although
during this trip, there are two concessionary loans that will be considered in
relation to the Zungeru Hydro Power Project and one other.
Nigeria’s
Ambassador to China AminuWali yesterday raised the alarm over the number of
Nigerians in Chinese prisons for mainly drugs related crimes. He put the figure
at 400.
The ambassador,
who spoke to reporters ahead of Jonathan’s state visit, described trafficking
in drugs as a big issue that has engaged the Nigerian embassy in China. He
called for reorientation and the assistance of security agents in educating
young Nigerians in laws of other countries.
He said, “We
are here to make sure that we understand the laws of this country and we try to
educate Nigerians to understand the laws of the host country and if they go
foul of the law we try as much as possible to see that they are being humanely
treated. But we certainly have big issue with drug related crimes committed by
Nigerians in China and when you look at the whole of Africa you find out that
about 80 per cent of all the offences and crimes committed by Africans in China
about 80 per cent is committed by Nigerians. That is why I think we are having
running battle to try and control the situation but we need assistance from
back home; from the security agencies manning our exits and entry points in
Nigeria to be more alert and vigilant to make sure these type of individuals do
not escape and pass through our routes to come into, not only to China but any
other country in the world because drug trafficking, as it were, drug is the
biggest problem that we have as far as Nigerians are concerned.
“Right now, we have over
400 Nigerians in various jails in China and 80 per cent of them are there for
drug related offences so you can see what we have”.
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