…as Tinubu’s aide makes clarifications on FG’s announcement

By Seun Ibiyemi

Maersk has debunked the Federal Government’s claim that the Danish shipping conglomerate had promised to bring an additional $600 million worth of investment into Nigeria.

According to Lloyd’s List, an online publication, the reported $600 million investment appears to be news to Maersk.

Lloyd’s List disclosed that Robert Maersk Uggla, chairman of A.P Moller Maersk met with President Bola Tinubu over the weekend, but did not sign a new investment deal with him.

It further revealed that despite a statement from Ajuri Ngelale, spokesperson of Tinubu detailing how the president had secured the purported investment during a World Economic Forum meeting in Riyadh over the weekend, Maersk officials have confirmed that no such agreement is in place and no deals have been signed.

According to Maersk, that reported deal does not exist.

Company officials said while Uggla did meet President Tinubu, no such deal had been signed.

“Maersk has been present in Nigeria for 35 years and, as a global provider of logistics services, we remain committed to developing opportunities for growth to people, the port sector, and businesses locally,” the company said in a statement to Lloyd’s List.

“Therefore, it is natural to have an ongoing dialogue with the administration. However, we are not able to comment on any investment talks,” the company officials stated.

Reports had it that Tinubu secured a $600 million investment from Danish shipping giant, A.P Moller-Maersk to expand Nigeria’s port infrastructure.

The report disclosed that the investment is part of a broader strategy to enhance the capacity of Nigerian ports to handle larger container ships, thus boosting trade and economic growth.

Meanwhile, the Special Assistant to the President on Social Media, Dada Olusegun providing clarity to the situation wrote on his X (formerly Twitter) page that “The government’s statement does not allude to or state that there was a signed agreement, rendering the article’s attempt to draw a parallel between contract signing and verbal agreement misleading and based on a false equivalence.”

“Many individuals may have overlooked the details of the initial FGN press statement and failed to juxtapose it with the subsequent Maersk statement, leading to a misinterpretation of both narratives.

“The government’s statement does not allude to or state that there was a signed agreement, rendering the article’s attempt to draw a parallel between contract signing and verbal agreement misleading and based on a false equivalence.

“The FG statement cites direct quotes from the Maersk chairman during the meeting attended by senior officials from both sides, in which he speaks to what his investment commitment will achieve once implemented, enhancing the FG press release’s credibility. Essentially, the Federal Government’s release accurately encapsulated both the spirit and substance of the proposed investment collaboration.

“Finally, Maersk’s response subtly reveals the situation’s complexity, acknowledging its regulatory constraints during a quiet period preceding its quarterly financial report. This period restricts the extent to which it can divulge information about ongoing negotiations to avoid potential penalties related to stock manipulation—a concept familiar to those versed in corporate communications for publicly listed entities.

“Maersk is due to report first-quarter results on Thursday, meaning that management is in a regulatory quiet period limiting what they can say publicly about the company’s activities.

“The second paragraph confirms Maersk’s cautious approach, neither refuting the government’s statement nor affirming it outright. Instead, they navigate the delicate balance between compliance and transparency, alluding to the constraints imposed by regulatory obligations.

“In essence, while some may seek to amplify insignificant details, it’s imperative to approach the matter with meticulous understanding. To preempt regulatory issues, Maersk could have advised the government against publicising meeting specifics until after the release of their financial results. This precaution would mitigate the risk of inadvertently breaching regulatory protocols.

“Making a mountain out of a molehill is a futile exercise!” he said.

By Jeleel Olawale

The Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke on Tuesday disclosed that he is the first executive Governor of Osun State to practice both Islam and Christianity.

Adeleke made this known while answering questions at the public enlightenment tagged IPADE IMOLE, second edition held in Ilesa.

According to him, “I go to the mosque and church to worship God. I believe that we worship the same God and there must be no room for religious bigotry and dichotomy.”

The governor, who jokingly said he would soon become Alhaji and Prophet, added that all religions would be taken care of in his administration. He assured both Christians and Muslims in the state that no religion would be neglected in the delivery of dividends of democracy.

Adeleke promised Nigeria Union of Journalists, Osun State Council that it would further enjoy assistance of the present administration with a view to make their work easier, urging them to be objective and truthful in their reportage.

He said his administration has done a lot in the area of infrastructure development, workers welfare, pensioners, education, women affairs, health sector, cooperative and empowerment, among others.

He promised the people of the state to continue to support government efforts in changing the face of the state. The governor also flagged-off dualisation of Ilesa-brewery Akure express road and fly-over at roundabout, Ilesa.

By Jeleel Olawale

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, CFR, Ojaja II, has dissolved the Ife Development Board (IDB) with immediate effect.

This resolution was announced in a statement by the Ooni’s Director of Media and Public Affairs, Otunba Moses Olafare directing President of the Board, Comrade Lawrence Awowoyin to hand over to the palace traditional secretary, Comrade Idowu Salami to see to the interim administration of the board pending when the board would be reconstituted as soon as possible.

Otunba Olafare, according to the letter personally signed by the Ooni, dated  April 26, 2024 and served on the president of the board, Comrade Lawrence Awowoyin, wherein the monarch expressed gratitude to members of the dissolved board for their dedication and commitment creditably displayed through service well rendered to the best of their abilities in the last five years.

“Even though it has become imperative for His Majesty, the Arole Oodua to dissolve this current board in the best interest of Ife development, may I assure the affected stakeholders of the Ooni’s best regards as Ooni Ogunwusi acknowledges the invaluable contributions of the outgoing board members.”

Ooni also recognised the tireless efforts in fostering progress and prosperity within the community. In the letter, His Majesty has extended his appreciation for their service, highlighting their hard work and dedication as catalysts for positive change in Ile-Ife, Olafare said.

“Let it be added that, as the Ife Development Board (IDB) is dissolved today, Ooni has directed the outgoing board members in his letter to them to hand over all documents and other belongings of the board to the Palace Traditional Secretary pending the constitution of a new board.

“This transitional phase reflects the Ooni’s commitment to ensuring seamless continuity in governance while preparing for the appointment of a fresh team of leaders to drive the cradle city’s development agenda forward,” Olafare added.

Olafare described the dissolution of the Ife Development Board as positive signal of a new chapter in the journey of Ile-Ife, characterised by renewed vigour and steadfast commitment to progress under the enlightened leadership of Ooni Adeyeye who highly respects the intensified inundations from indigenes of Ile-Ife both home and abroad.

According to him, the Ooni is very much aware that the ancient city looks towards the future, and that anticipation mounts for the establishment of a new board that will build upon the achievements of its predecessors and steer Ile-Ife towards greater heights of prosperity and excellence assuring that the Africa foremost monarch is already in broad consultations with a view to constituting a new board on the Square Peg-Square Hole principle.

Olafare said that for transparency and accountability, the account of the board shall be subjected to professional auditors for a smooth take off of the new board.

President and other members of the just dissolved board were inaugurated in 2018 for a tenure of 3 years and re inaugurated in the year 2021 for a second term of another 3 years which is expected to terminate in 6 months time before it was announced today to have been dissolved by the Ooni.