NIGERIANS MUST 'SHINE THEIR EYES' NOW !!!

HOW CHINESE, LEBANESE AND INDIANS DOMINATE OUR ECONOMY !!!

By COSMAS OKEREAFOR

Despite the security challenge  the country is facing, Nigerian security agents, especially those working at the maritime and the aviation sectors, where cargo are processed, may have not really come to terms  that sensitive areas of the ports, “entering and exit”, should be the exclusive preserve of Nigerian citizens, like it is done in other countries.

Two years ago, a container laden with explosives and dangerous weapons  were intercepted by the Nigerian Customs. Only God knows what would have happened  if those weapons brought in by some foreigners were not intercepted by the NCS.

But still, the shipping industry and business of cargo clearing today in Nigeria is said to be dominated by the Lebanese, Indians, Chinese  and  South Africans, to the extent that they enter, at will, places like Customs Processing Centre (CPC)  that Nigerians cannot access even in Cotonou.

Many years after the approval of the Coastal and Inland Shipping Cabotage Act  2003 and  the passage of the Nigerian Content Act, 2010, both of which were  designed to stimulate indigenous participation  in the shipping industry and the oil and gas sector, what  we see is the dominance of business activities in the key areas  by foreigners.

Statistics made available by the Nigerian Shipowners Association (NISA) confirmed  that foreigners control  more than 95 percent of the over 3,000 vessels  operating in our  coastal and inland waterways.    This negates the Federal Government’s policy of growing and promoting the local industry.

At  various fora, shippers have criticized the insensitivity of government and  called for immediate action, lest  foreigners continue to dominate the sector ten years after the cabotage law came on stream. What this means is that  the Federal Government should beam its search light at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) which has been  fingered as frustrating Nigerian ship owners.

The National President, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Alhaji Olayiwola Shittu, blamed the take-over of cargo clearing business in Nigeria by foreigners on the inability of those in authority to enact  laws that would help indigenous operators to excel in their businesses.    He cautioned that something has to be done, otherwise  Nigerians would be completely thrown out of business.

He explained  that some highly placed Nigerians who know nothing about the ports are responsible for not having the laws to empower local operators.

One is  not saying foreigners should not do business in Nigeria. The issue is that they  should not have  access to sensitive areas in the ports to avoid security breach.

Beyond security risk which the foreign cargo operators pose, “entering and going out”, the Federal Government, in the spirit of change, should rise up to address this lapse  to forestall  attacks, especially at this time the world is battling  terrorism.

*Okereafor lives in  Lagos.

• THE OTHER DAY I WAS AT A CHINESE INDUSTRY IN LAMGBASA, AJAH, LAGOS...THAT MANUFACTURES PVC CEILING SHEETS. I HAD NOTICED WITH DISGUST HOW THE SHORT 'IDIOTIC' CHINESE STAFF TREATED THEIR NIGERIAN MENIAL WORKERS WITH DISDAIN AND DISRESPECT. I BOUGHT AND PAID FOR MY GOODS, AND THEN NOTICED HOW ONE CHINESE GUY WAS SHOUTING ON SOME OTHER BUYERS TO GO STAND OUTSIDE. IT WAS LATER I GOT TO KNOW THAT THEY DO THAT BCOS THEY DO NOT WANT ANY NIGERIAN TO CATCH A GLIMPSE OF HOW THEIR PRODUCTS ARE MANUFACTURED BCOS OF FEAR OF COMPETITION....I ALSO LEARNT DAT EVEN THEIR OWN NIGERIAN WORKERS ARE NOT ALLOWED IN SOME  AREAS OF THE DAMN FACTORY. THEY ARE ONLY THERE TO DO HARD LABOUR, AND PICK UP AND LOAD PRODUCTS INTO THE WAITING LORRIES FROM ALL PARTS OF NIGERIA. TRUST ME TO BOIL OVER....AND ALAS, I GOT DAT OPPORTUNITY. WHEN IT WAS MY TURN TO PICK MY GOODS, I NOTICED THAT ALL THEY GAVE ME WAS A PIECE OF STUPID PAPER STATING WHAT I BOUGHT, BUT THERE WAS NOTHING TO SHOW HOW MUCH I HAD PAID...ALMOST N100K. I POLITELY ASKED FOR MY PROPER RECEIPT, BUT D OLD CHINESE GEEZER THOUGHT HE COULD RIDE ME OVER LIKE THOSE HE WAS USED TO. HE SIMPLY IGNORED ME, AND POINTED TO MY GOODS, SHOWING ME THE WAY OUT...AS IF HE COULD NOT SPEAK ENGLISH. O BOYYYY...DID I VEXXXX???...NO BE SMALL O. EVERYTHING CAME TO A STAND-STILL. I THEN STARTED TO EDUCATE MY MUMU NIGERIAN BRODAS AROUND THERE AS TO HOW DIS IDIOTIC 'FAKE OYINBO' PAUPERS FROM ONE USELESS PLACE CALLED CHINA ARE NO BETTER THAN DEM. HOW DEY ARE HERE TO MAKE MONEY AND EXPLOIT NIGERIANS, AND HOW DEY DO NOT ISSUE RECEIPTS IN ORDER NOT TO PAY TAX TO OUR GOVERNMENT. BEFORE LONG, ALL D LITTLE SHORT CHINESE HUMANS IN D FACTORY FILED OUT TO SEE DIS AUDACIOUS GUY (ME). I THEN PICKED MY FONE AND TOLD THEM I WAS CALLING 'ASO ROCK' TO SPEAK WITH D DEPUTY PRESIDENT IN PERSON, AND DAT I WILL HAVE THEIR INDUSTRY CLOSED DOWN. GUESS WHAT...D IDIOTS BEGGED ME TO COME INTO THEIR OFFICE, AND OFFERED ME MY RECEIPT...FAST. DIS IS D STORY OF NIGERIA....MONKEY WORK, BABOON CHOP. DIS TIME D BABOON NA LITTLE CHINESE IDIOTS. WETTIN DEY PAIN ME PASS BE SAY LEBANESE DON HAMMER US SOTAY, INDIAN DON SHIT FOR AWA HEADS. AND NOW SHORT-MAN-DEVIL COME COME DEY YAB US ON TOP.
• ABEG MAKE UNA WAKE UP....please.. DIS INSULT TOO MUSHHHHHH!!!
• WHO BORN CHINESE????