From Fred Itua, Abuja
Former presidential aspirant on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Moses Ayom has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s initiative to improve Nigeria’s economic partnership with the People’s Republic of China.
Ayom, an international businessman with a special interest in strengthening Nigeria’s relations with China, said the Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) signed on Tuesday in Beijing on the peaceful use of Nuclear Energy and several other agreements aimed at elevating the existing relationship between the two countries has opened a positive chapter in Nigeria’s economy.
Tinubu and his Chinese counterpart President Xi Jinping witnessed the signing ceremony in Beijing, where they made strong commitments to advance economic growth and development in the two nations.
Ayom, who has played vital roles in Nigeria’s partnership with China, including being part of the 2016 presidential delegation to China, called on President Tinubu, to urgently activate the $1.2 billion mining equipment investment deal signed between Nigeria and China since that year to further boost the advantages of the partnership.
He observed that the delay in activating that deal portends a serious economic danger capable of attracting N500 billion loss to the economy, according to the audit conducted by Certified Accountants.
Ayom, who was the first APC presidential aspirant to withdraw from the race for Tinubu, is however full of praises for the efforts so far made by President Tinubu to revive Nigeria’s ailing economy.
He advised that it has become very imperative for Nigeria to activate the existing MOU with China to show her that Nigeria is always committed to honouring her international deals, particularly with China.
The mining equipment investment deal has the potential of reinvigorating Nigeria’s economy, particularly in terms of employment to her teeming youths.
Providing further explanations on the details and origin of the deal, Ayom revealed that: The issue is the delay and failure in activating the $1.2 billion mining equipment deal signed by my company, Granite and Marble, for the establishment of a mining equipment firm in Abuja.
It is part of the Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) signed between President Muhammadu Buhari and the Chinese government in 2016.
The mining equipment deal was signed the same day the $6 billion currency swap deal was signed between Nigeria and China in addition to the $2.5 billion deal.
He further disclosed that “all these were sealed in 2016 in China when he had the privilege of being in the President’s entourage on a business trip along with former minister of trade and industry, Mr Okechukwu Enelamah, who doubled as a witness for the Federal Government.
According to the Benue-born international businessman and politician, “To be in that business delegation, our background has been carefully considered and studied as not just the owner of GRANITE AND MARBLE, but a global entrepreneur, philanthropist, creativity icon, cultural ambassador, and recipient of the prestigious Award of Outstanding Advocate of China/Nigeria Relations bestowed by the Chinese Government.
“But shockingly, that deal with the SBM which is meant to be located in Abuja and supported by the Central Bank with RSSF, is yet to take off because the grant for it is yet to be released. The grant of 1 billion naira, which is still hanging, came from CBN under the Real Sector Support Facility (RSSF) where the co-ordinating minister of finance is the chairman of CBN.
“Although CBN gave different grants to respective companies, Granite and Marble, which has great potential of employing more Nigerians across the nation, especially in the northern part of Nigeria, and reducing banditry, kidnapping, and all forms of negative vices, is yet to take off.”