Oil companies to return back to Nigeria – Arthur Eze
The
Swiss government Monday revealed that $370 million of Nigeria’s money
allegedly looted by the former Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha has been
traced to Luxembourg.
The Switzerland Ambassador, Hans Rudolf
Hodel revealed this when he paid a courtesy call on the President-elect,
Gen. Muhammadu Buhari at the Defence House, Abuja.
Also at the
Defence House, an oil magnet, Prince Arthur Eze stated that with the
coming of Buhari as president, the oil companies that had left the
shores of Nigeria would come back.
Arthur Eze came in company of
the the Managing Director of Total Upstreams and the Chairman of the Oil
Producer Trade Section (OPTS), Mrs. Elizabeth Proust to pay a courtesy
call on Buhari.
Arthur Eze fielding questions from journalists
said: “We are glad that General Buhari is one of the most disciplined
leaders that we have in Africa and particularly in Nigeria. He is going
to organize this country so that you will not see all these poor people
again. Things will change in this country. It is God that gives power,
and God has given it to Buhari.
“He is coming to change our
economy especially the oil sector, as you can see, most of the oil
companies who left Nigeria are now coming back.”
Asked why he
visited Buhari, when he was a close associate of President Jonathan, he
said: “You know General Buhari has been President of Nigeria and also a
former oil minister. He knows the oil industry very well; he is a man
who has ability to take a decision. He has been in the system for a very
long time, that is why God brought him back. Everyone of us is
supporting him because God has giving him power”.
The Swiss
Ambassador speaking on corruption, said: “This is a long standing issue.
Our laws are there to help all countries which are fighting corruption.
We will help this government. If you remember, many years ago we gave
back the Abacha money to Nigeria. The situation in Switzerland has
changed. The policy is no longer the same. In the past people come to
deposit money in Switzerland without too much controversy. Now, it is
not possible to deposit money in Switzerland because of legal origin.
Before banks had to prove that the money is illegal. But now, before you
deposit money in a Swiss bank, you have to prove that you have earned
that money legally. If you are a wealthy businessman, you have money in
billions legally, but if, for example as a journalists you come to
Switzerland with $2 million and say you earned it because you did a very
good job, nobody will believe you”.
Asked if there was any
Nigerian money in Switzerland needed to be refunded, the Ambassador
said: “None that I know. Recently, there was another request by Nigeria
to the Swiss authority to look for Abacha money and some amount has been
found in an account in Luxembourg. That is now between the Abacha
family and the government. They have tried to find a deal so that this
money can also come back. The recent one is 370 million dollars.
On
how soon the money would be released, he said: “The Swiss government is
not involved. The Nigerian government has asked for legal assistance.
When the government makes a request to my government, we work together
on it. But this case is different. That is the Abacha family directly
with the Nigerian government finding a deal. So, the Swiss government is
not involved and the money is in Luxembourg. They have asked for legal
assistance and we have provided them with this information. It is not a
classical case and we would have prefer a classical case where we can
give the money back and make sure that it is used in the interest of the
people. Now it is up to the Nigerian government”.
The Cuban
Ambassador, Mr Carlos E. Trejo Sosa, who also visited to congratulate
the President-elect stated that his country would collaborate with
Nigeria in many areas.
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