Oseni: We Couldn’t Secure $600m Deal

By PHC Telegraph

 

A prominent anchor on the Morning Show, broadcast on Arise Television, Ruffai Oseni has slammed the Federal Government for offering inaccurate information.

His reaction is coming in the wake of a controversy that is brewing over claims by presidential spokesmen that the President, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu may have secured a $600 million deal with Maesrk.

Oseni who took to his X handle on Tuesday alleged that the Nigerian people who had been led to believe that the Nigerian delegation rapped up the deal have been shortchanged.

The broadcaster said on his social media handle that no agreement was reached between both parties when the President met the Chairman of the Danish company, Robert Maesrk Uggla in Riyadh.

“We couldn’t secure 600m dollar deal with Maesrk”, Oseni wrote, “and we misinformed people” about a deal which was not signed.l

“But we damaged a 200m dollar worth of preexisting business because we want to spend 1 trillion Naira on 47km of road”, Oseni stressed.

Wondering who could have “bewitched us”, Oseni who appears to be strongly opposed to the construction of the new coastal road which on its completion would link Lagos to Calabar observed, “we have many roads left undone.”

Facts emerging indicate that Maersk, a powerhouse in the container business with far reaching interests in providing logistics, had a crucial meeting with President Tinubu last week in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Tinubu, Nigeria’s chief salesman, is believed to have persuaded Maesrk to participate in an ongoing one-billion-dollar investment package planned by his team to facilitate seaport reconstruction in Nigeria.

The government had quoted Maesrk as saying during the discussion which took place on Sunday, “We believe in Nigeria, and we will invest $600 million in existing facilities and make ports accommodating for bigger ships.”

Maesrk hasn’t been able to say point-blank if it actually has a financial understanding with the Nigerian authorities.

“We are not able to comment on any investment talks,” the group reportedly said to a UK newspaper, Lloyd’s List, on Tuesday.

The company which is operating in the country said there is nothing wrong in dialoguing with the Nigerians.

The Danish firm noted,

“Maersk has been present in Nigeria for 35 years and, as a global provider of logistics services, we remain committed to develop opportunities for growth to people, the port sector and businesses locally.”

“It is natural to have an ongoing dialogue with the administration”, the Danish firm remarked, “However, we are not able to comment on any investment talks.”

The company’s reaction is being interpreted in some circles in Nigeria as a tactical denial of the position of the company on the issue of its proposed investment.

There however others who see the avowed commitment of Maesrk to create business opportunities which grow people and enhance the port sector as evidence that conversations may still be going on behind the scene.

On X, some netizens are viewing the unfolding controversy over the talks as convincing proof that the Bola Tinubu administration is dishing out lies and propaganda in order to misinform the people.