-For Threatening Commerce Ministry Parastatal DG's Life
All is definitely not well between the Minister of State for Works, Ambassador Bashir Yuguda and the Director of Nigeria Trade Centre in Dubai as the latter has dragged the Minister before the Inspector General of Police. In a petition addressed to the Police IG, titled‘ Criminal complaint against Ambassador Bashir Yuguda of the Federal Ministry of Works, Federal Ministry of Works headquarters Abuja for malicious allegations, defamation of character criminal intimidation and threat to life, dated 3rd May, 2014, the petitioner alleged that the Minister has made life miserable for him by ‘defaming his character and reputation since 2009, by making scandalous, malicious and criminal allegations against him and falsely acusing him of engaging in illicit drup dealing and other related criminal activities in Nigeria, Dubai and other countries.
The petitioner, who pleaded with the Police to kindly investigate him to find out whether he is a drug dealer, also urged the Police to take action against the Minister if found to have lied against him.
It would be recalled that the petitioner, Mohammed Aliyu Baiwa was appointed head of the Nigeria Trade Centre in Dubai in 2005. The organization functioned effectively and was able to attract investment into the country from the Middle East. Coincidentally, the former Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, who is now a minister, served in Dubai when the NTC was already on and saw in the Centre an opportunity to also attract foreign capital to Nigeria. Rather than team up with the Nigeria Trade Centre, the Ambassador created a department which was to rival the Centre and from there, it has been a battle royal between the two men.
Even after his tenure expired and another ambassador was posted to Dubai, the situation remained as the new ambassador also, based on the briefing of his predecessor who is now a minister towed the same line. Issues however degenerated as the National Trade Centre’s activities dwindled due to patronage and the body which had hitherto been able to generate its revenue could no longer do such.
Moreover, as a result of the spurious allegations, leveled by the Ambassador against the head of the Centre, it has also been difficult getting any form of patronage. Trade which was around 3bllion Dollars in 2011 when the NTC was fully operational has dropped to under 1billion Dollars in recent times and the office in Dubai risks being closed as staff emoluments as well as rents are outstanding.
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