On resumption from two-month recess, members of the House of Representatives have resolved to investigate the various agreements signed by the ministers and heads of agencies during President Goodluck Jonathan’s visit to China.
The President recently embarked on a five-day official visit to China. He was accompanied by 13 Ministers and several heads of agencies and parastatals during which various agreements were signed in critical sectors with relevant Chinese agencies.
The Chairman, House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Nnena Ukeje, who disclosed the House’s decision to investigate the agreements to newsmen at the weekend, said the investigation would commence immediately after the House resumes sitting.
According to her, their decision was anchored on the need to ensure that the agreements are in the best interest of Nigerians and that the country is not being short-changed in any form.
She noted that Nigeria should take a queue from country like Brazil that has a policy in place that protects Brazilian interest, stressing that there was need for government officials to be conscious of the benefit of whatever agreements they are entering into with foreign governments and investors.
“A case in point is the Brazilian economy where they insisted that everybody on the oil rig must be Brazilian, that created 80,000 jobs.tis created and protect Brazilian jobs and Brazil now has a 5.6 percent unemployment rate as compared t Nigeria’s 23 percent.
“Lesson is that we must look at, aside the issue of reciprocity which is a part of international diplomacy, we must start to take a critical look at the agreements and the facts that Nigerian jobs are protected as well as tighten our immigration laws, so that we can protect Nigerian Jobs for Nigerians,” she said.
Ukeje, said further that the House was also considering legislation on the principle of reciprocity, adding that it was high time Nigeria adopted such principle in the interest of the citizens.
Her words, “So, we are trying to look at reciprocity, as regards other countries’ ventures and their property in the country. We don’t have the Sovereign Immunity Act as a law in Nigeria for now, so we are looking at bringing it on. The bill is about to be gazetted, once that is done, we go from there at full blast. We should have it”.
