There is insecurity, oil theft, pipeline vandalisation, to name but a few problems that foreign investors are obviously tired of dealing with here. Instead of trying to make the environment more conducive, not just for foreign but local businesses, Government has succeeded in doing the opposite – repelling FDI and driving our young talent away to other countries to be snapped up.
A cursory look at the petition/motion ex-parte brought against Seplat, the British CEO, Mr Brown, and the Chairman of the Company, Mr Basil Omiyi, revealed that not only was there no emergency or urgency that warranted the application being brought ex-parte, no res would be destroyed before the hearing on notice, which is a precondition for granting same.
But then, how do we attract foreign investors and expertise, when they hear that they can be chased out from Nigeria at the drop of a hat, without even being given the opportunity to be heard, contrary to Section 36 of the Constitution which enshrines the principle of ‘audi alteram partem’ – listen to the other side . In Oyeyemi v Commissioner for Local Government, Kwara State 23 N.S.C.C.