13
Oct
If feelers emanating from the Presidency are anything to go by, then the President Goodluck Jonathan-led government may resort to tit-for-tat diplomacy in its relationship with South Africa over the embarrassment meted out to Nigeria on the arms deal issues.
Sunday Independent re-called that on September 12, this year, a building collapsed at the Synagogue Church of All Nations, located in Ikotun area of Lagos.
No fewer than 100 South African nationals were killed in the incident, which aroused global reactions and purportedly set the two countries on subtle collision course, despite official utterances to the contrary.
South African government, in a move seen by some observers as retaliatory over the death of her nationals, seized some $9.3 million cash ferried from Nigeria in a private jet belonging to Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, president of the Christian Associatiob of Nigeria (CAN).
The money was meant to be used for the purchase of arms and ammunition by the Nigerian government to fight the Boko Haram insurgents, presently ravaging Yobe, Adamawa and Bornu States in north-eastern part of the country.
According to the South African government of Jacob Zuma, the money was seized because the mode of conveying it contravened the law of the country of the late Nelson Mandela.
Last week, the South African government again seized $5.7 million, which was also ferried for the purchase of arms, but which the country of the Maniba insisted was proceeds of illegal transactions.
However, Sunday Independent gathered that Nigeria, now under pressure from the South African government may decide to apply the doctrine of reciprocity by returning the same level of embarrassment to South Africa in the weeks ahead.
A source in the Presidency disclosed that very soon, some mineral explorations and exploitation companies owned by South Africa operating in Nigeria, may be investigated to see if they conform to internally accepted standards in their service deliveries and payment of taxes.
Most importantly, MTN-Nigeria, Africa’s telecommunications giant owned by South Africa and operating in Nigeria, where it rakes in about N288 billion revenue last year.
The investigations could focus on whether or not the South African telecommunications giants is applying internationally accepted standards in the delivery of its services to its subscribers nationwide.
“It could also investigate if MTN-Nigeria is consistent in the payment of taxes and other levies imposed on its operations by the Nigerian government”, our source said.
However, mails sent to Reuben Abati, Special Adviser on Media to President Goodluck Jonathan, for official comments on this development, was not replied at the time of filling this report.
MTN-Nigeria also kept mute on the allegations, when our correspondent sent a message to its facebook account on Saturday morning for official reactions.
Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/201410130129.html