Former All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman and Senator Representing Edo North in the 10th Senate, Adams Oshiomhole, has called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately stop the importation of products manufactured by companies that exited the country. 

Oshiomole, while faulting the idea that government has no business in business, said if the multinational companies had considered the country unconducive for citing their companies, they should not be allowed to make Nigeria a dumping ground for their products. 

The Senator who was a guest speaker in Abuja at Prof. Emeka Umerah’s Public Lecture, organised in solidarity with President Bola Tinubu administration, said the only condition for such companies to continue to sell their products should be to return to the country.

Senator Oshiomhole regretted that companies like Michelin, Dunlop, Toyota, among others, which exited the Nigerian space, still had their products flood the country’s markets.

According to him, the companies have moved to build other country’s economy, by providing job opportunities for the citizens of such countries, and therefore should not be allowed to reap from Nigeria where they have not contributed to its GDP.

Comrade Oshiomhole also berated the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) for allegedly refusing to sell crude oil to Dangote Refinery who now imports from abroad.

He also deplored the privatisation of education, wondering why those who were beneficiaries of free education now champion privatisation of the sector.

He urged Nigerians to continue to pray for Tinubu to remain courageous in taking tough decisions that would realign the country in the path of prosperity. 

He said, “How is it that those who were the beneficiaries of Awolowo’s basic education in the west and Sadauna’s education, even with allowances, in the north; I heard so much about Barewa College, it wasn’t private, they were high profile, first class institutions across the country.

“I am advocating that the National Assembly, the presidency should identify the industries that must be returned to the country. 

“And if such companies refuse to return, Nigeria should begin to ban companies  that left the country from selling their products to Nigerians.”

On the essence of the lecture, Prof. Emeka Umerah noted that a President who has shown the courage to take e country out of the woods, needed to be supported. 

Umerah stated that “leading Nigeria requires navigating complex challenges and making decisions that may not yield immediate results,  or compliments. 

“Forgoing political expediency, precisely Tinubu has shown remarkable courage in confronting these challenges, steering our nation towards a brighter future“.