EU lifts sanctions

Meanwhile, the European Union (EU) announced on Tuesday that it would scrap sanctions imposed in 1995 when late military ruler General Sani Abacha executed nine minority rights activists accused of murder. The execution led to Nigeria’s suspension from the Commonwealth, to which it was readmitted in late May. On the other hand, Canada planned to wait for the government’s programme to unfold before resuming aid, ‘The Guardian’ quoted Acting High Commissioner Wendy Gilmour as saying. “In spite of what happened in the past, we are very hopeful of the present situation in Nigeria but it must adopt a track record of resilience,” she said. However, she said Canada viewed the appointment of the new Central Bank governor, Joseph Sanusi, as an indication of the government’s determination to pursue prudent management of the economy, which could attract foreign business. “There are a lot of Canadian investors quite interested in Nigeria especially those in the area of technology,” she said, “but desperately in search of reputable and reliable Nigerian partners.”