News
NDLEA, Military to Strengthen Synergy on Drug War
NDLEA, Military to Strengthen Synergy on Drug War
By: Michael Mike
The Nigerian military has promised to strengthen its synergy with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, to curtail the menace of substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking in the country.
The assurance was given on Monday by the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Gusau when he paid a courtesy visit to the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd) at the agency’s National Headquarters in Abuja.
Marwa, in his remarks, commended the Nigerian Armed Forces under the leadership of the CDS for their loyalty, sacrifices and hard work to keep the country safe. He also thanked the military for supporting the agency in terms of logistics and training.
The anti-narcotics czar while emphasizing the significance of the partnership between the military and the NDLEA, said substance abuse is at the root of crimes and criminalities across the country.
He said: “The criminal elements rely on drugs to carry out their criminalities and that is why we have been very ferocious in our offensive action against them to cut access and availability of these illicit drugs.
“As a result, in about three years we have arrested 42,105 drug offenders, including 46 barons; seized 7,500 tons of drugs; 1,057 hectares of cannabis farms destroyed and 8, 350 offenders convicted while 29,400 drug users have been counselled and rehabilitated within the same period.”
He therefore urged the armed forces to consider constructing central rehabilitation centre and creating rehab facilities in existing military hospitals to attend to the treatment of their personnel that may have issues of substance abuse.
Speaking earlier, the CDS commended Marwa and his management team for the great turn around on the drug war, which has positively changed the negative perception about Nigeria in the international community.
He assured of the continued support of the armed forces to NDLEA in its renewed fight against substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking. He said the Agency’s efforts have motivated the military to introduce drug test as a requirement for training and promotion in the armed forces.
He said the nexus between drug abuse and insecurity cannot be over-emphasized, adding that if the nation is able to curb the scourge of substance abuse, the current security challenges would have been drastically reduced. He also said the menace must be tackled holistically while promising to consider the suggestion by the NDLEA boss for the military to have its own central rehabilitation centre.
The CDS said: “We know the challenges of drugs and how the use of illicit drugs has affected Nigeria’s name. And when Nigeria is mentioned abroad, everybody thinks about drugs, but you and your team have turned that around, at least now, people have seen that sense of sincerity in addressing the drug issue in Nigeria. We know it is not easy, because a lot of people have benefited so much from it and they will do anything to sustain their illicit businesses.
“I want to assure you that the members of Nigerian Armed Forces are fully behind you. We are proud of you and what you have been achieving and we will continue to support you until the menace of drugs is totally eliminated in the country. We know the influence of drug use and what it has done to us, creating a lot of issues all over the country, which is very alarming.
“Drug use has slipped into so many places, and for members of the Armed Forces; we’re not excluded. Now we have introduced as part of our recruitment processes and for our people to go for courses, they must take drug test, because this will ensure that personnel of the Armed Forces are doing the right thing and are in the right frame of mind. So, we’ll continue to do that and continue to intensify our efforts.
“”We have seen the number of arrests being made and how the world over now has seen that Nigeria is taking positive measures to address this drug issue, this I think is highly commendable. Theatre Commanders in the North East have seen the effect of drugs. Ideally, some people that will not even be able to carry a knife, when they take drugs, they carry a GPMG. So, this tells you what drugs do, it gives you a lot of fake confidence and with usage over time they become addicted and when they become addicted it becomes dangerous to them and they become a danger to everyone close to them.”
NDLEA, Military to Strengthen Synergy on Drug War
Military
Violent extremism, terrorism, biggest threat to ECOWAS subregion —Commandant, Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre
Violent extremism, terrorism, biggest threat to ECOWAS subregion —Commandant, Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre
By: Michael Mike
The Commandant, Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), Maj. Gen. Richard Gyane has described violent extremism and terrorism (VET) as the biggest threat to the ECOWAS subregion, Africa and humanity.
Gyane stated this in Abuja during a chat with journalists during a mobile training course on women, youth, and VET, organized by KAIPTC on Wednesday.
The Commandant said that the security challenges in West Africa had informed KAIPTC’s decision to organize the capacity building for women and youth to build their resilience to tackle terrorism.
He said that the training, organized in collaboration with the Norwegian Government, would empower women and youth with the requisite knowledge about terrorists’ operations and build their resilience against VET threats.
Gyane said: “If you look at our subregion now, violent extremism is a big threat to us; If you look at the Sahel nations, most of these countries are virtually taken over by violent groups.
“If you look at Nigeria and the Boko Haram group, and the movement of these groups southwards, it is worrisome.
“Why are we particular about women and youth? They become vulnerable. These are the most vulnerable groups in our society, who are subject to radicalization by VETs.
“The aim is to engage these women and youth especially and let them understand the issues, the recruitment and all that about these groups who want to destroy our humanity within the subregion,” he said.
He noted that KAIPTC engages and empowers women and youth through its training programs because when people are empowered, it becomes difficult for VET groups, whose aim is to radicalize the people and take over their countries, to do so.
He however noted that no country could tackle VET alone, and stressed the need for collaboration among all stakeholders beyond the security space in order to curb VET’s surging scourge in West Africa and Africa at large.
Gyane said that, given the porous borders of ECOWAS countries, and the need for them to cooperate and share intelligence, ECOWAS member states should do everything possible to bring on board Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, who are threatening to quit the bloc.
“It is not good for the subregion to have a divided front, and I think whatever we need to do to bring on board these countries, who want to separate themselves from the subregion, is very necessary.
“ECOWAS has done well in certain areas, especially the free movement of persons protocol and I think within the continent of Africa, ECOWAS has done so well.
“But I think we need to collaborate more beyond even the security space. I would want to see us one day using the same currency and all that.
“We should work more as one homogeneous subregion to ensure that people should be free to live and work wherever they are and do business.
“When we do that, it can help us to control violent extremism and terrorism,” Gyane added.
Violent extremism, terrorism, biggest threat to ECOWAS subregion —Commandant, Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre
Zulum to Speak at UN Dialogue on Education Transformation in Africa
By: Michael Mike
Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum is among the dignitaries to speak at the 2024 Edition of the Africa Dialogue Series (ADS 2024), holding at the United Nations headquarters in New York, from May 6th to 24th, 2024.
According to a publication by the UN on its website, the programme titled “Africa Month” is to mobilise actions by leveraging science, technology and innovation to transform education in Africa. Governor Zulum, H.E. Mr. Dennis Francis, President of the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly, Ms. Cristina Duarte, UN Under-Secretary-General and UN Special Adviser on Africa, and many other stakeholders will be attending the dialogue.
This year’s dialogue series has the theme “Education through Science, Technology and Innovation toward the Africa We Want.” It will focus on obtaining a concerted Africa-centred policy shift needed to fast-track the transformation of the educational landscape on the continent.
The statement noted that the ADS 2024 will culminate with a High-level Policy Dialogue, including the participation of several ministers from African countries, Heads of Regional Economic Communities, young people, senior government and UN officials.
The statement added that the high-level segment will serve as a platform for in-depth exchanges, contributing policy recommendations to accelerate the continent’s progress toward achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
The United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, H.E. Mr. Faki Mahamat, will also participate in the High-level Policy Dialogue, and would be delivering closing messages to wrap up “Africa Month”.
The United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed and the Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission, H.E. Dr. Monique Nsanzabaganwa, will set the stage for the dialogue with their perspectives.
Zulum to Speak at UN Dialogue on Education Transformation in Africa
Former Deputy VC, UNN to Receive Honour from Japan
By: Michael Mike
The Government of Japan has announced the 2024 spring Conferment of Decorations on Foreign Nationals, with Prof James Chukwuma Ogbonna, the former Deputy Vice Chancellor at University of Nigeria, Nsukka being one of the recipients.
Ogbonna who is a former Professor of Microbiology at the same university, according to a statement, was nominated in recognition of his contributions to promoting academic exchange and mutual understanding between Japan and Nigeria in the field of agriculture. He would be given the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon.
The summary of Ogbonna’s contributions, according to the statement, include Inter-University Exchange Agreements: As Coordinator of Academic Cooperation, as he spearheaded agreements between several universities, including the University of Nigeria with Hokkaido University, Tsukuba University, and Osaka University, and facilitated student exchange programmes and research collaborations.
Ogbonna, also promoted human exchange: He actively facilitated the exchange of students and researchers between the two countries. His efforts led to 55 Nigerian students studying in Japan and several Japanese researchers conducting research in Nigeria, particularly in the field of agriculture.
The statement also said Ogbonna’s work established a valuable network of contacts between academics in both countries, paving the way for further collaboration and exchange in the future, noting that his dedication has significantly enhanced academic exchange and mutual understanding between Japan and Nigeria.
Former Deputy VC, UNN to Receive Honour from Japan
Violent extremism, terrorism, biggest threat to ECOWAS subregion —Commandant, Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre
Zulum to Speak at UN Dialogue on Education Transformation in Africa
Former Deputy VC, UNN to Receive Honour from Japan
Roger Federer’s Shock as DNA Results Reveal Myla and Charlene Are Not His Biological Children
EYN: Rev. Billi, Distortion of History, and The Living Tamarind Tree
A History of Biu” (2015) and The Lingering Bura-Pabir Question (1)
-
News2 months agoRoger Federer’s Shock as DNA Results Reveal Myla and Charlene Are Not His Biological Children
-
News2 months agoEYN: Rev. Billi, Distortion of History, and The Living Tamarind Tree
-
ACADEMICS2 months agoA History of Biu” (2015) and The Lingering Bura-Pabir Question (1)
-
Columns2 months agoArmy University Biu: There is certain interest, but certainly not from Borno.
-
Opinions2 years agoTHE PLIGHT OF FARIDA
-
Opinions3 months agoTinubu,Shettima: The epidemic of economic, insecurity in Nigeria
-
Opinions2 months agoUMTH:…and the testimonies of patients and patient relations
-
National News2 months agoFraud and Mismanagement Rock INGO’s IDP Cash Assistance Effort in Bama
