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FG Deploys New Batch of Volunteers to The Gambia
FG Deploys New Batch of Volunteers to The Gambia
By: Michael Mike
A new batch of volunteers of the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps has been deployed to The Gambia.
The 11 Volunteers, who comprised professionals from diverse backgrounds, including Law, Engineering and expertise in Entrepreneurial Studies, were urged to see their new charge as a call to serve humanity.
Speaking during the Pre-departure Orientation for the Volunteers, Director General of the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps, Rt.Hon.Yusuf Buba Yakub, congratulated the Volunteers on being among the very few beneficiaries of the 37-year-old Scheme chosen from a long list of over 10,000 applicants when the agency advertised late last year.
Buba also called on the Volunteers to embody the values of integrity and simplicity and to portray Nigeria in positive light as Technical Diplomats in the recipient country. He highlighted that Nigeria’s approach to international relations is based on soft diplomacy, contrasting it with other nations that might rely on coercion.
He said: “You are called Volunteers because you are going out there to serve humanity in The Gambia.Even if it is half a room that you are given to live in,please, accept it and commit to what you have been sent to do there.Always bear in mind that you are there to represent Nigeria.
“On behalf of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,we are sending you to share with our sister African nation the abundant human resources our country possesses.
“As your parents here,the Nigerian High Commission in The Gambia with our High Commissioner there will be your guardian.”
While admonishing the Volunteers to see themselves not as individuals,but as Nigeria itself,the TAC DG said whatever the Volunteers do in their host country would be seen as the action of the country,hence the need to always stay above board.
He also added that the Scheme, which was established in 1987 through the visionary minds of our past leaders was one important instrument of Diplomacy by which Nigeria has continued to make friends and carve partnerships across the world.Such friendships and partnerships,he said, usually come handy in periods of expediency.
Buba also used the occasion to inform of the recent visit of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice of The Gambia,Mr Dawuda Jawara,who used the opportunity to identify some of the skills that are lacking in their country and requested TAC to rise in filling those gaps identified.He then challenged the Volunteers to do all that was considered necessary to rise up to the situation at hand in that country.
Earlier,while presenting the Volunteers to the TAC DG,Director of Programmes at the Agency,Amb.Zakari Usman,tasked the Volunteers to carry high the flag of the country like other participants in the Scheme before them.He said it was by doing so that the objectives of the Scheme would be adequately realized.He encouraged the Volunteers to also adhere to the dos and don’ts of the TAC Scheme,adding that this would only be possible if they upheld the highest standards of conduct and integrity while representing the country abroad.
Team Lead of the batch of Volunteers, Oyetunji Akinlabi, a Professor of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering at the Federal University of Technology, Akure, thanked the Federal Government for the opportunity given to the Volunteers to serve their country. He pledged that, in line with Section 19 of the Nigerian Constitution of 1999 (as amended), the Volunteers will strive to promote the nation’s national interest and also at all times seek to engage in activities that are geared towards the promotion and preservation of African unity.
Among those who spoke for the Volunteers were Dr. Hope Tebira, a Deputy Director and Legal Draftsperson at the National Assembly, and Barr.Joseph Okete. They each pledged to ensure that the nationals of their host country received more than what they had requested from Nigeria.
The new batch of Volunteers will serve for 24 months in the Gambia in line with the statutory terms of engagement with the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps (NTAC).
FG Deploys New Batch of Volunteers to The Gambia
China Calls on Developed Countries to Mop Up Their Climate Troubles
By: Michael Mike
The Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Yu Dunhai has called on developed countries to mop up climatic challenges they caused in developing countries, insisting that there is urgent need for them to take responsibility of international injustices especially regarding climate change.
He stated this in Abuja on Thursday at a “Seminar on Taking New Opportunities for China – Nigeria Cooperation in Deepening Reform in the New Era.”
Yu said it was unfair for developed nations to transfer the burden of developments on developing countries especially climate change and other challenges caused as a result of industrialisation.
The government envoy said China became among the top economies by adopting people centered approach and lifting 800 million people out of poverty over the past 70 years.
He further explained that his country achieved it development goals because it was open to all countries for exchange of ideas and that has been one of the major strengths the country had displayed to the world.
Yu said his country had adopted people centered approach to become relevant among the committee of nations by advocating stability among nations and in the last 70 years, it had never been to war with anyone.
He described China and Nigeria as strong partners that have been working towards the development of one another.
On his part, the head of department, political science and international relations, University of Abuja, Professor Sheriff Ibrahim, while giving a historical background on China’s development, recommended that Nigeria must be deliberate in its pursuit of development.
He noted that Nigeria has alot of good policies that require self decipline among leaders and followers to implement.
Another professor from the University of Abuja, Bibi Farouk decried that Nigeria has not grown to its commensurate capability because its leaders refused to develop the country’s infrastructure.
He said Nigeria and China need to look at technological development in its partnership agreement to help each other grow.
He advised that Nigeria should open its markets for China to enable it benefit from Chinese technology.
China Calls on Developed Countries to Mop Up Their Climate Troubles
PDP, Sen. Lawan Condoles with Yobe Govt
By: Mamman Mohammed
PDP National Chairman Ambassador Umaru Iliya Damagum today led members of
the National Working Committee and Board of Trustees of the party on a sympathy visit to Gov. Mai Mala Buni over the Mafa attack and flood in some parts of the state.
The chairman commended Gov. Buni for giving every citizen of the state a sense of belonging irrespective of political differences.
“I must appreciate you for giving everyone a sense of belonging and fulfillment, despite our political differences” he said.
Amb. Damagum said PDP shares the pain and trauma suffered by the people over the senseless killing of innocent people, and the hardships caused by the floods.
Similarly, former Senate President, Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan, paid a sympathy visit to the governor and prayed for the repose of the souls of the victims of the Mafa attack and the floods.
He prayed to Allah to grant the departed souls Aljannatul Firdaus, and to console their families.
PDP, Sen. Lawan Condoles with Yobe Govt
News
UPDATE ON PLEDGES AND ACTUAL RECEIPTS OF DONATIONS FOR MAIDUGURI RELIEF FUND AS OF WEDNESDAY, 18 SEPTEMBER 2024
UPDATE ON PLEDGES AND ACTUAL RECEIPTS OF DONATIONS FOR MAIDUGURI RELIEF FUND AS OF WEDNESDAY, 18 SEPTEMBER 2024
By: Michael Mike
The list of pledges and actual receipts of donations and support to the Government of Borno State from corporate entities, state governments, State and National Assembly members, individuals, and non-governmental organisations are detailed below.
Kindly note that not all amounts listed were credited to the Maiduguri Relief Fund for the Borno State Government. Similarly, details of the redeemed pledges of donations and material support will be announced in due course:
Note: Updates are given at the close of every day at 7:00 pm.
States
- Bauchi State = N250m
- Kebbi State = N200m
- Adamawa State =N50m
- Yobe State = N100m
- Kano State =N100m
- Gombe State =N100m
- Taraba State =Nn100m
- Katsina State =N100m
Organisations and Individuals
- Alhaji Aliko Dangote =N2b (N1b to donated to NEMA)
- Alhaji Aminu Dantata =N1.5b
- HE Atiku Abubakar =N100m
- HE Peter Obi =N50m
- North East Dev Commission =N3b
- Nigerian Senate = N54.5m
- House of Representatives = N100m
- People’s Democratic Party (PDP) =N25m
- Borno House of Assembly =N60m
- Former Senate President Ahmed Lawan =N50m
- Hon Zainab Gimba =N25m
- Ibrahim Abba Umar =N50m
- Sumaila Satumari = N20m
- Hon Mallam Gana Kareto =N10m
- Northern Senators Forum =N10m
- Senator Barau Jibril =N10m
- Hon Moh’d Abubakar Maifata =N50m
- Southern Borno =N200m
- Hon Zakariya Dikwa =N10m
- Al-Amanah Aid =N1m
- Hon Mohammed Imam =N50m
- HE Maina Ma’aji Lawan = N10m
- HE Ali Modu Sheriff = 100m
- Hon Dr Ali Bukar Dalori = N50m
- Sen MT Monguno = N50m
- Sen Kaka Shehu Lawan = N50m
- Hon Aliyu Betara = N100m
- Hon Abdulkadir Rahis = N25m
- Hon Ibrahim Abuna = N25m
- Hon Usman Zannah = N10m
- Hon Engr Bukar Talb = 10m
- Hon Yerima Lawan Kareto = N2m
- Abdussalam Kachallah = N100m
- Awari Usman Alkali = N20m
- Eighteenth Engineering Company (EEC) = N50m
- Dan Nene Construction Company = N30m
- First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu =N500m
- Dauda Kahutu (Rara Ra) =N10m
- 27 Borno LGAs =N1.350b
- Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE)/Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) =N10m
Non-Cash Donations
- North East Dev Commission = 20,000 bags of 25kg rice, 20,000 cartons of macaroni and 10,000 gallons of vegetable oil.
- Sumal Food Group, Ibadan = 50,000 loaves of bread and 5,000 cartons of biscuits.
- Nasarawa State Government = 2 trucks of rice, 2 trucks of spaghetti and 2 trucks of sugar.
- General Buba Marwa (Rtd) = 10 trucks load of fertiliser worth N120m.
- Hon Aminu Jaji (HOR) = 600 bags of rice
- Nigerian Society of Engineers, Borno State Chapter = 10,000 wrappers
- Engineer Usman Monguno = 10,000 wrappers
- Alhaji Abdulkadir Ali (Matrix Energy) = Asirted food items worth N120m
- National Agency for Great Green Wall = 80 bags of 25kg rice, 30 cartons of 4.5l groundnut oil, 30 cartons of Macaroni, 30 cartons of spaghetti, 60 kerosene stoves, 73 big-size pots, 180 mats, 175 plastic chairs, 600 rubber buckets, 578 bowls, 78 mortar and pestle, 32 praying mats, 100-foot mats, 250 rubber and plastic trays, 256 bathroom slippers, 700 rubber cups, 353, stainless plates, 409 rubber plates, 291 ablation kettles, 192 aprons, 96 hand towels and 433 spoons.
- Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE)/Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) = 400kg of used clothes.
UPDATE ON PLEDGES AND ACTUAL RECEIPTS OF DONATIONS FOR MAIDUGURI RELIEF FUND AS OF WEDNESDAY, 18 SEPTEMBER 2024
China Calls on Developed Countries to Mop Up Their Climate Troubles
E.K. Clark commends Dangote Refinery, says it will boost Nigeria’s economy
PDP, Sen. Lawan Condoles with Yobe Govt
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