Nigeria Commiserates with Ghana Over Death of Two Cabinet Ministers, Top Government Officials in Helicopter Crash

By: Michael Mike

The Federal Government has extended its deepest condolences to the Government and people of the Republic of Ghana, following the unfortunate tragic helicopter crash that claimed the lives of two Ghanaian Ministers, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah (Defence), Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed (Environment), along with other officials en route to Obuasi on Wednesday.

A statement by the spokesperson of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa read that: “This devastating incident has not only robbed Ghana of distinguished public servants but has also left a profound void in the West African region. Dr. Boamah and Hon. Muhammed were dedicated leaders who served their nation with unwavering commitment, and their contributions to regional security and environmental sustainability will be deeply missed.

“Nigeria stands in solidarity with Ghana during this period of immense grief. We share in the sorrow of our brothers and sisters in Ghana and offer our prayers for the peaceful repose of the departed souls.

“Our thoughts are also with the families of the deceased, as well as the entire Ghanaian government.

“As neighbours and partners in progress, we reaffirm our commitment to strengthening the bonds of friendship and cooperation between our two nations, even in moments of profound loss.

“May the Almighty grant Ghana the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss.”

Nigeria Commiserates with Ghana Over Death of Two Cabinet Ministers, Top Government Officials in Helicopter Crash

FG Advises Nigerians on Getting Abroad to Profile Themselves at Foreign Missions to Allow for Early Intervention in Case of Mistreatment

By: Michael Mike

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has advised Nigerians traveling abroad to make it a point of duty to register with the Nigerian mission in their host country in order to be accorded timely intervention in case of emergencies.

The Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Ahmed Dunoma made this appeal while receiving a delegation from the Diplomatic Correspondents Association of Nigeria, (DICAN), led by its Chairman, Frederick Idehai Frederick.

The Permanent Secretary while citing a recent incident where Nigerians were trapped in the Central African Republic, and some individuals, especially on social media, attempted to tarnish the Ministry’s image emphasised that the ministry, Nigeria embassies and consulates should be informed of their presence during arrival not when they run into trouble.

He said: “I advise Nigerians to make it a point of duty to make their presence known to the Nigerian mission in the country they’re visiting.

“This simple step can help prevent misunderstandings and ensure that Nigerians receive the support they need in times of crisis.

“There was a recent case of Nigerians trapped in Central African Republic, where some Nigerians tried to give the Ministry a bad name,” he said.

Dunoma while highlighting the importance of timely information dissemination, also called for a deeper collaboration between the Ministry and the Diplomatic Correspondents Association of Nigeria (DICAN) in order to combat disinformation and misinformation.

He said DICAN and the ministry share a common goal of promoting a positive image of Nigeria.

“Most of the time, given the necessary information before people will even ask for information is crucial in managing crises effectively.

“We are saddled with the role of laundering the image of the country. Hence, the inevitability of a strengthened partnership between DICAN and the Ministry.

“This partnership is crucial in ensuring that accurate information about Nigeria is disseminated to the public, both locally and internationally,” he said.

The Permanent Secretary expressed gratitude to DICAN for organizing the recent world class maiden Diplomatic, Security International Conference that brought about together about seventy diplomats, security, intelligence, academics, corporate organisations, civil societies among other stakeholders to brainstorm on how to make the world a safer and better place to live.

He stated that the conference has enriched discussions on security and the impact of the 4Ds Policy direction of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration’s in enhancing Nigeria’s foreign image in the face of disinformation.

He said: “I thank DICAN for putting the programme together, it has enriched discuss on security and promote a positive image of Nigeria as well as ensure the safety and well-being of our citizens abroad.

“By working together, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and DICAN can promote a more accurate understanding of Nigeria’s role in international affairs and address the challenges posed by disinformation and misinformation.

“We have a lot of challenges, but it is our duty to ensure that the positive narrative is given out there, because we have to be patriotic.

“I think we need to sit down, work together and see how we can also be proactive.”

Presenting an award of excellence to the Permanent Secretary, the Chairman of DICAN, Frederick Idehai , solicited more support to ensure that the association carries out its agenda setting programmes.

“The Permanent Secretary has shown commitment to working with DICAN, and we appreciate his efforts in promoting a positive image of Nigeria,” Idehai said.

FG Advises Nigerians on Getting Abroad to Profile Themselves at Foreign Missions to Allow for Early Intervention in Case of Mistreatment

NDLEA, India’s NCB join efforts to end illicit shipments of tramadol, others to Nigeria

By: Michael Mike

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) of India have agreed to intensify their efforts in the fight against shipment of illicit drugs between the two countries especially the illegal flow of opioids such as tramadol and codeine-based syrup to Nigeria from the South Asian country.

This was part of agreements reached during a virtual meeting between the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd) and the Director General of NCB, Mr. Anurag Garg along with top officials of the two anti-narcotics agencies on Wednesday

In his remarks at the meeting, Marwa noted the threat posed to public health and security by illicit drugs in both Nigeria and India, while emphasizing the need to strengthen the existing partnership between NDLEA and NCB based on the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the two agencies in 2023.

He said: “The main reason why I requested for this engagement is the illicit importation of tramadol and codeine cough syrup into Nigeria from India. This is a point that I raised the day we signed the MoU. Now, in the last 18 months, that’s from January 2024 to June this year, we have seized over one billion pills of opioids mainly tramadol and more than 14.4 million bottles of codeine syrup. This is why we need the support and collaboration of the Narcotics Control Bureau of India to work with us on this.”

The NDLEA boss also asked the NCB to assist NDLEA in specialized trainings, stating that: “The other point from me, is seeking your assistance on capacity building and training. We have had training in the past from India on drugs and investigation, training for analysts, financial investigation, cyber training, the dark web and so on. We will very much appreciate sharing from your experiences and knowledge and your support on training for our officers.”

In his response, the NCB boss Anurag Garg said it is essential for the two agencies to strengthen the existing partnership because the drug problem cuts across international borders, while he assured of their readiness to share knowledge, intelligence and experience with NDLEA on a number of areas of interest.

According to him, “we all know that there are transnational syndicates involved in the illicit drug shipments into Nigeria but we’re ready to work with you on this. Unless we come together, we cannot end this malady because we’re dealing with transnational drug syndicates, they have no respect for borders, national laws. So, the only method as of now is to collaborate, and it is a good opportunity, I mean, this meeting, we can take this initiative forward.

“On the issue of capacity building, we will be happy to offer you training. We have a training centre where we will be happy to host you for any training. I mean, as per your need, we can have a curated training programme through which we will be very happy to share whatever we know on the subject of clandestine labs or precursors or darknet monitoring or investigating darknet vendors and so on and so forth.”

NDLEA, India’s NCB join efforts to end illicit shipments of tramadol, others to Nigeria