–BY SUNNY A. DAVID:

Barrister Sly Ezeokenwa the National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, has pleaded with the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu for the release of the Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu as a way of solving the security challenges facing the South-East.

He made the appeal in an open letter to Mr. President captioned: “Urgent Need To Release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu For Security, Peace and Prosperity in the South-East, Nigeria”.

According to him, in the letter, the plea has become imperative as the people of the region explore avenues to quench the prevailing insecurity in the South- East region and pave way for lasting peace and economic prosperity.

The National Chairman stated that the case revolves around the Federal government’s appeal that vehemently challenges the court of Appeal’s decision from last year, wherein the charges of terrorism and treasonable felony against Mazi Kanu were dismissed.

Barrister Ezeokenwa pointed out the need to uphold the values of the fundamental tenets of democracy, equality and the right to fair treatment under the law which Nigeria was founded upon to foster conducive environment for National unity and harmony.

While being mindful of the recent Supreme Court’s adjournment of the hearing regarding Mazi Kanu’s bail appeal until 14th September, 2023, he implore President Tinubu to wield his influence and authority to expedite his release without further undue delay.

Barrister Ezeokenwa noted that beyond legal implications, that the release of Mazi Kanu holds crucial significance in addressing the prevailing security challenges in the South-East.

The National Chairman recalled that some individuals and groups have echoed the Clarion call for Mazi Kanu’s release including Ohanaeze Ndigbo and Governor Chukwuma Soludo who has made several oral and written appeal for the release of Mazi Kanu.

He recounted series of unfortunate events witnessed in the South- East region following Mazi Kanu’s detainment including the recurring Monday Sit-At-Home protest, instances of lawlessness resulting to killings and the incessant disruption of vital services such as schools, hospital and movement of people.

Barrister Ezeokenwa harped on the need to recognize the invaluable contributions by the South-East towards national economic growth and development adding that his call for Mazi Kanu’s release has no political undertone but to alleviate the immediate challenges faced by the South-East and also lay the foundation for long-term stability, progress and well-being of the people.

No fewer than 4,560 kilogrammes of skunk have been seized in interdiction operations in Lagos, Adamawa and Osun by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, in the last few days.

The Operatives also raided a skucchies factory in Ogun and arrested four members of a drug syndicate including two church officials; female staff of a courier company and another lady, involved in trafficking lethal opioid, fentanyl in Delta.

These were parts of the clampdowns in the last one week by the anti-narcotics agency, according to a statement on Sunday by it’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi.

He noted that the bust of the fentanyl cartel operating from Warri, Delta state is coming barely a month after two members of another syndicate: Odoh Oguejiofor and Oliver Uzoma were arrested at Ogbogwu market, Onitsha Head Bridge, Onitsha South local government area, Anambra State following months of intelligence-led investigation of the syndicates behind the dangerous drug, which is 100 times more potent than heroin and currently responsible for over 70% overdose deaths as well as a major contributor to fatal and nonfatal overdoses in the United States.

Babafemi said two officials of Christ Mercyland Deliverance Ministries (aka Mercy City Church), Warri, Delta state: Adewale Ayeni, 39, and Ebipakebina Appeal, 41, linked to two intercepted consignments of the illicit drug have been arrested in Warri. He disclosed that while Ayeni is one of those managing the prayer call centre of the church, Ebipakebina is in charge of movement of international guests from the airport to the church.

He said two female accomplices also arrested in Warri in the course of investigating the intercepted shipments include Naomi David, 28, who is a staff of United Parcel Services (UPS), and Stacy Njideka, also known as Nkiruka, 27, who is a business associate of Ayeni.

He added that operatives of the agency last Wednesday intercepted a Toyota Hilux vehicle marked EPE 863 XD along Ngurore-Mayo Belwa road, Adamawa State, and a search of the van with two occupants: Kelvin Efe, 51, and Christian Ogaga, 42, showed that 118 cartons of Indomie Noodles packs were used to conceal 544 blocks of compressed cannabis sativa, weighing 408 kilogrammes hidden in a false compartment and meant for distribution in Yola, Mubi and Gombe.

In Lagos, NDLEA operatives on Saturday 1st July arrested a suspect, Segun Odeyemi conveying 89 jumbo bags of skunk with a total weight of 3,842 kilogrammes in his truck around Eleganza area of Ajah, Lekki, while in Osun state an abandoned J5 Peugeot bus marked AAA 521 SQ with bags of fresh pepper used to conceal 25 bags of cannabis sativa weighing 300.5 kilogrammes was recovered along Akure-Ilesa expressway after its occupants sighted NDLEA officers on patrol last Friday.

Operatives in Ogun state last Thursday raided a skucchies factory at Ajaka Sagamu where a suspect, Adekunle Adekola was arrested. Exhibits recovered from the premises include: 10 kilogrammes cannabis; 1,356 litres of skucchies; 20 litres of codeine; seven deep freezers; a set of generator; and two gas cylinders among others.

Meanwhile, while commending the team of NDLEA officers tracking the fentanyl opioid syndicate in Nigeria for the success of the operations so far, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Agency, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd) also gave thumb up to their counterparts in Adamawa, Lagos, Osun and Ogun for the arrests and seizures of the past week.

He however charged them and their compatriots across the country to continue to set their eyes on the goal of ridding the nation of substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking.

The United Nations has raised an alarm that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030 is in peril and that something urgently needed to be done to galvanize it.

The world body in order to achieve this last Wednesday kicked off a communications campaign programme to rally for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the roadmap for people and planet adopted by world leaders in 2015.

According to a statement, ahead of a critical UN Summit in September, the campaign aims to amplify an urgent call for ambitious new action, showcase the Goals as the blueprint for sustainable progress globally, and galvanize the global public around this shared agenda for our common future.

The statement said: “At halftime toward the deadline of 2030, the promise of the SDGs is in peril. For the first time in decades, development progress is reversing under the combined impacts of climate disasters, conflict, economic downturn and lingering COVID-19 effects.”

The statement revealed that: “The 2023 SDG Summit will gather world leaders at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on 18-19 September to reaffirm their collective commitments to the Goals and the promise to leave no one behind. This Summit is a defining moment to urgently put the world back on track to achieving the SDGs.

“Starting today, in a major digital activation across platforms and countries worldwide, the UN campaign aims to re-energize the conversation about the Goals.”

The UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Matthias Schmale,

The Director of Campaigns in the UN Department for Global Communications, Nanette Braun, was quoted in the statement to have said: “We want to get everyone on board for the SDGs”, while the
UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Matthias Schmale,
said: “Our hope is that decision-makers and individual citizens alike will feel inspired to join the conversation and contribute to achieving the Goals with new resolve and ambition.”

The statement said building off the colour wheel brand of the SDGs, the campaign uses a dynamic new visual system for its messaging to build momentum, raise awareness and mobilize accelerated action for the SDGs.

It revealed that one core campaign component is the call to individual citizens to take action on the SDGs through the UN’s ActNow initiative across all 17 Goals. From using public transportation, to fundraising for schools or speaking up for equality, the platform lists steps that everyone can take to accelerate progress on the SDGs and create better lives on a healthier planet for all.

It added that a curated group of high-profile influencers, the Circle of Supporters, will galvanize their communities to take individual action on the SDGs and to impress upon decision-makers the urgency to act now.

Lack of funding for humanitarian assistance in Nigeria, and other countries in the Sahel, may make over 800,000 people in desperate need resort to engaging in survival sex, early marriage, or joining non-state armed groups, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has raised the alarm.

The WFP which in June kicked off a large-scale emergency food and nutrition assistance operation in the Sahel, in a statement lamented that a funding crunch means it will only be able to assist just over half of the 11.6 million initially targeted.

It said this may leave millions stranded without aid as the lean season sets in and hunger starts to peak, noting that @Mali and Chad will be hit the hardest, with 800,000 people at risk of resorting to desperate measures to cope, including engaging in survival sex, early marriage, or joining non-state armed groups.”
 
The statement explained that: “WFP’s lean season response works to boost national governments’ efforts in tackling hunger as they grapple with the combined effects of conflict, the climate crisis, and soaring costs of food and fuel. WFP had initially targeted 11.6 million women, men and children – out of 19.2 million people in humanitarian need – in Burkina Faso, Chad, Central African Republic, Cameroon, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and north-eastern Nigeria from June to September 2023.

“But funding constraints have forced WFP to roll out assistance for just 6.2 million of the most vulnerable people – with a focus on refugees, newly displaced people, malnourished children under 5, pregnant women and breastfeeding women and girls.”
 

The WFP Regional Director ad interim, for Western Africa, Margot Vandervelden, was quoted in the statement to have said:
“We’re in a tragic situation. During this year’s lean season, millions of families will lack sufficient food reserves to sustain them until the next harvests in September and many will receive little to no assistance to tide them through the gruelling months ahead. We must take immediate action to prevent a massive slide into catastrophic hunger.”

She added that: “We need a twin-track approach to stop hunger in the Sahel – we must address acute hunger through humanitarian assistance, while tackling the structural causes of food insecurity by increasing investments in resilient food systems and expanding government social protection programmes.”

WFP lamented that food insecurity has reached a 10-year high in West and Central Africa, affecting 47.2 million people during the June-August lean season – including 45,000 people in Burkina Faso and Mali facing catastrophic hunger according to the March Cadre Harmonisé analysis. Malnutrition rates have also surged, with 16.5 million children under 5 set to be acutely malnourished this year – an 83 percent rise from the 2015-2022 average.
 
It stated that conflict remains a key driver of hunger in the region, leading to forced population displacements that have emptied out entire villages and limit communities’ access to land for farming; conflict is also spreading across the region and into coastal countries risking a spread of instability into new and previously stable areas. In just six months, the number of people fleeing violence in the Central Sahel and seeking refuge in four Gulf of Guinea countries has nearly quadrupled, rising from 30,000 in January to 110,000 people in June.

According to the statement, WFP’s lean season response aims to provide life-saving food and nutrition assistance to families facing acute hunger at a time when food stocks dwindle. However, proactive investments in prevention and smart longer-term solutions can significantly reduce reliance on such emergency actions. These solutions include resilience-building activities, social protection programmes and anticipatory actions like climate insurance pay-outs.

In 2023, climate risk insurance pay-outs from the African Risk Capacity (ARC) totalling US$15.4 million enabled WFP to provide cash transfers to 490,000 people in Burkina Faso, The Gambia, and Mali who were impacted by drought in 2022. This response allowed farmers to recover from the impacts of droughts as they were able to meet their basic needs including purchasing food for their families and providing seeds for the next planting season.

The statement further revealed that WFP’s integrated resilience programme in the Sahel focuses on participatory watershed planning, land recovery and rehabilitation, and support for smallholder farmers – with links to school meals and nutrition activities. The programme has shown promising results, with participant households demonstrating increased capacities to withstand shocks and coping better during lean seasons. In Niger, for example, 80 percent of villages that received WFP resilience support did not require humanitarian assistance in 2022- unlike other villages in the same areas. This success meant that about half a million people did not need humanitarian food aid thanks to the long-term investments in resilience strengthening. Expanding these activities will be crucial in preventing emergency needs from escalating.

In partnership with UNICEF, WFP is also implementing a social protection programme in Chad, Burkina Faso,  Mali, and Mauritania, contributing to strengthening national systems, supporting millions of people through cash-based transfers and complementary services. The programme also contributes to strengthening national capacity to anticipate and respond to climatic and other shocks that lead to humanitarian need.

WFP, said in the statement that US$ 794 million is required to ensure adequate response to the emergency needs across the five Sahel countries over the next six months (July- December 2023).

 The United Nations World Food Programme remains the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

The Federal government has cautioned Nigerians to refrain from dumping waste indiscriminately and to promote good hygiene practices in order to arrest the ravaging flood.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) had recently raised an alarm that 14 states and 31 communities across the country may witness heavy rainfall that may lead to flooding between July 4 and 8.

There have also been instances of flooding in some part of the country so far

The Ministry of Environment has also promised to immediately commence sensitization of residents of the federal capital territory (FCT) on the need to curb indiscriminate dumping of waste.I

The Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mallam Ibrahim Yusufu made the revelation at a news briefing in Abuja towards the commemoration of this year’s national environmental sanitation day.

Yusufu, who attributed the recent flood in parts of the capital city to lack of awareness on sustainable environmental practices, said something drastic needed to be urgently done to arrest flooding during this rainy season.

He also said it has become necessary to improve access to clean water and hygiene among the people, while noting that government would provide functional facilities for the management of both hazardous and non-hazardous waste.

He said the theme for this year’s National Environmental Sanitation Day which is “Promoting Sustainable Waste Management for a Healthy Environment: Stop Open Dumping”, was apt and timely, as underscores the necessity for sound structures to be put in place for containment, collection, treatment, reuse/recycle and final disposal of all waste types solid, liquid & gaseous, thereby ensuring proper waste management and ending open dumping.

He explained that the National Environmental Sanitation Day Commemoration was established to institutionalize sound environmental sanitation practice as a lifestyle amongst the populace through massive awareness creation and reward for innovative best practices in environmental sanitation.

He said: “The Federal Ministry of Environment in collaboration with key stakeholders has been celebrating the NESD since its declaration by Mr. President in 2005 to date and it has promoted behavioural change in sanitation and hygiene practices among the citizenry.

He insisted that the provision of safe, functional sanitary facilities and services in all premises for management of waste materials both hazardous & non-hazardous was necessary for sustainable waste management; noting that “this will go a long way in ensuring high level of behavioural change with respect to SDGs 3, 6, and 7 on good health and well-being, access to clean water and sanitation as well as safe management of the environment.”

Sixty-five Nigerians sponsored by the CCECC Nigeria Limited to study at Chinese universities have returned to the country after graduation to contribute to the development of the transport sector.

The programme is a joint effort between CCECC Nigeria Limited, and two Chinese ivory tower, Central South University and Chang’an University.

The latest graduates make it 197 Nigerians that have benefitted from the sponsorship that commenced few years back.

Among the returned 65 students are 49 undergraduates and 16 postgraduates, majoring in Civil Engineering, Transportation Engineering, and Road, Bridge, and River-crossing Engineering, amongst others.

They were received at a colourful ceremony held at the CCECC Nigeria Limited headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday evening.

Speaking at the ceremony, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Transportation, Dr Magdalene Ajani, said they would contribute to the current move of the government to revatilise the railway system in the country.

She recalled that the federal government had moved railway construction to the concurrent list to allow the state governments to invest in the sector as a result of its importance to the development of the transport system in particular and the economy in general.

Ajani, while noting that there were many railway projects currently ongoing across the country, said the projects could only be sustained when there was capable manpower to man them.

The Permanent Secretary therefore called on the graduates to see their involvement in actualising the federal government’s agenda as a call to service to Nigeria, assuring them of a remarkable career path.

The Managing Director of CCECC Nigeria Limited, Mr. Wang Xixue, said the company had been working with the government of Nigeria, Central South University and Chang’an University in China in selecting and sponsoring young Nigerians to further their education in China since 2018.

He said: “In 2018, the first batch of 45 students who started their five-year undergraduate program in Ahmed Bello University were selected to attend this 3+2 program, which means that after 3-year study in Nigeria, they will be sponsored by CCECC to continue their study in Central South University, China.

“Among these 45 young talents, 25 students have already returned to Nigeria after their graduation in 2020. 20 are continuing their study for master’s degrees, and now these 20 students are also standing here after their successful graduation this year.

“Also, in the same year of 2018, CCECC started its 1+4 cooperation program with Chang’an University, China. Under this program, the students sponsored by CCECC will attend 1-year language study in China before they are officially enrolled in their 4-year study as undergraduate students in Chang’an University.”

Chairman of CCECC Nigeria Limited Zhang Zhichen, in his speech, congratulated the students on the successful completion of their studies, calling on them to join the company.

Zhichen also charged them to apply the knowledge and skills they learned in China to their work and contribute to the economic and social development of Nigeria, while urging them to become the ambassadors of friendship between the Chinese and Nigerians.

He said: “This year marks the tenth anniversary of “One Belt and One Road Initiative.” It is an inclusive and open platform on which member countries are cooperating and co-developing. As a member of this initiative, Nigeria is working with China not only in infrastructure development, logistics and trade, but also cultural exchange and technical know-how transfer. The graduates of 2023 are a testament of this great cooperation.

“The company is also actively playing a significant role in fulfilling its corporate social responsibility by donating at least 10 school buildings to the local communities and establishing the University of Transportation in Daura, Katsina State, to assist the technical knowhow transfer and capability building in the country.

“This cooperation program between CCECC, the government of Nigeria, and the best engineering universities in China like Central South University and Chang’an University, is another shining example of the dedication of the company to shoulder its responsibility.

“For CCECC, by sponsoring these young minds to study engineering majors, which are urgently needed in the country, the company is showing the true spirit of giving back to society, and is achieving its goal of carrying out the full industrial chain cooperation with technical knowhow transfer needed in the country,” he said.

In his remarks, the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Cui Jianchun,, while congratulating the students, said they have demonstrated how two countries could cooperate and jointly educate young talents.

He said: “It is a typical example of China-Africa cooperation in capacity building, and an epitome of in-depth cooperation between China and Nigeria.

“The students will be the promoters of cultural exchanges between China and Nigeria, and will play active roles in enhancing mutual understanding and trust between the two peoples.”

At the end of the event, the representatives of graduates and CCECC Nigeria Limited signed the letter of intent for their internship in the company.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has promoted 3,248 officials, including seven senior personnel to the position of Deputy Commander General and Assistant Commanders General.

The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the agency, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd) personally decorated the three Deputy Commanders General of Narcotics, (DCGNs) and four Assistant Commanders General of Narcotics (ACGNs) at a colourful ceremony in Abuja where 12 state commands and 148 other personnel were given awards and commendations for their outstanding performances in the first half of the year.

Speaking at the event, Marwa said the exercise is an indication that the agency has now entrenched the culture of excellence.

He said: “Without grandstanding, we can say that we have raised the bar. Our weekly drug supply reduction effort is a testament to our performance. The innovative approach we have taken to drug demand reduction is commendable. The intricate and effective intelligence we deploy to track drug barons and dismantle cartels is a testimony to the capability of the new NDLEA we have collectively forged. Our success rate at prosecution is a definitive statement that we are doing our job.

“Our fears have been allayed about what tomorrow holds for the NDLEA and its personnel. Even while we are still in a state of rapid evolution, there have been seismic changes, and we have evolved a better, more efficient, and sustainable system that guarantees viable work conditions, good staff welfare, and enhanced job performance. We have since been able to settle the problem of career progression by expanding the agency’s structures. We are cooperating more with regional opposites and international partners. All these translate into ample opportunities for upward mobility for focused, hardworking officers.”

Marwa, while stating that the past two and a half years had seen a lot of changes in the Agency, said: “We have tried to reward hard work and professionalism by granting higher responsibilities to officers. Everyone to whom promotion is due has been considered. We are also expanding training opportunities. In the last 18 months, we have conducted over 150 trainings, involving more than 6,000 officers.”

He charged them not to rest on their oars, noting that: “We have adopted global best practices, and we have no doubt that the NDLEA of our dream is here before us. I am therefore charging you to take more pride in your work. Society today appreciates our efforts. Just last week, on World Drug Day, the President and Commander in Chief gave assurances of his administration’s unwavering support for NDLEA. Our international partners and foreign governments are watching us and are giving us the needed push. And among drug law enforcement agencies, we are rated highly.

“Our name is out there for good. Therefore, the onus is on us not to slacken but to continue the good work.

“It is not yet time to rest on our oars. We have no option but to sustain the momentum of our upward trajectory, build on our performance, and continue to protect our hard-earned reputation. It is on this note that I demand more from us in terms of hard work, discipline, valour, professionalism, commitment, and all the time-honoured virtues that enshroud labour with dignity.”

Responding on behalf of the promoted and honoured officers, DCGN Joyce Titus-Awogbuyi expressed appreciation to Marwa for providing inspiring leadership for the agency and motivating the personnel to break barriers and excel in their areas of responsibility.

She said the promotion and commendations will further encourage her and others to contribute more towards achieving the corporate goal of ridding Nigeria of substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking.

The Federal Government is planning big on revenue from evolving a policy on minimization of carbon emission in the country, issuing a strong warning to carbon emission reduction traders to adhere to all rules guiding the trade or face the wrath of the law.

The warning was issued by the Director-General, National Council on Climate Change (a Federal Government agency), Salisu Dahiru at a validation workshop for the assessment of carbon pricing initiative in Nigeria held in Abuja on Wednesday

Dahiru asked traders who were trading without recourse to designated authority to desist from such activity immediately.

Carbon trade is the buying and selling of credits that permit a company or other entity to emit a certain amount of carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gasses.

The carbon credits and the carbon trade are authorized by governments with the goal of gradually reducing overall carbon emissions and mitigating their contribution to climate change.

Dahiru explained that the country had released an initial regulatory guidance which emphasized the need for a carbon trading scheme, adding that the regulatory guidance when it is fully drafted and operational would be tailored towards the government’s priority and would align with Nigeria’s Nationally Determined Contributions on carbon emission, hence should not be altered.

He said: “The situation whereby carbon trading schemes that are all over the place are being done without recourse to the designated national authority for United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Nigeria, has to stop.

“We will ensure that every opportunity for harvesting emission reduction certificate from ongoing activities in Nigeria are linked to our NDCs, because that is what the Paris Agreement said and that is what we intend to follow.

“We want to take full advantage of those opportunities so that we can make the necessary investment and also drive the development along our priority targets, as contained in the NDCs and our net zero target.”

He stated that as far as Nigeria was concerned, the carbon trading scheme was an aspect of its national policy and national priority to put in place all the measures that could address the country’s mitigation and adaptation challenges.

“We are very familiar with the flooding that happened last year and this year we are seeing the signs of flooding.

“This time round, not only in the riverine areas, but as close to us as Lugbe here in Abuja, which tends to highlight that nobody can escape the impact of climate change,” he stated.

Dahiru called for concerted and collective efforts to ensure that Nigeria was fully positioned to take advantage of the opportunities in climate change mitigation and adaptation.

“This is not only for the government to invest in, but for the private sector to see the potential in what is always at the forefront and also making profit from carbon trading as the opportunity emerges,” he stated.

The Lead Coordinator, African Group of Negotiators on Carbon Markets, Hadjie Diagne, said policies and instruments should be put in place by the government to encourage carbon pricing

Diagne said developed countries had proven that carbon pricing was one of the most effective economic instruments for reducing carbon emissions.

He added that carbon pricing contributed to supporting adaptation measures as well as poverty eradication through revenue generation.

Africans Rising for Unity, Justice, Peace and Dignity has welcomed the announcement by Senegalese President Macky Sall not to run for a third term.

Africans Rising, a global Pan-African movement of people and organisations working for Unity, Justice, Peace and Dignity on the African continent, said Sall’s decision not to run for a third term is key to bringing peace in the West African country.

The group in a statement on Wednesday said: “While we commend the President for respecting the constitution on a two-term limit, we believe his announcement should have come much earlier as it would have avoided the needless violence and loss of life. Nonetheless, this will go a long way to restore peace and tranquility.”

They also asked that: “As a further step, President Sall should proceed and unconditionally release all those arbitrarily arrested and detained for protesting and exercising their right to freedom of assembly – (political prisoners, activists, journalists, women and children).

“We also urge the Regional bodies such as ECOWAS to keep an eye on the peace process and continue with constructive engagement with all sectors of society to maintain peace and stability. Africans Rising is committed and available to support in this respect.”

The group recalled that Senegal has been considered one of the most politically stable countries in West Africa until the recent deadly clashes that have hit the country, lamenting that: “The violent protests linked to President Macky Sall’s silence and refusal to clear the air regarding initial concerns that he might be seeking a third term in the 2024 presidential elections erupted across the country leading to several deaths and injuries of protesters.

“During these protests, the security forces had arbitrarily arrested and detained protesters and those holding dissenting views, continued to apply excessive force on civilians, restricted social media and internet use among other measures.”

Rwandan government has waived entry visas to Nigerians, other Africans and members of the Commonwealth in order to promote the ease of doing business and attract investors into the Central/Eastern African country.

Speaking at the commemoration of Rwanda’s 29th anniversary celebration and liberation day in Abuja on Tuesday, the country’s Charge D’Affaires in Nigeria, Mr. Vianney Rubagumya said: “In a bid to widen tourism and spur trade and investment, Rwanda has waived entry visas to visitors from all over Africa, the Commonwealth, and la Francophonie Nations.”

He noted that: “The move complements the ease of doing business strides and popularity as a preferred Conference destination.”

He also disclosed that Rwanda is in advanced stages of expanding the operations of the Kigali International Financial Centre, which is poised to dispense innovative world-class services.”

The envoy said that “29 years after, “Liberation” is still in process. At the forefront of the leadership agenda of H.E President Paul Kagame, animated by the “Vision 2050”, is the commitment to consolidate and sustain the journey towards self-reliance by ensuring holistic economic emancipation, as well as effective and accountable systems of governance.

“In this process of Liberation, Rwanda counts on her citizens of course, but also on her friends and partners. I therefore take this opportunity to commend the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the immense support during the transformation journey and the excellent bilateral cooperation.”

He stressed that President Kagame’s attendance at President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s inauguration on 29th May 2023 was an affirmation of the strong bond between Nigeria and Rwanda.

He said: “Both countries are increasing cooperation, including in parliamentary diplomacy, Defense and security, aviation, governance, sectoral peer-to-peer exchange, and trade and investment.”

The envoy noted that: “Rwanda’s renaissance, is conceived around three major choices, which H.E President Paul Kagame pointed out in his 7th April 2014 speech: Unity, Accountability, and Thinking Big.

“Based on those fundamental choices, Rwanda decisively embarked on structural socio-economic and political reforms, which have been guiding the transformational process. In this connection, some of the significant milestones,” includes: reduced poverty levels between 1994 and 2018 from 78% percent to 30%, respectively; increased life expectancy from 51 to 69 years in the last two decades; 2nd best performer in the ease of doing business in Africa; 4th top troop contributing country to the United Nations (UN) peacekeeping
operations.

The Nigerian representative at the anniversary celebration Samson Itegboje assured the Rwandan government of continued support towards building Rwandan economy.

Governor of Delta State, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori has assured investors of a peaceful investment climate in the state.

Oborevwori gave the assurance on Tuesday when he received on courtesy visit members of the Ndigbo Cultural Forum Asaba chapter at Government House, Asaba.

The Governor thanked the Forum for supporting his gubernatorial ambition and for their various investments in the state.

He urged them to consider investing further by taking advantage of the peaceful environment across the state.

He said: “I welcome you to Delta State Government House. I am very happy to receive all of you this afternoon. I am happy because you have accepted me as your own.

“You worked very hard for my emergence as governor. I remember when I came for consultation prior to my election, you all supported me.

“I have told Deltans that I want to be governor for all and not just for only Deltans but for all who live in Delta State. This is because where you live is where you develop.

“I have had a good relationship with you people even before my intention to be a governor. So this relationship did not start today.

“So I want to sincerely appreciate all of you for your show of love and assure you that we will partner together.

“I encourage you to come and invest more in Delta. Delta state is very safe and you can attest to the peace we are enjoying here today.

“Delta state is a state that do not discriminate. We live together here and I know that some of you gave birth to your children here in Delta; which invariably makes them citizens of Delta state.

“This state is accommodative and we will make sure that we develop this state together even as we urge you all to bring more of your investments down to Delta,” Governor Oborevwori said.

Earlier, Chairman of the Forum, Chief Chinedu Obodo, said they were in the state to congratulate Oborevwori on his victory and successful inauguration as Governor of Delta State.

He said they invested so much in the state because of the peace that pervades the city, assuring that they would do more to support the government with massive investments across the state.

Obodo assured that the group and Ndigbos would further bring their investments to all parts of the state.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, and the National Crime Agency of the United Kingdom have both recommitted to taking the battle against drug to the doorsteps of drug cartels as part of efforts to stamp out serious organized crimes in Nigeria and the UK.

The fresh commitment was the highlight of remarks by the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd) and the Regional Manager, West Africa, NCA, David Cater, at the signing of a renewed Memorandum of Understanding, MoU between the two agencies at the NDLEA headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday.

According to Marwa, “this renewed MoU will definitely and inevitably propel High Intelligence Driven Operational Tentacles that will seek out the most complex organised criminal networks, no matter their hiding place to face the wrath of the Law.”

He expressed great expectations in the NCA’s upcoming project with the agency’s rebranded Criminal Intelligence Task Force (CITF), stating that “I look forward, with great optimism, to the requisite specialist capabilities this project will provide to the CITF officials to target and disrupt drug trafficking cartels in our country, the West Africa sub-region and beyond.

“Our overwhelming gratitude goes to the Government of the United Kingdom for its continued technical support to the agency. Also worthy of appreciation is the commendable efforts of the dedicated UK NCA personnel which no doubt, has inspired the Agency’s CITF officials with deepened enthusiasm to tackle Serious Organized Crimes frontally.”

Marwa, while acknowledging that serious organised crime is a dynamic and complex phenomenon that does not recognise borders thereby posing grave threat to lives and properties in both countries, he said “It is therefore imperative to aggressively seek proactive ways of managing intelligence and enhancing capabilities for disrupting transnational organised crime syndicates, thereby justifying the need to sustain the renewal of this memorandum of understanding which is another significant milestone in our collaborative efforts to combat organised criminal groups.”

In his remarks at the brief ceremony, David Cater said renewing the MoU comes with great satisfaction and significant to the good work of both NDLEA and NCA. He said the renewed MoU will “enable us to take the battle to the enemies, that is, the cartels.”

He expressed appreciation to the leadership of NDLEA for the support and confidence reposed in the partnership, while assuring that the ongoing project will continue to support the Agency to succeed in its assignments.

Médecins Sans Frontières also know as Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has warned of potential catastrophe due to escalating humanitarian needs in Northwest Nigeria in the coming months.

The MSF in a statement on Tuesday said: “A malnutrition crisis is escalating in northwest Nigeria, prompting international medical organisation Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) to reinforce its activities while warning that the current humanitarian response is insufficient to avert a potential catastrophe in the coming months.”

According to the statement, MSF has opened three new outpatient therapeutic feeding centres, in addition to the 10 inpatient centres and 32 outpatient centres that it already manages across Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara states.

The statement said: “Between January and May this year, MSF teams in northwest Nigeria provided inpatient care to 10,200 severely malnourished children with medical complications and admitted 51,000 children to its outpatient feeding programmes. Inpatient admissions were 26 per cent higher than in the same period in 2022 – numbers which were already unprecedently high.

“This year, admissions are expected to continue rising. The ‘lean season’ – the period between harvests when stocks of food run low, which runs from May to August in Nigeria – only began recently, but bed occupancy is already at 100 per cent in several MSF treatment centres.”

MSF medical coordinator Htet Aung Kyi, was quoted in the statement to have said:
“The numbers of malnourished children that we are receiving in our facilities are a strong indicator that the further we get into the lean season, the more cases we’ll receive,”

The statement recalled that Northwest Nigeria has some of the worst health indicators in the country, including escalating levels of violence in recent years which have contributed to turning an alarming malnutrition situation into a full-blown crisis; armed groups which regularly raid towns, loot property and kidnap local people for ransom that have left many residents fleeing their homes for safer areas.

Others have stayed but are unable to access their farms or places of work due to the worsening insecurity. People in need of medical care face challenges reaching health centres and hospitals because of the risks of travelling on unsafe roads.

MSF teams lamented “that children who recover from malnutrition and are discharged home often need to be readmitted later as their families struggle to find enough food to keep them healthy. This keeps children stuck in a spiral of malnutrition from which it is difficult to escape.”

“We eat when we have food, but there are days when we go hungry, and sometimes the children have to beg for food,” Sadiya, whose child was treated for malnutrition at MSF’s therapeutic feeding centre in Katsina, said.

According to the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics, an estimated 78 per cent of people in northwest Nigeria live below the poverty line. Healthcare is often unaffordable or hard to access, and many children have never been vaccinated against common childhood diseases. A very limited amount of international aid reaches the region. All these factors have contributed to the growing numbers of malnourished children in urgent need of treatment.

Despite the escalating crisis, northwest Nigeria lacks the attention and support required to set up a lifesaving response, which needs to include preventive measures such as food distributions and improvements to food security, as well as the early detection of malnutrition cases and timely treatment. MSF urged all aid organisations working in the country to scale up their humanitarian response, and calls on the Nigerian government and local health authorities to act now to prevent a catastrophic loss of life in the months ahead.

MSF has been working in Nigeria since 1996. Currently its teams are responding to the health and malnutrition crisis in northwest Nigeria, working in 10 inpatient therapeutic feeding centres and 35 outpatient therapeutic feeding centres in Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara states.

MSF is also responding to a malnutrition emergency in northeast Nigeria, running a 120-bed intensive therapeutic feeding centre and an outpatient therapeutic feeding programme in Nilefa Kiji centre in Maiduguri, Borno state.

Last year, MSF teams across Nigeria provided inpatient care to 28,000 children with severe malnutrition and enrolled 175,000 children in its outpatient feeding programmes.

Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum on Tuesday released 80 buses and pick up vans to commune farmers free of charge from their communities to farmlands in the state.

The intervention is aimed at beating down the high cost of living caused by withdrawal of fuel subsidy.

According to a statement by the spokesman to the governor, Mallam Isa Gusau, the 80 means of transport will comprise 50 luxurious buses to be allocated from the fleet of the Borno Express Corporation, a state owned transport company, while the state 30 pick-up vans will be hired and provided by the state government.

Zulum was quoted to have said in the statement that: “We are here purposely to support the farmers, you can see thousands of them have gathered and their numbers can reach up to 100,000. Due to the removal of fuel subsidy which although has a long-term benefit, cost of transportation has increased. Therefore, Borno State Government has decided to provide 50 buses (and 30 pick-up vans) to convey farmers to their farmlands this rainy season.”

The governor while addressing thousands of farmers, urged them to cooperate with soldiers, policemen and officials of the other security agencies deployed to roads to protect citizens including farmers who go to outskirts to access their farmlands.

He said: “I want to urge you (farmers) to give maximum support and cooperation to the Nigerian Military. They (soldiers) are here to protect you.”

The governor expressed gratitude to the military for their sacrifices in protecting Borno’s people which is now enabling farming activities across the state.

Chief Press Secretary to Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta, Sir Festus Ahon says the Governor is taking his time to pick suitable and competent hands to be appointed into the State Executive Council.

Ahon, who was reacting to reports in a section of the media, said the Governor is not under pressure from anyone, not even his predecessor, on choice of cabinet members as was wrongly reported.

He described the publication as a figment of the imagination of the writer and appealed to Journalists to avoid speculations that could heat up the polity.

Ahon said: “First, the State House of Assembly was constituted on June 13 and thereafter went on recess for two weeks and only recovened on Tuesday June 27.

“The Governor will pick credible and capable persons devoid of sentiments that will help him deliver on his M.O.R.E Agenda for Deltans.

“The report is therefore wrong in its entirety and borne out of mischief. Former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa does not interfere with appointments.”

He enjoined Deltans to be patient with the State Government as it was poised to deliver more for the people.

The United Nations has condemned the burning of Holy Quran in front of a mosque in the centre of Stockholm, Sweden.

A statement on Thursday read that: “The High-Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), Mr. Miguel Moratinos expresses his unequivocal condemnation of the burning of pages of the holy Quran on Wednesday in front of a mosque in the center of Stockholm, Sweden.”

Moratinos noted that such vile act is disrespectful to Muslims who are celebrating the holy occasion of Eid Al-Adha.

The High-Representative also reiterated the importance of upholding the freedom of expression as a fundamental human right, while at the same time stressing that the desecration of sacred books and places of worship as well as religious symbols is unacceptable and can lead to incitement of violence.

He further reiterated that mutual respect is essential for building and promoting just, inclusive and peaceful societies rooted in human rights and dignity for all.

The High Representative recalled the United Nations Plan of Action to Safeguard Religious Sites led by the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, which provides an overarching framework and a set of recommendations including strengthening religious pluralism and promoting mutual respect and human dignity.

By Austen Akhagbeme

The fragrant dismissal of the EU’s report on the just concluded general elections in Nigeria by President Tinubu’s handlers, speaks volumes about what to expect in days to come.

One of the many signs of a potentially aggressive and intolerant regime regarding free speech and dissent is the type of arrogance displayed by the President’s handlers in their outright and proverbial throwing away of the baby with the bath water, such as we are witnessing now, by the shocking attitude of the likes of the esteemed special adviser to the president on special duties, communication and strategy, Mr Dele Alake.

The President’s handlers did not even consider the fact that the EU were a major stakeholder in terms of the sponsorship of the election and therefore, part of the many pipers that must dictate the tone for the electoral body and their abstract appurtenances.

What Nigeria needs now is someone to tell us the truth no matter how bitter, as long as it can lead us to permanent solutions to our myriad of electoral inanities and missteps. It is on this premise that I would like to give it to the EU, having truly and thoroughly exposed the prevalent infirmity suffered by INEC and its processes.

The funny accusation by Dele Alake that the EU is “not objective in all their assessments of the internal affairs” of Nigeria and therefore, should allow Nigeria to breathe, is unwholesome and smacked of someone playing the Ostrich with information already in the public domain.

The nightmares that accompanied the conduct of the 2023 general elections are well known. So, I wouldn’t like to go into it, to avoid sounding like a broken record or an ailing canary.

But the fact that the EU is identifying and proffering solutions to such shenanigans in their report is something that must be embraced by true lovers and friends of Nigeria.

But those who chose to play politics, as though they’re still on the campaign rallies, leave much to be desired. What did the EU say in their report that cannot be understood and swallowed by the powers that be and their aggressive mouthpiece?

They only called for further operational reform to enhance inclusiveness, transparency and accountability to strengthen the systemic weaknesses of the status quo by providing a six-point solution to our electoral malady.

Let someone tell Dele Alake and his team that we have for a long time, left the campaign grounds where anything and everything goes. What Nigeria wants is a lasting solution to our flawed systems of which the conduct of election and leadership recruitment is an integral part.

Let us wear the truth like a badge while jettisoning politicking for once, for the sake of national peace and progress.

• Austen Akhagbeme is a Columnist with Blank NEWS Online

The Ambrose Alli University Alumni Association Worldwide held its general meeting on Thursday, June, 29th 2023. The meeting, which was attended by members from the United Kingdom, North America, East Africa and Nigeria, deliberated on the astronomical increase in tuition fees at the university.

After thorough deliberations on the issue, it was resolved as follows:

(1) That with the rising cost of living in Nigeria, government alone cannot fund education, however, a 300% increase is exorbitant.

(2) Consequently, an 11 member Committee was set up to look into the issue with a view to interfacing with the management of the University, the Special Intervention Team, the State Government, the Students Union Government and other stakeholders to proffer a workable solution in order to avert crisis in the university.

(3) Arising from the above, the Alumni Association Worldwide appeals to the management of the University and the Edo State Government to suspend the implementation of the increase in the interim.

(4) The Committee headed by the Worldwide President is to submit its report in one week. This it noted, is to ensure that the issue is resolved before the students’ resumption.

Signed: Dr. Clifford Omozeghian Esq. President AAU Alumni Association Worldwide Ekpoma.

Pastor Obaro Ikupa Publicity Secretary AAU Alumni Association Worldwide Ekpoma

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS)
has promoted 7, 000 officers across different ranks and departments in the service as approved by its Board.

A statement from Acting Public Relations Officer of NIS, Kenneth Kure, disclosed that the promotion was contained in a letter signed by the Secretary of the Immigration, Civil Defense, Correctional and Fire Service Board, Alhaji Jafaru Ahmed.

Kure said: “The number of promoted officers and men included both senior officers who sat for the regular exams as well as junior staff who were upgraded as a result of acquiring additional qualifications.”

The Acting Comptroller General, Wuraola Adepoju also approved the appointment of the erstwhile Service Spokesman, Tony Akuneme as FCT Command Comptroller.

Comptroller Joseph Dada also become the new Principal Staff Officer to the Comptroller General.

Dada, a graduate of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, has served in various commands in the NIS and was until his recent appointment, the Comptroller in charge of Marine Border Corps in the Service Headquarters, Kure said

The Service noted that 12 Comptrollers were recently redeployed to different states, including FCT, Kano, Jigawa, Ondo, Ogun, Mfum Border Control , among others.

The CG charged the officers and men of the Service to put the image of the Service above personal interests as the NIS remained a foremost Agency for international visitors.

She promised to prioritize personnel welfare, asserting that henceforth promotion would be based strictly on seniority, hard work and dedication to duty.

Adepoju decried the stagnation of some older officers, saying that it was disheartening to see them stagnated while newly recruited ones were moving over and above them in ranks.

” Any staff who is not well motivated cannot guarantee quality output”, She said.

The World Bank on Tuesday commended Delta State Government for its exemplary partnership in programme delivery.

The Bank’s NG-CARES Task Leader, Professor Foluso Okumadewa gave the commendation when he led a delegation of the Nigeria COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus Program on courtesy visit to Governor Sheriff Oborevwori at Government House, Asaba.

He congratulated Governor Oborevwori and his deputy, Sir Monday Onyeme on their successful inauguration, adding that they were in the state for independent verification assessment to support the needs of the poor and vulnerable for those affected by COVID-19 in the state.

“We express the congratulations of the World Bank for your election and inauguration as the governor of Delta state.

“We thank the people of Delta state for the partnership with the World Bank, especially on this particular programme. I want to quickly express the appreciation of the Country’s Director of World Bank.

“In the banks portfolio, Delta state represents one of the very high performing states and I am sure that members of your team who have been on this particular programme would probably have given you some good reports about the programme.

“On this particular programme, I have come here to assist the state to look at their readiness for what we call the Independent Verification Assessment.

“This programme, which is an emergency operation is an attempt to support the state to respond to the needs of the poor and vulnerable who have been affected, starting with the COVID crisis in the recent past.

“That crisis did not only affect lives but also livelihood and at a point in time, the government of Nigeria and all the states agreed to put in place immediate palliative to support the poor and vulnerable.

“Delta state has already effective platforms and systems that needed only to be supported with additional resources to be able to reach more people who have now been impacted by this crisis.

“So it was very easy for Delta state to key into what we called the Covid Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (CARES) programme,” he said.

Responding, Governor Oborevwori thanked the World Bank for the sustainable partnership with the state, assuring that the state government would continue to show commitment to funding the program and urged the World Bank to extend more support to the state.

He commended the World Bank for extending the program by 12 months, describing it as commendable.

“I am always very happy when I have opportunity to interface with World Bank team and am also very happy that you have rated Delta state as high performing state.

“Delta is always at the top in any thing that has to do with the people and we care for our people and we are committed to making lives of people better.

“The team we have on ground is very firm, focused and articulate. They are hardworking and I have confidence that they will continue to do well.

“We are also aware of the support we have got in the time past and we are happy with that support. We want to request that more support is needed in the near future.

“The rating is high for us and we promise to keep it up. I also want to thank you for the extention of the programme by twelve months. It is a commendable thing and we appreciate you for that.

“We will continue to show more commitment in terms of finance and legal support. But we need more of your support at all time,” the Governor stated.

Growing illicit drug supply and increasingly agile trafficking networks are compounding intersecting global crises and challenging health services and law enforcement responses, according to the World Drug Report 2023 launched by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on Monday.

New data put the global estimate of people who inject drugs in 2021 at 13.2 million, 18 per cent higher than previously estimated. Globally, over 296 million people used drugs in 2021, an increase of 23 per cent over the previous decade. The number of people who suffer from drug use disorders, meanwhile, has skyrocketed to 39.5 million, a 45 per cent increase over 10 years.

The Report features a special chapter on drug trafficking and crimes that affect the environment in the Amazon Basin, as well as sections on clinical trials involving psychedelics and medical use of cannabis; drug use in humanitarian settings; innovations in drug treatment and other services; and drugs and conflict.

The World Drug Report 2023 also highlighted how social and economic inequalities drive – and are driven by – drug challenges; the environmental devastation and human rights abuses caused by illicit drug economies; and the rising dominance of synthetic drugs.

The report showed that demand for treating drug-related disorders remains largely unmet with only one in five people suffering from drug-related disorders were in treatment for drug use in 2021, with widening disparities in access to treatment across regions.

Youth populations are the most vulnerable to using drugs and are also more severely affected by substance use disorder in several regions. In Africa, 70 per cent of people in treatment are under the age of 35.

The report argued that public health, prevention, and access to treatment services must be prioritized worldwide, or drug challenges will leave more people behind. It further underscored the need for law enforcement responses to keep pace with agile criminal business models and the proliferation of cheap synthetic drugs that are easy to bring to market.

Reacting to the findings of the report, UNODC Executive Director Ghada Waly said: “We are witnessing a continued rise in the number of people suffering from drug use disorders worldwide, while treatment is failing to reach all of those who need it. Meanwhile, we need to step up responses against drug trafficking rings that are exploiting conflicts and global crises to expand illicit drug cultivation and production, especially of synthetic drugs, fueling illicit markets and causing greater harm to people and communities.”

According to the report, the right to health is not granted to many people who use drugs; large inequalities in access and availability of controlled drugs for medical use persist, particularly for pain management; the disparity is particularly prevalent between the global North and South and across urban and rural areas, making some people feel the negative impact of drugs more than others.

Some 86 per cent of the world’s population live in countries with too little access to pharmaceutical opioids (as controlled under the 1961 Single Convention) – mainly low and middle-income countries; some impoverished and vulnerable populations, such as those in the tri-border area between Brazil, Colombia, and Peru, are trapped in rural areas with a high prevalence of drug-related crimes, with their remote locations make it exceedingly difficult for them to benefit from treatment services, resources, or the rule of law.

The report explained that the drug economy in the Amazon Basin is exacerbating additional criminal activities – such as illegal logging, illegal mining, illegal land occupation, wildlife trafficking and more – damaging the environment of the world’s largest rainforest. Indigenous peoples and other minorities are suffering the consequences of this crime convergence, including displacement, mercury poisoning, and exposure to violence, among others; environmental defenders are sometimes specifically targeted by traffickers and armed groups.

It stated that while the war in Ukraine has displaced traditional cocaine and heroin routes, there are signs that the conflict could trigger an expansion of the manufacture and trafficking of synthetic drugs, given the existing know-how and the large markets for synthetic drugs developing in the region: in the Sahel, the illicit drug trade finances non-state armed and insurgency groups, while in Haiti, drug traffickers take advantage of porous borders to bolster their businesses, fueling the country’s multiplying crises.

The report said while new research on the use of controlled drugs such as psychedelics to treat mental health conditions and substance use disorders shows promise, it however cautioned that the fast pace of developments could jeopardize efforts to enact policies that place public health concerns over commercial interests; without well-designed, adequately researched frameworks in place, there may be too little access for those who need treatment – potentially causing patients to turn to illegal markets – or conversely, the psychedelics may be diverted for non-medical use.

The report said the cheap, easy, and fast production of synthetic drugs has radically transformed many illicit drug markets; criminals producing methamphetamine – the world’s dominant illegally manufactured synthetic drug – are attempting to evade law enforcement and regulatory responses through new synthesis routes, bases of operation, and non-controlled precursors.

It raised the alarm that fentanyl has drastically altered the opioid market in North America with dire consequences, noting that in 2021, the majority of the approximately 90,000 opioid related overdose deaths in North America involved illegally manufactured fentanyls.

It was however said drug ban in Afghanistan may have reversed upward opium production trend; the 2023 opium harvest in Afghanistan may see a drastic drop following the national drug ban, as early reports suggest reductions in poppy cultivation, stressing that the benefits of a possible significant reduction in illicit opium cultivation in Afghanistan in 2023 would be global, but it will be at the expense of many farmers in the country who do not have alternative means of income generation.

It added that Afghanistan is also a major producer of methamphetamines in the region, and the drop in opiate cultivation could drive a shift towards synthetic drug manufacture, where different actors will benefit.

The Yobe State Governor, Hon. Mai Mala Buni has promised to work closely and in harmony with the legislature to defend the interest of the people of the state and provide democratic dividends, while equally promoting democracy in the state.

The governor gave the promise while congratulating the newly elected Speaker and other principal officers of tYobe State House of Assembly.

Buni, in a statement by his spokesman, Mamman Mohammed said the harmony exhibited by the legislators in the election of the new leadership is both commendable and reassuring.

He said: “This is an indication of a unity of purpose to collectively work for the development of our dear state and the interest of our people.”

According to the Governor, the new leadership parades legislators with cognate experiences and integrity.

He said: “I am satisfied that the Speaker, Hon. Chiroma Buba Mashio, Deputy Speaker Hon. Ya’u Dachia, House Leader Hon. Nasiru Hassan Yusuf, Deputy leader Hon. Hassan Mohammed, Chief Whip Hon. Mohammed Awwal Isa Bello and Deputy Chief Whip Hon. Ahmed Musa Dumbol are all seasoned legislators with the requisite qualification and experience to carry out their duties efficiently.

“I want to reassure you that my administration will work closely and in harmony with the legislature to defend the interest of our people, provide democratic dividends, and promote democracy in Yobe state.”

He charged the assembly to see the executive and judicial arms of government as partners in progress that are committed to improving the lives of the people of Yobe state.

The Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, (NSCDC), Dr. Ahmed Audi on Monday said the corps has zero tolerance for accidental discharge of riffle by any personnel, insisting that officers must be grounded in arms handling.

Audi, made the statement at the Passing Out Parade of course 10 Basic Arms and Weapon Handling Training in Abuja.

He said: “Our Service does not welcome any accidental discharge and any trigger happy officer that kills a civilian will face the law and will be court marshal.”

He warned them that they are not trained to kill except on rare cases when they must have observed all the rules of engagement clearly stated in the corps’ Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), and they could not but shoot.

Audi pointed out that officers have the mandate to protect all critical national assets such as oil pipelines hence, the agency must ensure that there is no compromise whatsoever in carrying out the sacrosanct duty.

He said: “There must be no compromise, you must all dedicate yourselves to eradicate oil theft therefore, we must arrest and eradicate oil thieves who are good at vandalising our oil pipelines.

“The body language of President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu shows he means well for Nigeria in ensuring an end to oil theft and the NSCDC has aligned into his vision.

The CG said the training exercise of course 10 which spanned for about eight weeks is part of a continuous training programme of his agency to ensure officers are fit and able to carry out every function in the course of their duty effectively.

He said: “Aside the training of over 10,000 officers and men in Arms and Weapon Handling, other specialized areas have been created and keenly nurtured such as the CGs Intelligence squad, CGs Anti Vandal squad, CGs Marine squad, RRS, (Rapid Response Squad), Female squad, Crack squad and the most recent, the Safe School Initiative saddled with the responsibility of safe-guarding our schools from outlaws.”

Audi further listed other key initiatives to include the provision of operational and official vehicles, welfare of officers and payment of arrears and backlog payment of death benefits as well as the development of the Standard Operating Procedure, (SOP), for the entire Corps, creation of more training schools in Nasarawa, Enugu and Jos
and the creation of the Standard Curriculum template for NSCDC Training Colleges among others.