Tag: Nigerian

  • Buhari meets Nigerian community in Ethiopia, vows to defeat terrorism

    Buhari meets Nigerian community in Ethiopia, vows to defeat terrorism

    President Muhammadu Buhari says his administration is fully determined to combat and defeat all acts of criminality, banditry and terrorism in the country.

    Malam Garba Shehu, the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday, said the president was speaking at a meeting with the Executive Committee members of the Nigerian Community in Ethiopia (NICE), in Addis Ababa.

    The President appealed to all Nigerians to support and cooperate with security agencies who were ready to defend and preserve the unity of the country.

    The meeting, moderated by Chairman/CEO of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, had observed a minute silence in honour of Nigerians brutally killed by Boko Haram terrorists on Monday in Borno.

    President Buhari also assured Nigerians, at home and abroad, that their protection would continue to remain a key priority of his administration, in addition to the war against corruption and economic growth.

    On economic matters and doing business in Ethiopia, the Nigerian leader said he had been briefed on the challenges faced by some Nigerian companies with investments in the country, especially the Dangote Group and Lubcon.

    ”I have directed the relevant ministries to take up these issue with a view to resolving all complaints amicably with the Ethiopian authorities,” he said.

    On the issue of Diaspora voting, the President while responding to a request by the leader of NICE, David Omozuafoh, said he was in support of it, but legislation was required to make it a reality.

    ”I have said it severally that I am not against it. However, you will need to convince National Assembly to amend the relevant laws to make Diaspora voting a reality,” he said.

    On the conduct of Nigerians living in the Diaspora, the President expressed concern that some of their actions had not projected the country in good light, urging them to change their ways and obey the laws of their countries of residence.

    He, however, commended Nigerians in Ethiopia, noting that they had the highest concentration of professionals working in international organisations such as the African Union, United Nations agencies.

    ”This is a correct representation of the Nigerian spirit of excellence and high achievement,” he stressed.

    President Buhari told the meeting that his government is committed to supporting and protecting all law-abiding Nigerians, at home and abroad, to prosper, urging all in the Diaspora to help achieve this by being good citizens and worthy ambassadors of Nigeria.

    The President also encouraged them to be the best in all their legitimate engagements in their host country, saying that, ”while you are out in the Diaspora, do not forget home as you represent some of the best human assets that Nigeria possesses.”

    He, therefore, urged them to use their resources, skills and talents to help the development of Nigeria.

    In his remarks at the meeting, Nigeria’s Ambassador to Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to the AU, Bankole Adeoye, extolled the huge investments of the Federal Government of Nigeria in Ethiopia since independence through the Embassy.

    He described the Nigerian Embassy in Addis Ababa as one of the Nigerian missions in the whole of Africa with the largest diplomatic and residential premises.

    ”Nigeria has continued to live the saying that Africa is the centerpiece of her foreign policy especially with the many impacts in the AU, the United Nations Economic Community for Africa (UNECA) and Ethiopia as whole,” he said.

    The Ambassador commended President Buhari for reciprocating the visit to Abuja of the former Prime Minister of Ethiopia given the country’s zeal to develop stronger ties with Nigeria.

    He further extolled the President as one who has appointed the highest number of career ambassadors and attributed it to his flair for professionalism.

    Also speaking , the President of NICE commended the President for the establishment of NiDCOM and his continuous leadership and contributions which have cemented Nigeria’s role as a central player in strengthening the AU.

    Omozuafoh appealed to the Nigerian government to fast-track the implementation of the MoU with the United Nations on the Junior Professionals Programme allowing young Nigerians access to opportunities in international organisations.

    ”Similar opportunities should be explored with the UN Volunteers Programme, the AU Volunteers Corps as well as the ECOWAS Youth Volunteer Programme, ” he said.

  • Breaking: Nigerian Senate praises self, lists achievements in 2019

    Breaking: Nigerian Senate praises self, lists achievements in 2019

    Senate President, Ahmed Lawan has on Tuesday, commended his colleagues for putting in their best in the interest of the country. Lawan who took out time to list the Chambers achievements, said the Senate has demonstrated the willingness and capacity to actualize its Legislative Agenda of working for Nigerians, when it passed crucial amendment bill on the Deep Offshore and Inland Basin, Production Sharing Contract Act, 1993; the 2020-2022 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper (MTEF/FSP); the Finance Bill, which comprised of seven very strategic veritable bills that will give effects to better and more effective and efficient revenue generation and collections for government.

    Listing other achievements, the outspoken Lawan opined, “The passage of the 2020 Appropriation Bill within two months, in December, 2019, thereby, effectively returning the Federal Government Annual Budget cycle to January to December; the passage of the Public Procurement Act 2007, amendment bill, to address the challenges of avoidable delays and unnecessary cumbersome procurement processes and procedures and the passage of the 2020 Appropriation of the Federal Capital Territory, also being the first to be passed before the end of the year in a very long time. The Senate also, achieved the feat of timely confirmations of the Ministerial nominees, Chief Justice of Nigeria, the Niger Delta Development Commission Governing Board, amongst others. I congratulate the Senate, indeed the National Assembly for this feat.” Having listed the above achievements, Lawan remembered their colleagues that have passed on, saying “while the above are cheerful events, the death of Senator Benjamin Uwajumogu was a great loss to this Senate. Senator Benjamin Uwajumogu was a consummate and accomplished legislator, who lived and died working for his constituents.