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Nigeria, Namibia push for deeper bilateral cooperation
Namibia is itching to deepen bilateral relations with Nigeria by understudying the operations of the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps (NTAC), Mr Humphrey Geiseb, its envoy to Nigeria, has said.
Geiseb stated this during a courtesy visit to the Director-General of NTAC, Dr Yusuf Yakub, in Abuja, last Friday.
The envoy said that understudying NTAC‘s operations was necessary to recommit to the ideals of the Nigeria-Namibia Joint Commission of Co-operation.
Geiseb lauded the impact of the Technical Aid Corps (TAC) Scheme over the past years in his country, noting that it had left no one in doubt about its desirability.
He added that Nigeria remained Namibia’s ‘big brother,’ having contributed immensely to Namibia’s independence struggles and its development in diverse sectors.
The envoy said that Nigeria’s contributions to the country preceded Namibia’s independence.
He listed the benefiting sectors as health, agriculture, education, as well as oil and gas.
Geiseb recalled that some of the best crops of civil and public service professionals later grew to become permanent secretaries, directors, medical professionals and teachers in Namibia.
According to him, such professionals were trained by Nigerians and their availability ensured a smooth transition from their colonial masters in a newly independent Namibia.
He also lauded the TAC scheme for being the means through which Namibia achieved an abundance of medical professionals and teachers, who were prepared to export their skills to other countries.
Part of the reasons for his visit, he said, was to learn best practices from NTAC with regards to its operations, and seek future ways to address some identified capacities that might still be lacking in Namibia.
The envoy also solicited for greater efforts between Nigeria and Namibia at the ministerial level to re-energise the noble objectives of the Nigeria-Namibia Joint Commission.
He stressed that hosting a new session of the joint commission, which was established in 2000, and met last 14 years ago, would make for deeper ties and advance the identified interests of both countries.
Responding, Yakub, expressed gratitude to the high commissioner for the visit.
He reiterated the commitment of President Bola Tinubu’s administration to providing technical assistance to brother nations across Africa, the Caribbean and Pacific countries.
He also lauded the vision of the founding fathers of the TAC scheme, which he pointed out, had in the past 37 years, broken foisted geographic barriers among brothers.
Yakub reiterated that the TAC scheme served to ensure the transfer of technical skills and cultural exchanges to the benefiting countries, among other benefits.
He added that a lot had changed with changing times between both countries in the area of receiving the TAC Volunteers
“However, we will not hesitate to answer the requests of Namibia in whatever areas of technical need or tutelage whenever such requests came,” he said.
The TAC boss also assured his visitor that he would in the coming days, seek audience with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar, to communicate Namibia’s interest in holding a new session of the Joint Commission.
The Tide source reports that also present at the meeting were the Director of Administration of NTAC, Amb.Yakubu Ahmed, and the Director of Programmes, Amb. Zakari Usman.
NTAC’s Deputy Director and Head of Accounts, Mrs Meimunat Mustapha, Under Secretary, Namibian High Commission, Abuja, Mr Morris Sisinzi, also attended the meeting.
The Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM) has urged the Federal Government to take urgent steps to forestall economic hardship occasioned by the recent increase in pump price of petrol.
The President of NIM, Dr Christiana Atako, made the call in a statement by the institute’s registrar, Mrs Taiwo Olusesi in Lagos.
Atako said that it was important to mitigate the harsh effects of the latest increase in the price of fuel on both the economy and Nigerians.
She said that the long fuel queues that resurfaced in various cities had attendant consequences on Nigerians whose cost of living was shrinking by the day.
“The Institute supports the current efforts by the Federal Government to kick-start the nation’s weak economy and put it on a good footing.
“However, NIM is an organisation committed to promoting good governance and sound management practices.
“We believe that government should do everything within its power to give the nation’s economic policies a human face,” she said.
The NIM president urged the Federal Government to continue working with the greater interest of Nigerians at heart by taking more proactive measures to impact the welfare of the citizenry.
She called on government to, especially, address fuel scarcity, the hunger in the land, as well as tackle the myriad of economic issues facing the country.
“The Institute concedes that the decision to remove fuel subsidy has come with some pains,.
“It is, however, a necessary step towards the nation’s economic stability as it will help to curb the mismanagement of scarce resources
“It will also reduce corruption in the oil sector, and ensure that the benefits of government spending are felt by all Nigerians.
“Since the removal of subsidy is a difficult decision with significant impact on the masses, it is essential that the Federal Government implements measures to mitigate its effects,” she said.
Atako suggested measures like providing a safety tax net for those who would be most impacted by the subsidy removal, greater government intervention in agricultural produce, public transportation and youth employment programmes.
She also enjoined Nigerians to be patient with the Federal Government, and called for more understanding.
She said that the NIM believed that the nation would soon turn the bend and start reaping the benefits of the present sacrifices.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has destroyed over 100,000kg of cannabis spread across 51 hectares of farm land in Ekiti State.
This is contained in a statement by the Director, Media and Advocacy NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi yesterday, in Abuja.
Babafemi said that NDLEA operatives supported by men of the Nigerian Army on Tuesday Sept. 3 and Wednesday Sept. 4 stormed three camps inside the Ise-Ekiti forest reserve, in Ise/Orun Local Government Area of the state.
He named the affected areas to include: Aba Saalaja with 23 hectares; Aba Paanu with 12 hectares and Aba Arogunmatidi with 16 hectares, all within Ise-Ekiti forest reserve.
He also said two suspects: were arrested on the Toro-Jos road, Kaduna with 305kg cannabis (Indian hemp) concealed in false compartment of a J5 boxer bus marked YLA 682 XM.
Babafemi said that another suspect was arrested in possession of 18 kilograms of same substance at Makarfi town.
“Two other suspects others: were arrested on the Zaria- Kaduna highway in possession of 1300 tablets of Tramadol, all same day,”he said.
Also, in Jigawa state, a 30-year-old man was nabbed with 32.6kg of cannabis (Indian hemp) at Koran Shehu.
Babafemi said that operatives in Kogi intercepted 77,300 pills of Tramadol, Diazepam and Exol-5 with 1,230 bottles of Codeine in a commercial bus driven by Attai Okolo, 68, along Aloma – Ejule road, Ofu LGA, Kogi.
“Another was nabbed on the Okene-Lokoja-Abuja expressway with 42.400kg cannabis (Indian hemp) coming from Lagos enroute Kano.
“NDLEA operatives in Borno arrested a 40-year-old man at Ramat area of Maiduguri with 13,100 pills of Tramadol.
“Also, operatives in Kano nabbed a man with 25.8kg cannabis and 3,000 pills of Diazepam along Kano – Daura road,”he said.
The NDLEA spokesman said that no fewer than 87,790 pills of Tramadol were recovered from Musa Adamu, 30, when he was arrested in Zing, Taraba state.
Babafemi said that a raid on the home of a drug kingpin, Mayowa Abayomi Awe (a.k.a Bishop) in Ilesa, Osun state led to the seizure of 43grams of crack cocaine, 23grams of Methamphetamine, 17.126kg cannabis and a locally made pistol.
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