Category: General

Former Chief of Army Staff, retired Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau, has challenged members of the 50th Regular Course of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) to deploy their competences in addressing the nation’s security challenges.

Dambazau, also a former Minister of Interior, gave the charge at the 20th anniversary Reunion Gala Night of the NDA 50th Regular Course, on Saturday in Abuja.

He expressed joy with the course members, saying they came to the NDA when he was the Registrar and Secretary to the Armed Forces Selection Board that screened them in 1998.

The former army chief said he had been fortunate and privileged to witness firsthand the transformation that occurred from the first year of the officers to their final year and now as senior officers in the Nigerian armed forces.

“Your training at the Defence Academy was not just about theory but practical military leadership, friendships that would last a lifetime, and the personal discoveries that helped shape your character.

“From the first day you were admitted to the moment you passed out, your journey has been a testament to your dedication, resilience, and quest for excellence.

“Each of you holds a unique tale of growth, struggle, and triumph in the face of arduous tasking and adversity.

“The legacy you carry forward proves the power of sound military education, and I am truly honored to have played a part in your journey,” he said.

Dambazau said that integrity, perseverance, and a commitment to excellence were values that the armed forces cherished.

He urged them to ensure that their stories continue to inspire the next generation, by showing them that the path to success requires dedication and willingness to learn from both triumphs and setbacks.

“I encourage you to embrace your roles as mentors and guides to younger officers, particularly in this age where competent junior leadership is sorely needed to solve the internal security challenges we face as a nation.

“As you continue to excel in your endeavors, you must remember to carry the values instilled at the academy.

“You must remain connected, not just as course mates, but as a community bound by shared experiences and a common commitment to impact our nation and the world positively.

“Your experiences, insights, and practical wisdom remain invaluable assets that can help shape the next generation of leaders, thinkers, and change-makers.

“This task is a lifelong endeavor, and I urge you all to embrace it with the dedication of a professional military officer,” he added.

The President, 50th Regular Course Association, Col. Mukhtar Daruda, thanked Dambazau, immediate past Chief Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor and other retired senior officers for their contributions that molded them into the class of officers that they had become.

Daruda said the military as an institution had invested so much in their training from cadets to where they are now, saying they would remain committed to the defence of Nigeria.

He said the reunion had afforded them the opportunity to reconnect and bond as well as remember their colleagues who had laid the ultimate price while defending the nation.

The Chairman, Organising Committee, Col. Abbas Umar, said that 144 out of the 191 cadets that were admitted for the course passed out in 2003, nine have died, and some have since left the service.

“At the moment, the course has 50 colonels and five Lieutenant Colonels, 30 Navy captains and two commanders in Nigerian Navy and 40 Group Captains and one Wing commander in Nigerian Air Force.

“This event has afforded us the opportunity to come together and celebrate as course mates after leaving the NDA 20 years ago.

“It is also a good avenue for us to remember our colleagues who fought and died while defending this nation,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some of the senior officers who taught the officers at the academy took turn to share experiences with regards to how some of the officers were handled as cadets.

Widows and family members of the deceased course mates were presented with tokens during the dinner. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has organised its first-ever cultural carnival in Akwa Ibom to promote national unity and its diverse cultures and traditions.

The State Coordinator of NYSC, Mrs Chinyere Ekwe, disclosed this on Saturday during the ceremony at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Vamp in Nsit Atai Local Government Area for the 2023 Batch ‘B’ stream II corps members.

Ekwe said that the reason behind the carnival was to promote the oneness of Nigeria and bring the corps members together.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the colourful cultural carnival display by various platoons showcased multiple ethnic groups

The coordinator said that the NYSC carnival coincided with the host community’s festival day, adding that it would avail the corp members an opportunity to familiarise themselves with the cultures of their host communities.

“NYSC scheme is a trailblazer in the promotion of the unity and integration of Nigeria and has been at the forefront of preserving our rich cultural heritage.

“Hence the introduction of the cultural carnival in the orientation course.

“Today’s event is also embellished with the Local Government Day Festival for the host communities to showcase their cultures.

“A clear understanding of the culture and traditions of the host communities where the corps members will be posted to serve is very important in ensuring a successful year.

“It is meant to remove prejudice, eliminate ignorance, and confirm at first hand the many similarities among Nigerians of all ethnic groups.

“My dear corps members, I wish to inform you that though our tradition may vary from one ethnic group to another, the operational norms and cultures are similar all over the state,” Ekwe said.

In her remarks, the Nsit Atai Local Government Council Chairman, Ms Emem Ibanga, commended NYSC for commencing the cultural carnival during the orientation course.

Ibanga said that the introduction of the cultural carnival for corps members would continue to promote national unity and integration among Nigerians from various ethnic backgrounds. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

A university don, Prof. Michael Ikupolati, has tasked President Bola Tinubu not to listen to unnecessary criticism but focus on goals that will birth a new Nigeria.

Ikupolati, who is also the Provost, the University of America, said this in Abuja on Saturday at the convocation ceremony of the university in Nigeria.

While urging Nigerians to give the president the opportunity to settle down and find solutions to the challenges currently facing the country.

“The current president should be given some time to settle. What he has started to do now is what we call the foundational aspect of economic or national development.

“When you are building up your foundation, nobody can see the building, all you can see first is people labouring and that is exactly what is happening now.

“We can’t see the beauty of what he is doing but I can tell you that he is leading a foundation for the geometrical growth in the economic development of Nigeria if he does not derail and focus on the future,”he said .

According to him, any leader that holds yesterday too tight to his chest will not see tomorrow, but if you can focus on tomorrow and the goal and the general good of the people, will see the beautiful job .

“So I advise the president not to listen to unnecessary criticism but focus on the goals and look at Nigeria as one entity so that he can put things in place for the purpose of development.

“You can see that the country is destroyed for over 63 years, and to rebuild it cannot take 63 days, it is take some time.

” He must also make use of a good people, people that can deliver, people that have the ability to do and the willingness to do the work.

” We need leaders that have the willingness and the ability to perform and if you can just get them, we will be able to move forward.

“Pareto Principle says you only need 20 per cent of your resources to achieve 80 per cent of your goal, so he can identify 20 per cent of Nigerians with technocrats, he will be able to achieve the goal,” he added.

The President and Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Prince Gamaliel, said the America brought the institution to Nigeria to contribute to its manpower.

Gamaliel noted that there was need to give unparalleled education to Nigerians and not allowing students to rely on their certificates but ensure they possess the skills needed to transform their lives

“We are contributing something to Nigerian society and one of the most important things Nigeria needs is leadership. After independence, we left the education system in Nigeria in what I called indigenisation of education.

“We have now brought it back to take Nigeria forward. Every problem of Africa and Nigeria inclusive begins in the classroom because all the politicians come from the classrooms.

“If they are better equipped in the classrooms they would come out to be better leaders but if we have failed in the classroom what we see outside is the product we have from the classrooms.

“We must give unparalleled sound education and not just certificates but give them the experience that is needed for life. And that is why we are here to give people the skills,” he said.

Meanwhile, Dr Simeon Obida, the Chairman, Planning Committee of the Convocation Ceremony called on the government to make education compulsory, affordable and accessable to all Nigerians.

Obida also called on Nigerian leaders to give the educational institutions a facelift, especially in the area of research to enhance a learning and teaching activities. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), Anambra Chapter, has urged Gov. Chukwuma Soludo to allocate 10 per cent of government’s subsidy palliatives to persons with disabilities (PWDs), in the state.

Mr Ugochukwu Okeke, state Chairman, JONAPWD, made the call in a letter addressed to the Governor and made available to newsmen on Saturday in Awka.

Okeke said that the dedicated percentage would enable PWDs to meet their basic needs, including food, healthcare, and other essential assistance during the challenging period.

He said that persons with disabilities who were often faced with additional challenges in daily life, were disproportionately affected by the current hardship due to the fuel subsidy removal.

According to him, there is an urgent need to ensure that they are not left behind in terms of accessing essential services and support.

“We appreciate the government’s commitment and intentions to distribute palliatives at the community and ward levels, to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal.

“We humbly propose that a minimum of 10 per cent of the palliatives be specifically dedicated to PWDs within each ward and community to ensure their fair and equitable access to the palliatives.

“It is also important to make one of us (PWDs), a member of any committee that will be set up by the government to handle the distribution of the palliatives.

“This can significantly mitigate the adverse impacts faced by PWDs and uphold their rights to a healthy living as well as demonstrate our state commitment to inclusivity, compassion, and the principle of leaving no one behind,” he said.

Okeke urged Gov. Soludo to consider the 10 per cent proposal and issue directives to community leaders or regard the disability community as an additional special ward in the state.

He appreciated the Governor for his continuous efforts in addressing the challenges facing the state and the needs of the most vulnerable members of the society.

“We remain hopeful that our government will take the necessary steps to address the concerns of persons with disabilities during these challenging times,” he said.

JONAPWD is an umbrella organisation of persons with disability established in Nigeria to promote the rights and development of Nigerians with disabilities.(NAN) (www nannews.ng)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

An independent investigation into the docking of the Lady R vessel at the Simon’s Town Naval Base in the Western Cape has found no evidence to support allegations that South Africa supplied weapons to Russia during the current Ukraine-Russia conflict.

This was revealed by President Cyril Ramaphosa during an address to the nation on Sunday evening.

In May, the President appointed an independent panel led by Judge Phineas Mojapelo to investigate the allegations.

“From its investigation, the panel found no evidence that any cargo of weapons was loaded for export onto the ship Lady R. The panel found that there was no evidence to support the claim that the ship transported weapons from South Africa destined for Russia,” he said.

The President laid out what, according to the panel’s investigation, the purpose of the docking was.

“The panel established that the ship docked at Simonstown to deliver equipment that had been ordered for the South African National Defence Force in 2018 by Armscor, the country’s arms procurement company. In terms of the contract for the supply of the arms, neither Armscor nor the South African National Defence Force had any control over the means through which the supplier of the ordered equipment would transport them to South Africa.

“In its report, the panel outlined the circumstances that led to the docking of the vessel in Simonstown, as well as the type of goods supplied and the reasons why the goods were unloaded at the time they were offloaded,” he said.

The President lamented the damage the allegations have had on South Africa.

“In recent months, statements from several quarters have used these allegations to call into question South Africa’s commitment to its position on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The allegations levelled against our country had a damaging effect on our currency, economy and our standing in the world. In fact, it tarnished our image as a country.

“When all matters are considered, none of the allegations made about the supply of weapons to Russia have been proven to be true, and none of the persons who made these allegations could provide any evidence to support the claims that had been levelled against our country,” he said.

Investigation and recommendations

President Ramaphosa delved deeper into the report and shared that extensive evidence was collected.

“During the course of its work, the panel visited the Simonstown naval base and obtained evidence under oath from nearly 50 people in every relevant component of government. More than 100 documents were submitted to the panel for examination.

“A number of entities and persons that had publicly claimed to have information on this matter were invited to make submissions to the panel. Many of those invited either failed to do so or said they had no independent knowledge of the relevant facts,” he said.

The President added that beyond its findings, the panel made recommendations with “an implementation plan be developed to address these”.

“The panel did not find any evidence of criminal conduct by any persons involved. However, the panel made findings and recommendations with respect to the functioning of the National Conventional Arms Control Committee.

“It also made recommendations about the improvement of communication between Ministers and government officials, including the adequacy of the relevant administrative processes,” President Ramaphosa said.

The full details of the report will not be made public due to its classified nature. However, an executive summary is expected be made available to the public.

Source: South African Government News Agency

The 15th BRICS Summit held at the Sandton Convention Centre during August was a success that ‘heralded a new chapter’ for the group.

This is according to President Cyril Ramaphosa who addressed the nation on Sunday evening.

“It was a historic Summit that heralded a new chapter for BRICS.

“The summit was attended by the five BRICS member countries along with representatives of 61 other countries. Forty-six of the countries that attended were from our continent, Africa. This included 20 Heads of State and Government. We were also honoured by the attendance of the United Nations Secretary-General Mr Antonio Guterres.

“The success of the summit is a credit to our country and its people. It is another demonstration of our ability to host major international gatherings that have a significant impact on the conduct of international affairs far beyond our borders. Overall, many people have said that this was a most successful BRICS Summit,” he said.

The President honed in on key decisions and outcomes that were taken during the summit, including the call for a comprehensive reform of the United Nations, including its Security Council.

“This was a most significant decision in view of the fact that it was supported by two BRICS members who are permanent members of the UN Security Council. The reform of the United Nations is important for South Africa and our continent Africa because we stand to benefit from a world that is more fair and from international institutions that are more democratic and more representative.

“In taking this position, the BRICS leaders recognised the desire of many other countries to contribute to redefining the terms of international relations,” he said.

On the second key outcome of the summit – which was to expand BRICS membership invitations to Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates – President Ramaphosa said: “Through an expanded BRICS, we will be able to better align the voices of those countries that seek a fairer global governance, financial, investment and trading system based on clear rules that apply equally to all countries.

“An expanded BRICS also means that we will be able to export more of our products to major markets and, as a result, we will be able to produce more and create more jobs. While an expanded BRICS will be an important champion for the Global South, South Africa stands to benefit from its relationship with these countries.”

International relations

President Cyril Ramaphosa also used his address to reaffirm South Africa’s non-aligned stance in international relations.

“South Africa’s participation in BRICS and its support for the expansion of BRICS does not detract from the good and strategic relations we have with many other countries around the world.

“From the advent of our democracy, we have always sought to develop ties of friendship, cooperation and respect with all nations. We have never aligned ourselves with any one global power or bloc of countries. Our non-aligned approach has enabled us to pursue an independent foreign policy and to forge our own developmental path.

“We have consistently advanced the articles of the United Nations Charter, including the principle that all members shall settle their international disputes by peaceful means,” he said.

The President emphasised the importance of South Africa’s relations with our other countries and reflected on its impact on ordinary South Africans.

“[Our] country’s relations with other countries and the conduct of our foreign policy affects our lives as South Africans in many ways, such as in trade and investment, sport, peace and security, technology, education, and many other areas. As we have said before, our international work cannot be separated from our efforts to end poverty, to create jobs and to reduce inequality in South Africa.

“Through stronger investment and trade relations with other countries, we are able to grow our economy, create more opportunities for new businesses and reduce unemployment. By supporting peace and stability on our continent, and by promoting Africa’s development, we are able to improve social cohesion in our own country.

“By encouraging greater cooperation between countries in areas such as investment, financing for development, international crime, fighting terrorism, climate change and vaccine production, we are able to strengthen our efforts to tackle these challenges in our own country,” President Ramaphosa said.

Source: South African Government News Agency