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Buhari confers 115 foreign officers with ambassadorship
The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has conferred the title of Ambassador-in Situ to 115 foreign officers for their contributions to the nation’s development and economy.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, presented the letters of conferment on behalf of the President to serving officers who have attained the rank of Deputy Director on Friday.
Onyeama said that Buhari was recognising and honouring the Foreign Service Officers for their sacrifices, hard work and their role in attracting foreign investments to grow the nation’s economy.
He said that with their efforts in galvanising Nigeria’s foreign policy and diplomacy Nigeria has excellent relations and is at peace with every country of the world.
“It is a recognition of work done and achieved. Some of those who were honoured today are serving foreign officers, others are retired.
“So Mr. President has decided to recognise all those who have attained a certain level in service, notwithstanding the fact that they are retired and also confer on them the title of Ambassador-in-situ.
“The sacrifice that required of you to serve in different countries around the world very often for a relatively short period of time. And then you come back for three years and then go out again.
“Also, very much appreciate economic sector investments that you have helped to bring into the country.
“The role you play in consular services, looking after the interest of individual Nigerian around the world.
“And I always tell people, one aspect of our foreign policy and diplomacy that a lot of people take for granted and do not appreciate sufficiently is the fact that we have excellent relations with every single country on Earth,” Onyeama said.
The newly appointed Ambassadors appreciated Mr. President for the recognition which they said will spur them to do more in projecting the good image of Nigeria.
The current Charge D’affaires, Nigerian Embassy in Libya, Mr. Kabiru Musa, said to deepen collaborations with host countries and facilitate engagements with Nigeria, especially in security and economic development.
Musa who also gave the vote of thanks on behalf of other recipients assured that they will give their all to deliver on the foreign policy thrust of the government, and the core mandates of the Ministry.
“I am extremely happy because this is what we all aspire to be. Because it is a mandate that we have, we will project the image of Nigeria, and protect its image.
“With the policy of the government to diversify our economy, we will look for investment.
“We have a lot of youth that are unemployed, so this is a good opportunity for us to work harder, and make sure that we get the necessary investors that will be interested in coming into Nigeria.
“We will also seek partnership and cooperation of outside world those that have experience and expertise, especially in the fight against insecurity that we are facing in the country.
“We have citizen diplomacy, which means taking care of our brothers and sisters outside, so we are there for them,” Musa said.
Amb. Ibiyemi Ajiboye-Roberts pledged to use her position to ensure Nigerians get better treatment in the diaspora.
“Oh, I need to work harder. I need to put Nigeria on the world map in positive ways, ways. I also need to you know, make our citizens outside there feel more comfortable relating with us in the embassies abroad.
“We have to put in new policies to help strengthen the nation’s policies, especially in terms of foreign affairs,” Ajiboye-Roberts said.
Amb. Saidu Dahiru-Monhammed said that the Nigerian state has done a lot globally, especially with a foreign policy centred on Africa, pledging commitments to make Nigeria’s foreign policy to be a par with developed countries.
“This government under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari is already doing a lot and what we will do is ask for more, because the Nigerian foreign policy has always been centred on our African brothers.
We are not doing badly, Nigeria is already doing well. There is a need for us to strengthen more on this relationship more if possible.
“The most important aspect that I want is to see a foreign service that is at par with any country of the world needs America or Europe or China. I want us to be at par with these countries,” Dahiru-Mohammed said.
News
Stop using repressive laws to intimidate journalists – SERAP, NGE tell FG
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, and Nigeria Guild of Editors, NGE, have called on Nigerian authorities at all levels of government to stop using repressive and anti-media laws to target, intimidate and harass journalists, critics and media houses.
The groups made the demand after an interactive session on ‘the state of press freedom in Nigeria’ held at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Ikeja.
In a joint statement, SERAP and NGE said that, “the government of President Bola Tinubu, the country’s 36 governors and FCT minister must now genuinely uphold press freedom, ensure access to information to all Nigerians, obey court judgments, and respect the rule of law”.
They expressed concerns about the escalating crackdown on the right to freedom of expression and media freedom and the flagrant disregard for the rule of law by authorities at all levels of government.
The groups note that the suppression of the press in recent times takes various forms ranging from extrajudicial to unlawful detentions, disappearances, malicious prosecutions and wrongful use of both legislation and law enforcement.
The statement read in part: “We would continue to speak truth to power and to hold authorities to account for their constitutional and international obligations including on freedom of expression and media freedom.
“Nigeria as a country has a long and unpleasant history of press gagging and clampdown on media freedom, which is evidence of extensive state censorship of media and in some cases, the utter control of state-owned media houses.
“This position has not changed considerably despite almost 25 years of unbroken democratic rule in the Fourth Republic.”
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FG adds 625MW to national grid – Minister
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Tax: Court orders FCT-IRS agency to seal off defaulting coys
A Magistrate Court sitting in Wuse Zone 2, Abuja, on Friday, ordered the Federal Capital Territory Internal Revenue Service (FCT-IRS) to seal off a company, Ifedi A.K. Nigeria Ltd, over allegations bordering on non-filing of annual returns.
The Magistrate, Janada Balami, gave the order after lawyer to FCT-IRS, Michael Towolawi, moved the application to the effect.
Towolawi told the court that the company had failed to file its annual returns from 2019 to 2023 in breach of Section 81 of the Personal Income Tax Act, LFN, 2004, and amended in 2011.
He said all efforts to make the company comply with the law proved abortive.
The lawyer, therefore, applied that the company be compel to appear before the court to explain why it acted in breach of the law.
Balami, who held that the application by the agency against the company had merit, accordingly granted same to seal the No 6, Rudolph Close, Off Katsina-Ala Street, Maitama, Abuja.
She, consequently, ordered the company, the sole defendant in the matter, to appear before the court on May 16.
The Director, Legal Services of the FCT-IRS, Festus Tsavar, told journalists after the proceeding that the service would move against companies that do not file their annual returns as provided by law.
“You know that we have a new minister in FCT that is doing a lot of projects and that hinges on money.
“And of course, you are aware that FCT has come out of TSA.
“So it is the internally generated revenue that will make the government of FCT to be able to do those projects completely within required time,” he said.
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