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Hajj 2023: NAHCON advance team departs for Saudi Arabia

Published

12 months ago

May 21, 2023

Hajj 2023: NAHCON advance team departs for Saudi Arabia

Ahead of the commencement of the 2023 Hajj airlift operations, a team of 31 officials of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), on Sunday, departed for Saudi Arabia from the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja, as members of advance team to this year’s pilgrimage exercise.

The team, made up of members of the national reception team, national medical team, accommodation and feeding committees, will be in Saudi Arabia for the final preparation to receive the first set of intending Nigerian pilgrims from Nasarawa State, who would be arriving the Kingdom on Thursday, May 25 for the 2023 Holy Pilgrimage.

The team, which will among other things, organise and coordinate the reception, accommodation, feeding and transportation, health and general welfare of the pilgrims in the Holy land throughout the period of the spiritual exercise, is led by the NAHCON deputy director of Training, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris.

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At a brief farewell ceremony held at the Hajj House before their departure to the Holy Land, the chairman/CEO of NAHCON, Alhaji Zikrullah Kunle Hassan, described Hajj as a global issue, whose aim is to establish unity among the Ummah and, therefore, enjoined the officials to take their job seriously by identifying the best goals and methods to achieve success in their assignments, which is for the pilgrims to enjoy value for their money and obtain Hajj Mabrur.

“You must be diligent, committed, vigilant and particularly, you must have patience and act in the right manner at all times, so that at the end, you can achieve the benefit of here and the hereafter,” he said.

The NAHCON chairman, in a statement by the
deputy director of Information and Publications, Alhaji Mousa Ubandanwaki, said in spite of the challenge posed by the Sudan crises, the Commission was able to fulfill its promise and was on course to ensure that the inaugural flight set for Thursday, May 25 remained sacrosanct.

Alhaji Hassan further prayed to the Almighty Allah to assist the Commission in making this year’s Hajj the best experience for the Commission and the Muslim Ummah.

Also speaking at the event, the Commissioner in charge of Policy, Personnel, Management and Finance (PPMF), Alhaji Nura Hassan Yakasai, described the event as epoch, stressing that it marked the beginning of 2023 Hajj operation.

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He described the Advance Team as the foundation on which the success of this year’s Hajj will be built.

“If it is very strong, then the rest of the structure will be solid. Therefore I want to enjoin you to discharge your duties with utmost sense of responsibility and I want to assure you of the Commission’s support for your team to achieve the desired objectives,” he said.

In the same vein, the Commissioner in charge of Planning, Research, Statistics and Library Services (PRSILS), Sheikh Suleiman Momoh, enjoined the team members to pray for the success of the Hajj exercise when they get to the Holy land.

“I just have one request for you and that is, when you get to Madina, please go and pray for the success of this year’s Hajj,” he pleaded.

Responding on behalf of the Team, Alhaji Tajudeen Akande and Dr. Galadima expressed appreciation to the Management for the trust and confidence reposed in them and assured of their determination and readiness to make this year’s Hajj more successful than previous years.

“On behalf of the team, I want to thank the Management for the support extended to us, we will put in our best to ensure we achieve success,” said Akande.

Related Topics:Featured Hajj NAHCON Saudi Arabia

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Nigeria will stop fuel importation by June – Dangote

Published

14 hours ago

May 18, 2024

Trends Admin

Alhaji Aliko Dangote, the CEO of Dangote Group

Nigeria will stop fuel importation by June – Dangote

Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest person, has announced that Nigeria will cease importing petrol by June.

Speaking at the Africa CEO Forum Annual Summit in Kigali, Dangote revealed that his refinery will commence production next month, meeting Nigeria’s petrol needs and eliminating the need for imports.

“Right now, Nigeria has no cause to import anything apart from gasoline and by sometime in June, within the next four or five weeks, Nigeria shouldn’t import anything like gasoline; not one drop of litre,” he said.

The refinery will also produce diesel, aviation fuel, and other essential products, making Africa self-sufficient in these commodities.

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With a capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, the refinery will meet the demands of West Africa and beyond.

Dangote emphasized that the refinery will not only focus on petroleum products but also produce polypropylene, polyethylene, base oil, and linear benzyl, raw materials essential for producing detergents and other products.

This will reduce Africa’s reliance on imports and make the continent self-sufficient in these critical products.

Dangote expressed his optimism that within three to four years, Africa will no longer need to import fertilizers, as his refinery will produce urea, potash, and phosphate, meeting the continent’s needs.

The refinery’s second phase is set to begin early next year, further expanding its operations and impact on Africa’s energy landscape.

Nigeria will stop fuel importation by June – Dangote

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Olanipekun, Yayale, Elechi, Yusuf Ali, others named higher institutions’ governing council chairmen

Published

14 hours ago

May 18, 2024

Trends Admin

Olanipekun, Yayale, Elechi, Yusuf Ali, others named higher institutions’ governing council chairmen

President Bola Tinubu’s administration has unveiled a list of appointees to the governing councils of 111 federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.

Notable figures among the appointees include former Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Attahiru Jega; Senior Advocates of Nigeria Wole Olanipekun, former Bauchi governor, Isa Yuguda, and Yusuf Alli.

Others are former National Universities Commission Executive Secretary, Peter Okebukola; and labour activist, Issa Aremu. The individuals have been selected to lead the councils of various academic institutions across the country.

The announcement follows a recent ultimatum issued by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), which demanded the Nigerian government address issues such as the alleged illegal dissolution of university governing councils and the continued use of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) for salary payments.

The Federal Ministry of Education responded by assuring that these concerns were being handled and that the list of council members would be released soon.

The appointments, signed by Permanent Secretary Didi Walson-Jack of the Federal Ministry of Education, include five representatives each for 50 universities, 37 polytechnics, and 24 colleges of education.

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Specifically, Attahiru Jega has been appointed Chairman of the Governing Council of Usmanu Danfodio University, Sokoto. Wole Olanipekun will chair the University of Lagos, while Yusuf Alli takes on the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta.

Peter Okebukola will lead the University of Port Harcourt, and Issa Aremu will head the Federal College of Education (Technical) in Keana, Nasarawa State while Yuguda will chair the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN).

Furthermore, former Senator Joy Emordi will lead Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education in Owerri; and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Yayale Ahmed, will head the council of Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria.

Adamu Rasheed, the immediate past Executive Secretary of the NUC, has been appointed to the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo in Benue State.

The new governing council members are scheduled for inauguration and a retreat on May 30 and 31 at the National Universities Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.

In June 2023, President Tinubu dissolved the governing councils of several key government agencies and higher education institutions, a move that sparked criticism from various stakeholders. They argued that the University Miscellaneous Act grants universities and their councils autonomy to self-regulate.

Olanipekun, Yayale, Elechi, Yusuf Ali, others named higher institutions’ governing council chairmen

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UK lawmaker lauds EFCC, says Africa underestimates its strength

Published

20 hours ago

May 18, 2024

Trends Admin

UK lawmaker lauds EFCC, says Africa underestimates its strength

In a significant boost to Nigeria’s anti-corruption efforts, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has received international recognition for its tireless work in tackling corruption.

Baroness Verma Sandy of Leicester, a member of the United Kingdom’s House of Lords, has commended the EFCC for its dedication to fighting corruption and promoting good governance in Nigeria.

During a visit to the EFCC headquarters in Abuja on Friday, Baroness Verma Sandy praised the Commission’s new leadership under Executive Chairman, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, for repositioning the organization on the path of professionalism and effectiveness.

She expressed confidence that the EFCC’s efforts would help change the global perception of Africa and build new confidence in the continent.

The Baroness, who led a six-man delegation of the UK-based African Leadership Organisation, acknowledged the EFCC’s efforts in shaping better narratives for Nigeria and praised the Commission’s innovative approaches to tackling corruption.

She emphasized the importance of international collaboration in the fight against corruption and encouraged the EFCC to continue its good work.

Sandy said: “We are so glad to be here. It is important having this organization led by somebody who has brought incredible positive changes to the country. And I want to thank all of your colleagues here for engaging with us today. I believe passionately on the strength of the African Continent. I am not connected at all to Africa, but I have been a champion for a continent that has under-estimated its own strength but has got so much to offer the world. And I think your organization will help change the perceptions and build new confidence. So, I am so pleased and honoured to be here.”

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EFCC Chairman, Mr. Olukoyede, thanked the Baroness and her delegation for identifying with the Commission and acknowledging its efforts.

He reiterated the EFCC’s commitment to tackling corruption and promoting good governance, emphasizing that corruption is a major obstacle to Africa’s development.

He highlighted the Commission’s new focus on prevention and addressing systemic issues that enable corruption, as well as its efforts to stimulate economic growth and prevent foreign exchange sharp practices.

The EFCC Chairman also applauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the liberty of operation accorded to the Commission, enabling it to pursue its mandate without interference.

He emphasized the importance of political will in the fight against corruption and praised the President’s support for the EFCC’s efforts.

Olukoyede said, “On behalf of the entire management of EFCC, we are glad to have you in our midst. I want to thank you for identifying with what we do. You have an interest in Africa and I want to tell you that Africa has great potential. The major problem is bad governance. We need good governance to channel our human and natural resources rightly and bring Africa on top of the world.

“That is what people like us are advocating using the instrumentality of law enforcement and anti-corruption fight. Corruption is something we have to deal with. Every challenge we face in our daily life, insecurity, bad governance, lack of infrastructural development are all linked to corruption.

“Upon my assumption of office, I said I will use the instrumentality of the anti-corruption fight to stimulate growth in the economy because while enforcing laws against financial crimes, we also enforce against economic crimes. Anything can vitiate economic and infrastructural development, we are empowered by law to investigate it and bring the offenders to book. In this part of the world, you have to be courageous in order to realize your mandate. One thing that is going for us is the political will of the president. The government in power is supporting us and not interfering in what we do.

“We have tried to bring some innovations in the way we do things. Traditionally, the EFCC has been concentrating more on investigation and prosecution, and I discovered that the more we do that, the tougher the problem becomes. We are now trying to shift our focus, not necessarily away from enforcement, but we are looking more on the paths of prevention. We are looking more at the cause of the problems.

“Fundamentally, there is nothing wrong with Nigerians. Nigerians are good people. Given they find themselves outside the country and given the right ecosystem, you see Nigerians perform excellently well. We are looking into our systems; we are looking into our structures; we are looking into what actually allows corruption to fester in addition to making people account for their bad deeds while in office. So, we concentrate more on prevention now.

“What we deal with is white collar crime, which is non-violent. So we want people to own the fight. When you see something, you say something.”