The Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) in Owerri has elected and inaugurated a new set of executive officers led by Mr Bathram Uzodinma.The National Chairman of the PCRC, Alhaji Mogaji Olaniyi, inaugurated the 15-man executive committee, as part of activities marking the PCRC’s 41st anniversary celebrations held in Imo on Saturday.

Olaniyi charged the Uzodinma-led executives to eschew arrogance, power confrontation and vindictiveness in the discharge of their duties. He also urged the PCRC family in the state to extend their support and cooperation to the new executives. He urged them to keep the flag flying through commitment and dedication to duty, to strengthen the relationship between the police and the public.He, however, hailed the immediate past excos led by Mr Chima Chukwunyere for their exemplary performance which he noted has raised the credibility of the organisation.The Commissioner of Police in the state, Aboki Danjuma, represented by the command’s spokesman, ASP Henry Okoye, commended Mogaji for enhancing the relationship between the police and the public.He said that sustained partnership, trust and collaborations were of crucial importance for the police and the PCRC to move on.He congratulated the new Excos on their emergence and wished them a successful tenure.Also speaking, Uzodinma pledged to justify the confidence reposed in him, promising a robust relationship between the police and the public.Earlier, Chukwunyere said he established a weekly radio programme in Owerri to smoothen the relationship of the police with the public.He added that he also created a stronger public awareness on the dangers of cultism, drug addiction and other vices among students. According to him, police still remain friends with members of the public. Chukwunyere, who is the MD/CEO of Domino Paramount Hotel Owerri, said that between 2008 till date, he had so far offered free hotel accommodation to police officers on transit to the tune of N7.6 million. “ In addition to the radio programmes, the Imo PCRC under my watch regularly visited secondary schools across the state to sensitise students on the dangers of drug abuse and cultism, with our 68th visit last Thursday, to City School, Owerri”, he said. Report says that erstwhile Chairman Chukwunyere joined the association in 1996.NAN also noted that he had served in various leadership positions since 2008, including Southeast Zonal Chairman, culminating in being the Imo chairman in 2025.Chukwunyere has now been elevated to the position of National Consultant, Community Policing of the PCRC, for his role in reviving and revitalising the committee in Imo and the Southeast. (NAN)

Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai, said on Saturday that tea trade between China and Nigeria is thriving and enhancing trade relations between the two countries.Yu said this in Abuja during the “2025 Tea for Harmony Yaji Cultural Salon” event with the theme “Tea in Nature’s Whisper: Aroma of Picturesque Jiangnan.

”The ambassador affirmed that tea Trade between China and Nigeria had blossomed in recent years, with the introduction of Hainan Baisha tea to the Nigerian market in 2024. According to him, this marks a new chapter in the collaboration between the two nations in relation to the tea industry.“The tea fragrance crossing thousands of miles shows that a small tea leaf can not only nourish the body but also warm the soul, becoming a ‘green envoy’ that promotes economic, trade cooperation, and cultural exchanges between China and Nigeria,” he said.“From the sweet tea stalls on the streets of Lagos to the mint tea found in the historic city of Kano, tea is not just a beverage but an important social bond.”Highlighting the significance of tea in Chinese culture, the envoy explained that the Chinese tea ceremony embodies five millennia of philosophical wisdom, emphasising harmony, purity, and elegance.“The ethos of China’s tea ceremony, such as ‘harmony is precious’ and ‘making friends through tea,’ resonates profoundly with Nigeria’s cultural values, acting as a spiritual bridge between our two great civilizations,” he said.He also pointed out the upgrading of bilateral relations to a during a meeting last year between both countries’ heads of state in Beijing, aimed at deepening cooperation through a three-year initiative called the “Ten Partnership Actions for Modernisation,” which focuses on culture, tourism, and education.Furthermore, the Ambassador noted that 2026 has been designated the “China-Africa Year of Cultural and People-to-People Exchange.”As part of this initiative, he noted that Nigerian students are learning tea art and opera in China while showcasing their own music and dance in Chinese cultural settings.Conversely, Chinese volunteers are promoting the Chinese language and tea culture in Nigeria, while also engaging with local languages and customs.Yu also expressed the Embassy’s commitment to enhancing cooperation in various fields to strengthen the friendship between the two nations.Also speaking, Mrs Huang Yun, Leader of the Zhejiang Delegation, Researcher-Librarian of Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Centre said that Tea and drama are cultural genes engraved in the blood of the Chinese people.“Zhejiang, the land that gave birth to Lu Yu’s “The Classic of Tea” and Yue Opera “Butterfly Lovers”, today presents the poetic beauty of green mountains and dear waters and the lingering Wu dialect into a cup of tea and a piece of drama to Nigerian friends.The event is themed Tea in Nature’s Whisper Aroma of picturesque Jiangnan”, interpreting the oriental philosophy of “symbiosis between man and nature”,” She said. Report says that the highlight of the event is performances by artists from the Chinese delegation from Zhejiang, including elegant Yue Opera and pipa music,The exhibitions of Chinese calligraphy, painting, and photo displays showcasing Zhejiang’s culture and tourism. (NAN)

A group of 47 Nigerian medical students who escaped war-torn Sudan in May 2023 are now struggling to register for the Nigerian Medical and Dental Council (MDCN) examination due to a document snag.The students, many of who fled or were evacuated by the Federal Government without exit visas, are currently racing against time to meet the registration deadline, with their future careers hanging precariously in the balance.

Report says that these students, who were enrolled at Sudan International University (SIU), were evacuated to Nigeria during the 2023 conflict in Sudan while in final year of study. According to the students, with the approval of the National Universities Commission (NUC), they were permitted to continue their academic programme at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH) in Sokoto.Speaking to NAN on Sunday in Abuja, one student said: “We successfully completed our studies and graduated in 2024, receiving our certificates as students of SIU.”He added that they were currently preparing to sit for the MDCN examinations.The student, however, added that one of the requirements was presenting a first entry visa and a last exit visa.“Unfortunately, none of us have these documents as most of our passports remained in Sudan due to the emergency evacuation.“We respectfully request permission to sit for the examinations scheduled for June 2025,” he said.The President of the Nigerian Students Association at SIU, Najid Hassan, confirmed that due to the war in Sudan, Nigerian students were evacuated by the Federal Government.Hassan explained that with NUC approval, the affected students were allowed to continue their academic programme at UDUTH following a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between SIU and UDUTH.“After the MoU, we resumed studies at UDUTH in December 2023 and spent one year there.“We completed clinical rotations, lectures in gynaecology, pediatrics, surgery, and medicine, and graduated in October 2024.“We took examinations supervised by consultants at UDUTH,” Hassan said.He added that after graduation, students were awarded certificates bearing the SIU name.Hassan, however, said that when they approached MDCN for registration, the process, expected to be seamless, became challenging.“We are currently preparing for the MDCN exams, but one requirement is the submission of a ‘first entry visa and a last exit visa.’“Unfortunately, none of us have these documents because most passports remain in Sudan due to emergency evacuation,” Hassan said.He appealed to the Federal Government to intervene.NAN reports that MDCN is the regulatory body for Medicine and Dentistry in Nigeria and was established by the Medical and Dental Practitioners Act.The Act had been operational since Dec. 18, 1963, and updated under the Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.The council’s statutory functions include setting and reviewing standards for medical and dental education.Section 9(3) and (4) of the Act empowers the council to conduct assessment exams for holders of foreign medical or dental qualifications recognised by their countries of origin.Candidates expected to sit for these examinations are trained outside Nigeria at institutions listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools.One of the application requirements is submitting relevant portions of international passports, including visa and arrival/departure stamps.In a 2024 publication addressing students returning from conflict zones, MDCN Registrar Dr Fatima Kyari, reaffirmed these rules but expressed sympathy for students affected by COVID-19 and conflicts in Ukraine and Sudan.“The council has held extensive consultations and developed remediation pathways to facilitate integration.”“Students graduating in 2023 or later were advised to return to a designated campus of their foreign university to complete studies physically.“They can also transfer to an accredited Nigerian university, subject to NUC approval; or integrate into a Nigerian university per NUC guidelines.“Many students from Sudan and Ukraine have successfully integrated through these pathways, exempting them from the foreign-trained medical and dental graduates (FTMDG) exams if graduating from Nigerian institutions,” Kyari said.She explained that the MoU with UDUTH was an academic collaboration and did not equate to clinical training for medical qualification recognised by MDCN.She noted that students who properly transferred and graduated from Nigerian universities approved by MDCN had been indexed, graduated, and registered as doctors.The Federal Ministry of Education, through the Director of University Education, Hajiya Rakiya Ilyasu, acknowledged the situation.She advised the affected students to formally write to the Minister of Education, including their names, and to copy the Director of Education Support Services to help facilitate a resolution.Similarly, NUC Deputy Executive Secretary, Chris Maiyaki, confirmed awareness of the development and advised students to contact the Ministry of Education to resolve the issues.However, all efforts by NAN to obtain a response from Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), regarding the students’ plea proved unsuccessful.Similarly, all efforts to get a reaction from Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto (UDUS) failed.The Deputy Provost of the Medical School, said he had no authority to speak on the issue, while the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Bashir Garba, said he was on transit and would respond appropriately.(NAN)