NEWS
Akpabio Unveils National Defence College Officers’ Mess, Harps on Professionalism
By Eze Okechukwu, Abuja
The President of the Senate, Godswll Akpabio yesterday commissioned the remodeled National Defence College Officers’ mess in Abuja with a charge to the officers to maintain a high level of professionalism and dedication to their duties.
A statement by the Special Assistant to the President of the Senate on Media/Communication, Anietie Ekong, quoted Senator Akpabio as saying the facility would serve as a vital hub for strategic discussions and the fostering of unity among the armed forces.
According to Senator Akpabio, “As we unveil this newly remodeled facility, we are rededicating ourselves to the ideals of excellence, discipline and service that this institution represents.
“The National Defence College has been a beacon of leadership, producing officers who have gone on to serve our great nation with distinction and honour. Today we take a significant step forward in ensuring that this legacy continues for generations to come.
“As we formally commission this facility today, let us remember this is more than just a building. It is a sanctuary for those who have dedicated their lives to the service of our country. It is a place where the future leaders of our armed forces will gather, learn and grow. And it is a reminder of our collective responsibility to support and uplift those who stand at the frontiers of our national security,” he said.
Senator Akpabio commended all those who have worked tirelessly to bring the vision of the new edifice to fruition especially the Commandant of the College and his team. He said the Federal Government under President Bola Tinubu has shown unwavering support for the armed forces and the project was yet another example of the commitment.
In his remarks, the Commandant of the National Defence College, Rear Admiral O. M. Olotu said the Officers’ mess is for the unwinding and relaxation of personnel of the College and embodies the support given to the armed forces.
He described Senator Akpabio as a long standing patron of the National Defence College and commended him for his unmatched contribution to the College in providing such a befitting facility.
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Federal Operations Unit Zone C, says it intercepted contrabands with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N510.92 million between July 15th and September 15th, 2024.The zone covers the six states in the South-South geopolitical zone and the five states in the Southeast geopolitical zone.
This is contained in a statement signed by Jerry Attah, Public Relations Officer, NCS, Zone C, and made available to journalists on Wednesday. According to the statement, Comptroller Michael Ugbagu, NCS, Zone C, gave the statistics while showcasing the seized contraband to relevant regulatory agencies at the Government Warehouse in Edo.Ugbagu said that the zone also recovered the sum of N25.57 million from demand notices raised based on some infractions noticed, making a cumulative sum of N536.49 million recorded within the months under review.“The DPV was derived from our seized goods, which include 49,699 sachets of various brands of tramadol and 3,350 bottles of various cough syrups with codeine without an NAFDAC number.“1,015 sacks of dry donkey meat and skin, 75 jumbo bales of second-hand clothing, 463 cartons of foreign spaghetti, 269 pieces of used pneumatic tires, and 56 cartons of smuggled foreign tomato paste.“More worrisome is the interception of 49,699 sachets of various brands of tramadol and 3,350 bottles of various cough syrups with codeine without NAFDAC registration numbers.”He noted that the cough syrup with codeine and tramadol without NAFDAC registration numbers, if not intercepted, could have had adverse effects on youths.He added that the items were mostly intercepted along the Ewu-Okada/Benin expressways based on credible intelligence. (NAN)
The Forum of Stakeholders of the All Progressive Congress (APC) has decried the deplorable condition of some federal roads in Nigeria. Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, the North-Central Chairman of the forum, said this in an interaction with newsmen on Wednesday in Jos. Zazzaga described some of the federal roads as ”death traps”, particularly those within the north-central region.
He said that some of the deplorable roads in the region include Jos-Akwanga, Makurdi-Oturkpo-Otukpa, Makurdi-Ankpa, and Jos-Saminaka. Other roads that needed urgent attention, he said, included Suleja-Minna, Ejule-Otukpa, Ganawuri-Manchok, Lokoja-Abuja, Lapai-Agaie-Bida, Birnin-Gwari-Bokani-Mokwa, Minna-Zungeru-Tegina-Kontagora. ”Currently, the north-central region has the most deplorable roads and highways in the country. ”These deplorable roads have brought severe hardship on the people and lost lives and property through preventable road traffic crashes. ”We call on President Bola Tinubu to intervene and ensure the rehabilitation of these roads because good roads are vital enablers of development,” he said. The chairman also called on governors of states within the region to reconstruct the dilapidated roads and seek refunds from the federal government. ”Though these are largely federal roads, they are located within states, and the beneficiaries are the people of these states. ”So we call on state governments to reconstruct these roads and seek refunds from the federal government,” he added. (NAN
The central parity rate of the Chinese currency renminbi, or the yuan, strengthened 160 pips to 7.087 against the dollar on Wednesday.This is according to the China Foreign Exchange Trade System.In China’s spot foreigners exchange market, the yuan is allowed to rise or fall by two per cent from the central parity rate each trading day.
The central parity rate of the yuan against the dollar is based on a weighted average of prices offered by market makers before the opening of the interbank market each business day. (Xinhua/NAN)
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