President Bola Tinubu will depart Abuja on Wednesday, November 27, to begin a state visit to France in honour of an invitation from President Emmanuel Macron.

A statement released by presidential media aide, Bayo Onanuga, says the Nigerian leader’s three-day visit, which will focus on strengthening political, economic, and cultural relations and establishing more opportunities for partnership, particularly in agriculture, security, education, health, youth engagement and employment, innovation, and energy transition, promises significant benefits for Nigeria.

Onanuga said President Tinubu and his wife, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, will be received on Thursday at the 350-year-old French military museum, Les Invalides and Palais de l’Élysée, by Macron and his spouse, Brigitte, for initial ceremonies that will dovetail into bilateral meetings.

‘’During the visit, President Tinubu and President Macron will harmonise positions on stimulating more interest in exchange programmes that focus on skill development for youths and improving their competencies in automation, entrepreneurship, innovation, and leadership.

Both leaders will participate in political and diplomatic meetings highlighting shared values on finance, solid minerals, trade and investments, and communication. They will also witness a session by the France-Nigeria Business Council, which oversees private sector participation in economic development.

Brigitte and Nigeria’s First Lady will discuss the latter’s passion for empowering women, children, and the most vulnerable through the Renewed Hope Initiative.

President Tinubu and his wife will be hosted at a state dinner by the French leader before their departure.’’

Onanuga mentioned that top government officials will accompany President Tinubu on the trip.

The Rivers State Commissioner for Transport, Collins Onunwo, has announced the immediate disbandment of all local government and Ministry of Transport taskforces on road decongestion operating in the state.

Mr Onunwo made this known following widespread complaints of hara$$ment and extortion by Port Harcourt residents against the various task force officials amid a viral video showing a woman being harassed and extorted of forty thousand naira by task force officials along Ada George Road.

According to the victim who recorded the officials, the officials drove against traffic to access a POS operator where the money was withdrawn. The Transport Commissioner emphasized that the Rivers State Government under Governor Siminialayi Fubara has a human face and will not tolerate any form of hara$$ment or intimidation of residents under the guise of taskforce operations.

Mr Onunwo also assured the public that the government would reconstitute a taskforce to regulate the activities of motorists at an appropriate time

The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede on Saturday, November 23, 2024 bagged the “National Cooperative Personality of the Year” Award.

The Award was presented by the Federal Department of Cooperatives in conjunction with Cooperative Rating and Award Society of Nigeria, CRASON, at the 6th Nigerian National Cooperative Awards, Symposium, and Exhibitions, held in Abuja, Nigeria.

The Symposium, themed “Cooperative for Food Security, Jobs, Economic Growth, and Prosperity for All: Renewed Hope Edition, Abuja 2024”, was for the celebration of individuals and organizations that are making significant contributions to the growth of cooperative societies in Nigeria.

In addition to the Award bagged by Olukoyede, EFCC Staff Multipurpose Cooperative Society emerged the “Most Outstanding Cooperative Society of the Year,” while the EFCC emerged the “Best Cooperative Host Organization of the Year” for its support in fostering cooperative initiatives among its staff.

Additionally, the Acting Director of EFCC’s Staff Welfare Services, Commander of the EFCC, CE Felicia Bot-Timothy, received the “Exemplary Leadership Award of Excellence for Cooperative Development and Management,” in acknowledgment of her “outstanding leadership and dedication to the improvement of the welfare of EFCC staff through cooperative development”.

In accepting the award, Olukoyede, who was represented by Bot-Timothy, expressed gratitude to organizers of the event for the honor and dedicated it to the staff of the Commission for their hard work and dedication to the anti-corruption fight. While emphasizing the need for transparency and accountability in cooperative management, he highlighted the critical roles of cooperative societies in fostering economic empowerment. “The EFCC remains committed to supporting cooperative societies as a platform for economic growth and staff welfare enhancement. This recognition motivates us to do more,” he said.

He promised to deploy the Commission’s expertise in financial crime investigation in the resolution of issues of financial improprieties in cooperatives through the proposed Cooperative Mediation and Arbitration Panel. Other interventions would be the offering of technical support, provision of training on financial crime prevention, and enforcement of arbitration rulings on financial misconduct.

In his remarks, the Minister of State for Agriculture, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, represented by Dr. Mohammed Shagari, urged cooperative societies to diversify into agriculture and real estate, noting that diversification into such areas aligns with the theme of the event, which emphasizes food security, job creation, and economic prosperity.

Secretary of the Civil Defence, Fire, Immigration, and Corrections Board, Jafaru Ahmed, represented by Lydia Abraham,
while noting that cooperative societies were vital to country’s economic development, urged the societies to focus on serving their members’ needs rather than solely seeking profits.

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