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UNGA 78: Tinubu departs New York after first outing

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Shettima to represent Tinubu at G77 summit in Cuba

President Bola Tinubu on Thursday has departed New York after attending the 78th session high-level meetings of the UN General Assembly.

 

The UN correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that President Tinubu, while in New York, participated in some of the high-level events, including a bilateral meeting.

 

The Nigerian President who arrived New York on Sunday, was among the leaders that adopted the political declaration to accelerate the 17 goals on Monday at the SDG summit.

Ahead of the opening of the session, Tinubu met with his South African counterpart, Cyril Ramaphosa to discuss stronger economic and regional ties.

On Tuesday, the President attended the opening of the UN General Debate in the company of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar and the Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the UN, Amb.Tijjani Muhammad-Bande and the Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila.

Still on Tuesday, Tinubu delivered Nigeria’s statement to the world leaders, affirming democratic governance as the best guarantor of the sovereign will and well-being of the people, saying military coups are wrong.

In his inaugural speech on behalf of Nigeria and Africa, he said Nigeria’s accord with the objectives and guiding principles of the world body: peace, security, human rights and development.

Tinubu, as Chairman of ECOWAS, solicited help to re-establish democratic governance in a manner that addresses the political and economic challenges confronting that nation, including the violent extremists who seek to foment instability in our region.

On Wednesday, he met with some Nigerians in the U.S., where he urged them to change their mindset to succeed.

Tinubu, at the Presidential Town Hall Meeting with Nigerians in the diaspora urged them to come back home, noting that Nigeria has arrived and that they should forget the frustration of the previous year’s leadership,

After his interaction with Nigerians, he met with the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, where he noted that African nations would start to take appropriate actions against actors that illicitly siphon and smuggle out the continent’s vast mineral resources.

The Nigerian leader told the UN chief that human rights had been used to deter actions against such actors that smuggle out African resources and bring in western-made weapons.

On Thursday, he rang the bell at the National Association of Securities Dealers Automatic Quotation System (NASDAQ), becoming the first African Head of Government to do so.

The president rang the bell at the world’s financial capital, New York and became the first African President to perform such task.

NAN reports that the Nigerian delegation participated in other high-level events such as High-level dialogue on Financing for Development; High-level meeting on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response.

In addition, the delegation attended Climate Ambition Summit, convened by the Secretary-General; the Ministerial meeting of the Summit of the Future; High-level meeting of the Universal Health Coverage,.

Also, the delegation participated in High-level meeting of the on the fight Against Tuberculosis.

The delegation, made up of 16 ministers, seven governors, Chief of Staff and some heads of Ministries , Department and agencies(MDAs) also attended other events.

Similarly the First Lady, Mrs Oluremi Tinubu, spoke at the at the New York 2023 Nigeria Economic Growth and Trade Summit with the theme“ Stemming Migration Flows by Providing Basic Needs’’

In the summit organised by Nigeria Governors’ Wives Forum on the sidelines of the session, the First Lady called on the diasporas to contribute their quota to the “Renewed Hope Agenda” of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

She also called on Nigerian youths to have hope in the efforts of the current administration to deliver on the dividends of democracy and provide for their basic needs.

Mrs Tinubu also attended the First Ladies High Level Forum on the sidelines of the session to commemorate the 2023 United Nations Day of Peace.

The theme of the General Assembly is rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity, accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its sustainable development goals towards peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability for all.

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EFCC bars dollar transactions, orders embassies to charge in naira

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has barred foreign missions based in Nigeria from transacting in foreign currencies and mandated them to use Naira in their financial businesses.

 

The EFCC has also mandated Nigerian foreign missions domiciled abroad to accept Naira in their financial businesses.

 

The anti-graft agency said the move is to tackle the dollarisation of the Nigerian economy and the degradation of the naira

The Commission, therefore, asked the government to stop foreign missions in Nigeria from charging visa and other consular services in foreign denominations.

The EFCC gave the advisory in a letter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar, for onward transmission to all foreign missions in the country.

In the letter, the EFCC said it issued the advisory because the practice of paying for consular services in dollars was in conflict with extant laws and financial regulations in Nigeria.

In a letter dated April 5, 2024, which was addressed to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, titled: “EFCC Advisory to Foreign Missions against Invoicing in US Dollar,” the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede expressed dismay over the invoicing of consular services in Nigeria by foreign missions in dollars.

The EFCC cited Section 20(1) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007, which makes currencies issued by the apex bank the only legal tender in Nigeria.

The letter read, “I present to you the compliments of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, and wish to notify you about the commission’s observation, with dismay, regarding the unhealthy practice by some foreign missions to invoice consular services to Nigerians and other foreign nationals in the country in United States dollar ($).

“It states that ‘the currency notes issued by the Bank shall be the legal tender in Nigeria on their face value for the payment of any amount’.

“This presupposes that any transaction in currencies other than the naira anywhere in Nigeria contravenes the law and is, therefore, illegal.”

The commission further stated that the rejection of the naira for consular services in Nigeria by certain missions, along with non-compliance with foreign exchange regulations in determining service costs, is not just unlawful but also undermines the nation’s sovereignty embodied in its official currency.

The letter continues: “This trend can no longer be tolerated, especially in a volatile economic environment where the country’s macroeconomic policies are constantly under attack by all manner of state and non-state actors.

“In light of the above, you may wish to convey the commission’s displeasure to all missions in Nigeria and restate Nigeria’s desire for their operations not to conflict with extant laws and regulations in the country.”

Diplomatic sources said yesterday, May 10, that some embassies were wondering whether the EFCC’s advisory represented the position of the Federal Government.

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Prince Harry visits sick Nigerian soldiers in Kaduna

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Prince Harry and his team visited the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital in Kaduna to interact with wounded soldiers who are receiving treatment.

 

The Duke of Sussex is in Nigeria with his wife to champion the Invictus Games, which Harry founded to aid the rehabilitation of wounded and sick servicemembers and veterans.

 

Nigeria joined the Invictus Community of Nations in 2022 becoming the first African country to join.

Prince Harry’s visit to Kaduna came 68 years after his late grandmother Queen Elizabeth II visited the state during the time of the late Premier of Northern Region Sir Ahmadu Bello.

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