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Nigerians should be proud of 2023 polls, says British Envoy

Published

1 year ago

March 14, 2023

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Catriona Liang, the outgoing British High Commissioner in Nigeria, has said Nigerians should be proud of the 2023 general polls despite some setbacks experienced during the Presidential and National Assembly elections.

Liang was answering questions from reporters after she paid a farewell visit to the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, in Abuja.

She described Nigeria’s politics as “fascinating” saying she was “impressed with Nigeria’s democratic journey so far.”

Asked about her impression of Nigeria and her democracy, Liang said: “It is obvious Nigerians are most amazing people. I have travelled a lot across Nigeria, to all the geopolitical zones.

“I have made very good friends everywhere I have gone. I love Nigeria’s music and dancing. The culture here is just so rich.

“Secondly, Nigeria’s politics is just so fascinating. I was here for the last election and I will finish with this election. I am indeed impressed with Nigeria’s democratic journey.

“Yes, there have been some setbacks but overall, I see this as positive and Nigerians should be proud.

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“Nigeria’s politics is fascinating just to watch it. What I really want to get across is that Nigeria is the biggest democracy in Africa. The world watches your progress to democracy.

“Although there were some disappointments in this election, I think overall Nigerians should be proud.”

She added: “Since 1999, you have stuck with democracy and that should not be taken for granted because if you look at the region as a whole, some countries had coups, Presidents and who refuse to step down. Your elections might be a little different, you might have a three-party system or four, I think Nigerians should recognize that it does count.”

Besides democracy and elections, the British Envoy also lauded Nigerians for being resilient at times of difficulty.

She said: “There has been a marked difference from when I arrived in 2019. There have been some tough times, we had COVID, and obviously, insecurity has gone much much worse since I have been here, but Nigerian people are incredibly resilient and very entrepreneurial.

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“I have seen their positions all over the world and I remain very optimistic about Nigeria’s future. It has been a wonderful time. I am very sad to be going, but because the UK’s partnership with Nigeria is very strong, within a short time, I am going to be coming back.“

Related Topics:2023 polls BRITISH ENVOY Nigerians

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UPDATED: Tinubu appoints Jim Ovia as chairman of education loan fund

Published

3 hours ago

April 26, 2024

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President Bola Tinubu has appointed Jim Ovia as the chairman of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).

Ajuri Ngelale, presidential spokesperson, announced the appointment of Ovia, chairman of Zenith Bank, in a statement on Friday.

Ngelale said Tinubu believes that Ovia will bring his immense wealth of experience to ensure that no Nigerian student suffers a paucity of funds in the quest for tertiary education.

On April 3, Tinubu signed the student loans amendment bill into law to provide Nigerians with quality and accessible education.

The law will allow Nigerian students in tertiary institutions to access low-interest loans for tuition and other academic needs.

Subsequently, the president appointed Akintunde Sawyerr as the managing director and chief executive officer (CEO) of the fund.

Tinubu also appointed Frederick Oluwafemi Akinfala as the executive director of finance and administration, while Mustapha Iyal will serve as the executive director of operations of NELFUND.

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JUST IN: Tinubu appoints Jim Ovia as chairman of education loan fund

Published

5 hours ago

April 26, 2024

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President Bola Tinubu has appointed Jim Ovia as the chairman of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).

Ajuri Ngelale, presidential spokesperson, announced the appointment of Ovia, chairman of Zenith Bank, in a statement on Friday.

More to follow…

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ICPC detains TETFund boss ‘over questionable N7.6bn project’

Published

10 hours ago

April 26, 2024

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The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has detained Sonny Echono, executive secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).

Demola Bakare, ICPC spokesperson, confirmed the development on Friday.

Bakare said that Echono was invited by the anti-graft agency on Thursday.

“The executive secretary of TETFund is here with us. He has been invited for questioning. He is still in custody. He was invited yesterday.” Bakare said.

“He was invited on Thursday. He has not been released. He’s still with us. Investigation is still ongoing.”

It was earlier reported that TETfund awarded two contracts to Fides Et Ratio Academy and Pole Global Marketing (PGM) within two months at the cost of N3.8 billion respectively without the approval of the federal executive council (FEC), which is required for the contract size.

The contract was to provide capacity building course and learning management systems to about 2 million students across higher institutions in the country.

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In a rejoinder, TETFund said it did not award N7.6 billion contracts to two companies without due process.

The agency said it was wrong to say they were contracts, whereas they were ICT projects implemented under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) which doesn’t require competitive bidding in public procurement.

TETFund further said its disbursement guidelines were approved by the president on the recommendation of the “Fund’s Board of Trustees and concurrence of the Honourable Minister of Education in line with the TETFund Act 2011″.

In an interview with TheCable, Echono said there was no form of irregularity in the N7.6 billion project.