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Ministerial Screening: Alleged Reasons SSS Has Not Cleared Nasir El-rufai 

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Ministerial Screening: Alleged Reasons SSS Has Not Cleared Nasir El-rufai 

Ministerial Screening: Alleged Reasons SSS Has Not Cleared Nasir El-rufai 

 

 

 

Allegations of human rights abuses, unguarded public utterances, and a purported flood of petitions are the issues advanced by the State Security Service (SSS) against the nomination of former Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State, PREMIUM TIMES can authoritatively report.

The Senate on Monday confirmed 45 ministerial nominees after a week-long screening of 48 of them.

It withheld the confirmation of the three remaining nominees.

It was shocking for many Nigerians to find Mr. El-Rufai, an ally and one of the staunchest backers of President Bola Tinubu, among the three.

 

 

Mr El-Rufai is believed to enjoy the president’s confidence after they overcame their political differences before the 2023 presidential election. He demonstrated his warm relationship with the president by indicating during the screening exercise that Mr Tinubu invited him to work with him.

 

 

Ministerial Screening: Alleged Reasons SSS Has Not Cleared Nasir El-rufai 

He was also among the pack of former governors on the list of nominees lavished with respect by senators during the screening exercise on 2 August. Senators fell over one another to speak in his favour. Some even discouraged their colleagues from asking him questions.

An attempt by the Kogi West senator, Sunday Karimi, to table a petition he said was of security concerns against him for deliberation was summarily shot down.

The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, confirmed that the Senate received a series of petitions against some ministerial nominees, and not just Mr El-Rufai, but that such complaints would be referred to the president, who nominated them, and the relevant investigative bodies.

At the end of confirmation proceedings on Monday, Mr El-Rufai, who many thought had a smooth sail, was among just three nominees whose confirmations were withheld.

The two others were a former senator from Taraba, Sani Danladi, and a nominee from Delta State, Stella Okotete.

Mr Akpabio said their confirmations would await security clearance, which left many Nigerians wondering what the security issues could be with Mr El-Rufai’s nomination.

After speaking with different sources with direct knowledge of the security report on Mr El Rufai, PREMIUM TIMES is reporting for the first time the security concerns the SSS raised against him.

The sources, who asked not to be named because they are not permitted to discuss the sensitive matter publicly, said most of the allegations against the former governor were already known to the public.

PREMIUM TIMES cannot independently the allegations.

The issues include broad and specific allegations, including his widely reported controversial remarks and policies, according to sources with direct knowledge of the complaints by the SSS.

They are broadly categorised as human rights abuses, unguarded utterances and conduct, petitions, public trust abuse, and other sundry issues.

Our sources said the SSS did not confront Mr El-Rufai with these allegations.

Alleged unguarded statements

Allegation of “unguarded statements” is a major thrust of the SSS report on Mr El-Rufai, according to sources who shared their knowledge of the matter with this newspaper.

Mr El-Rufai is a vocal politician who has been a recurring feature in Nigeria’s political space in and out of government since 1999.

He occasionally courted controversies in the public offices he held in his decades-long run of political fortune.

He partly owes his political fame to controversial comments, some of which continue to dog him to date.

The latest was the comment he made while addressing a group of Muslim clerics in Kaduna after his party, the APC, was declared the winner of the governorship election in March.

In the comment, which generated an uproar, Mr El-Rufai said Muslims could rule Kaduna for a long period while also consistently doing justice to Christians.

The comment was widely criticised as divisive in a state where religious and ethnic tensions could quickly lead to bloody clashes.

Months before Mr El-Rufai’s latest comment, a former senator from the state, a political adversary, blamed the worrisome security situation of the state on the utterances of the former governor.

Citing Mr El-Rufai’s latest comment, the SSS, according to sources, said Mr El-Rufai’s public statements inflamed mistrust among the state’s citizens and, by extension, between Muslims and Christians in the country.

The security agency also pointed out Mr El-Rufai’s comment in the build-up to the 2019 general elections, when he said foreign election observers and agents of the international community trying to meddle in Nigeria’s elections would return in body bags.

The then governor, who was a governorship candidate seeking a second term at the time, would later clarify that he was only expressing Nigeria’s readiness to “defend itself against needless intervention” by external bodies, saying his comment “is the kind of statement you expect to hear from a patriot”.

The SSS said for that comment, Mr El-Rufai was barred from entering the US, a claim PREMIUM TIMES has yet to verify independently.

Our sources said the SSS also recalled a “blasphemy tweet” it said Mr El-Rufai posted in 2013. The agency said this generated uproar when he made the comment.

Alleged human rights abuses

Concerns were also raised about alleged human rights abuses by Mr El-Rufai while he was governor.

These include the case concerning the killing of the sons and followers of the Shiite leader, Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, in Zaria, Kaduna State, in 2015.

Over 300 followers of the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), known to be a body of Shiite Muslims in Nigeria, were killed in the attack by the Nigerian military, according to the report of an enquiry conducted by the Mr El-Rufai-led government of Kaduna State.

Although the military was directly responsible, the operation enjoyed the support of the state government.

Instead of holding the military accountable for the massacre of the Shiites, the government chose to prosecute Mr El-Zakzaky and his wife for the alleged murder of one soldier who was said to have been killed in a confrontation between the military and the Shiites in December 2015.

The case went on for years without the Kaduna State government being able to lead any tangible evidence. The Kaduna State High Court ended up dismissing the case in July 2021.

The El-Zakzaky case, according to the SSS, was reported to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and is being investigated by the United Nations human rights body.

Aside from the El-Zakzaky case, the SSS also accused Mr El-Rufai of having engaged in arbitrary arrests of political enemies and seizure of properties and wanton demolition of properties of perceived political enemies.

The agency also accused him of using force and intimidation to suppress protests, leading to extrajudicial killings of innocent citizens of the state.

Alleged financial misconduct

The SSS also alleged that Mr El-Rufai was facing a series of ongoing litigations for selling federal government assets, although no verifiable proof was provided.

Some other court cases, the SSS also claimed, involved Mr El-Rufai’s alleged embezzlement of public funds, abuse of trusts, allegedly involving the use of cronies, allies and family members for corrupt purposes during his time as head of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and governor of Kaduna State.

PREMIUM TIMES is not aware of pending charges against Mr El Rufai. The trial court dismissed the only widely known case against him similar to the allegations raised by the SSS in 2013.

But the SSS insists that one of such cases is still before a judge of the Federal High Court.

Petitions

Painting Mr El Rufai as the most controversial ministerial nominee, the SSS said his nomination attracted the most petitions and widespread rejections on both the mainstream and digital platforms. It added that aggrieved members of the society also took protests against him to the National Assembly during the screening exercise, sources said.

They added that before his nomination, several petitions weres filed against him. They also said cases were pending against him in different Nigerian and international courts, including the ECOWAS and the ICC. According to the SSS, the agency also listed some petitions filed against Mr El-Rufai, including one it said was sent to President Tinubu by the Islamic Human Rights Commission.

It also listed an ICC document acknowledging the court’s receipt of a petition requesting the investigation of Mr El-Rufai for acts of genocide and crimes against humanity.

The other cases listed by the SSS, the sources said, were a petition to the National Human Rights Commission and Amnesty International, another one sent to the ICC concerning an alleged forceful takeover of prime land in Kaduna despite court orders, and one other sent to the Kaduna State House of Assembly over the demolition of properties in the state.

Sundry issues against El-Rufai

There were other sundry issues the SSS raised against Mr El-Rufai.

These include an allegation that he once insulted Northern elders, whom the agency described as “a respected group of statesmen.”

The security report, sources also said, accused Mr El-Rufai of once describing Mr Tinubu as the most corrupt person and vowing that he would never deputise such a person with a tainted profile.

The agency also accused him of attempting to repeal Sharia law in Kaduna State in his dying days in office as Kaduna governor. This was said to be in his desperate bid to appease the Christian population in the state. According to sources, the SSS described the move as dangerous, with the possibility of triggering clashes in the state.

There are media reports quoting the speaker of the 9th Kaduna State House of Assembly, Yusuf Zailani, that members rejected a bill to scrap the Sharia and Customary Courts in the state. But a member of the House of Assembly, Yusuf Salihu, would later deny the claim.

In what appears to be political profiling, the SSS also accused the former governor of backstabbing his former bosses. Without providing verifiable details, the agency said he backstabbed former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Vice President Atiku Abubakar (who is said to have brought him into the Obasanjo administration), and the immediate-past President Muhammadu Buhari.

The agency also accused Mr El-Rufai of inconsistent character, citing his previous claim of being too old to serve as a minister and his later decision to accept Mr Tinubu’s nomination to serve in that capacity.

The agency also cited “anti-people policies” that allegedly destroyed people’s livelihoods in Kaduna State as evidence that he is unfit to hold office as minister. Such alleged anti-people actions attributed to the former governor included:

• Market demolitions without compensation or alternatives.

• Eviction and demolition of longstanding low-cost houses.

• The sacking of thousands of civil servants and removal of traditional rulers “without due process”.

In the letter to the Senate, the SSS did not attach evidence substantiating these allegations. It said investigations were still ongoing.

When contacted, Muyiwa Adekeye, the media adviser to Mr El-Rufai, declined to comment for this story.

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Celebrating Sir Edwin Ogidi-Gbegbaje At 60 By Jimmy Enyeh

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Celebrating Sir Edwin Ogidi-Gbegbaje At 60 By Jimmy Enyeh

Celebrating Sir Edwin Ogidi-Gbegbaje At 60 By Jimmy Enyeh

 

Majority of Deltans are unanimous in their submissions that the name of
Sir Edwin Ogidi-Gbegbaje, a celebrated top civil servant and retired permanent secretary in Delta State Government House has been recorded in the good side of history.

Celebrating Sir Edwin Ogidi-Gbegbaje At 60 By Jimmy Enyeh

As he clocked 60 today, family members, friends, associates and well wishers have been falling over themselves to pay tribute to a kind hearted and jolly good fellow.

 

Edwin, a scion of the famous Gbegbaje family in Ekpan, Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State, a family noted for producing top bureaucrats and influential public servants.

For 35 years until he retired in January 2024, he added values to Delta State civil service, deepening its positive nuances and was one of the people that nurtured the civil service of the young state upon creation in 1991 to its now enviable heights, setting it along with others on a trajectory that has made it one of the best in the country.

Gbegbaje’s story is far from the proverbial rags-to-riches . He was born into comfort and high society, but suddenly lost his affluent parents in his first and third years at the University of Jos, but with good counsel and guidance of relatives who were bureaucrats, Edwin Ogidi-Gbegbaje made a career choice that saw him becoming a permanent secretary at 46, a very rare feat in those days.

In an interview conducted three years ago to celebrate his 57 years, he offered a glimpse into his life, challenges and triumph. “I come from the larger Gbegbaje family in Ekpan, Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State. We have quite several branches of the genealogical tree. We have the Abesan. The patriarch of the family is Chief Gbegbaje Dasone.

“We have Oloyo Gbegbaje and Ogidi Gbegbaje. My parents were civil servants like myself. My mum was a social welfare officer who rose through the ranks.During the late Ambrose Ali administration in Bendel State, she was appointed permanent secretary. My father was a medical doctor.

“He was the first radiologist in the defunct Bendel State and second in the country. My father was the chief consultant radiologist in Bendel State. I also have an uncle, Mr. K Gbegbaje who was a permanent secretary. When he retired, he became the Chairman of Bendel State Civil Service Commission. I have an uncle who was the first Accountant-General of Kwara State. He was in the northern civil service in the 60s.He later became Chairman of National Oil. I am from a family of bureaucrats. I attended Emotan Primary School in Benin.

“I proceeded to Edo College. When I left Edo College, I had the desire to leave Benin. Even when I was admitted into UNIBEN to study Economics and Statistics, I wasn’t enthusiastic. So, I got admission to study Political Science in Jos in 1981. Prof Emovon from UNIBEN was the Vice-Chancellor in Jos at the time. As I was entering, Jos ceased being a campus of the University of Ibadan. I was there from 1981 -1985. I graduated before my 21st birthday.

“Unfortunately, I lost my dad as I was entering the university in 1981. When I was just getting into my third year, I lost my mum.

It wasn’t easy being the eldest among my siblings. In fact, I was encouraged to come for Christmas holiday in Benin without knowing that the evening of my arrival in Benin was the period of my mum’s service of songs.

“I didn’t have an inkling that such a thing had happened. I didn’t even hear that she was ill. I was shocked when I saw canopies in my compound at Ovie Whiskey Avenue close to Ekhewan Campus. A prominent Jos-based businessman from Ughelli encouraged me to visit home for Christmas.

“I graduated in 1985 and taught at a secondary school in Iko-Eket, Cross River State. Just as I was finishing, there were some advertisements for jobs. I didn’t see the one for NNPC early enough.Towards the end of 1988, my uncle who was the Chairman of Bendel State Civil Service Commission, said since I couldn’t get a private sector job, I should participate in extended interviews, especially since I had sat for ASCON examination.

“He advised me to start a career in the civil service. By the end of 1988, letters of appointment were out. I wasn’t conscious of the fact that the person who resumes first becomes the senior in service. I didn’t resume early. My uncle said I was supposed to have resumed instead of waiting to resume in the New Year. A few of my friends who were conscious of it had resumed and they became my seniors in service. I resumed on January 3, 1989.

“That was how my career started. We were supposed to come in as administrative officers Grade 7, but at that time there was a decree. So, by the time we came in, we were designated as personnel officers. We were regarded as the special class.

“Upon the creation of Delta State on August 27, 1991, we all had to move to Asaba. In fact, the movement was swift.
We were all not fully prepared for the swift movement. There was a surge of human beings into Asaba with the state creation. A lot of us couldn’t get accommodation in Asaba when we came. In fact, I stayed in Ibusa for nine years. It was when I met my wife that we moved to Asaba. A lot of my colleagues were sleeping in the offices then.

On his retirement, the Delta State governor praised Gbegbaje’s contribution to the growth of the state.

Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, at the retirement thanks-giving service of Gbegbaje, urged civil servants in the state to emulate his virtues.

Speaking at a grand reception in honour of the celebrant at the Events Centre, Asaba, Governor Oborevwori described Ogidi-Gbegbaje as an intelligent, humble, diligent, transparent, process driven, selfless, accountable and compassionate bureaucrat.

While congratulating the retired Permanent Secretary for his diligent and patriotic service to the state, Oborevwori said Ogidi-Gbegbaje was very helpful in the last seven months of his administration.

According to him, “a lot has been said about Sir Eddy Ogidi-Gbegbaje and I also have a personal experience about him while I was Speaker and in the last seven months as Governor of Delta State, we have worked very closely and he helped me to settle down quickly.

“Sir Ogidi-Gbegbaje played his role very well, he is diligent in his duties and was always giving good and useful advise wherever he worked.

“Your service to humanity is something worth emulating and I must say that I enjoyed working with you. I congratulate you for 35 years of unblemished and meritorious service to the government and people of Delta State.

“We are going to miss you, the civil service will miss you, the machinery of government will miss you, you are retired but you are not tired, and your service is still needed.

“I want other civil servants to emulate your commitment to duty. So my message to other civil servants is that they should emulate Edwin Ogidi-Gbegbaje.

“If you look at his journey in the civil service from Bendel to Delta, you see his commitment to duty. Today, he has finished strong and we rejoice with him and his family”.

Chairman of the occasion and former Minister of Information, Professor Sam Oyovbaire, congratulated the celebrant for a successful retirement from service and urged other civil servants to emulate his kind virtues and commitment to duty.

From all indications, Edwin Ogidi-Gbagbaje is worth celebrating, he has touched numerous lives in the last six decades.

At the cusp of his 60th anniversary, the social and the civil service landscapes pulse with milestones he has achieved thus reasserting his worth as a rare force of nature. As family and friends join him in celebrating his 60th birthday, the image that pops into head is that of his genius and the passionate intensity he possesses, literally squizing water from stone as far as the public service is concerned. His brilliant performance as a permanent secretary, Delta State Government House, has earned him another appointment. He is currently the Chairman, Delta State Bureau for Pension and has been giving a splendid account of himself.

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“In All Life’s Hardships, Keep Your Smile” By Prudent Ludidi

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"In All Life's Hardships, Keep Your Smile" By Prudent Ludidi

“In All Life’s Hardships, Keep Your Smile” By Prudent Ludidi

Let’s talk about a powerful tool that can help you navigate life’s challenges with confidence, resilience, and hope. That tool is your smile.

 

Life can be tough. It can throw us curveballs, test our resolve, and push us to our limits. But in the midst of hardship, it’s easy to lose sight of what truly matters. We forget to smile, forget to laugh, and forget to live.

"In All Life's Hardships, Keep Your Smile" By Prudent Ludidi

Your smile is more than just a facial expression. It’s a symbol of strength, courage, and determination. It’s a beacon of hope that shines brightly, even in the darkest moments.

When life gets tough, it’s tempting to frown, to cry, or to give up. But I urge you to do the opposite. Smile. Smile through the tears, smile through the pain, and smile through the struggles.

Smiling doesn’t mean you’re ignoring your problems or pretending everything is okay. It means you’re choosing to rise above, to find the silver lining, and to focus on the good.

Your smile has the power to transform your mindset, inspire others, diffuse tension, and heal emotional wounds. It’s a powerful antidote to stress, anxiety, and fear.

Think about it. When was the last time you smiled? Really smiled? Not just a polite smile or a forced grin, but a genuine, heartwarming smile?

Smiling can:

Reduce stress and anxiety
Boost your mood and energy
Improve your relationships
Increase your resilience

So, how can you keep your smile shining bright, even in the face of adversity?

Find the humor in difficult situations. Laughter is a powerful way to shift your perspective and lighten the load.

Practice gratitude daily. Focus on the good things in your life, no matter how small they may seem.

Surround yourself with positivity. Spend time with people who uplift and support you.

Take care of your physical and mental well-being. Get enough sleep, exercise regularly, and prioritize self-care.

Remember, your smile is contagious. It can light up a room, brighten someone’s day, and change the atmosphere.

In all life’s hardships, keep your smile. It’s a reminder that better days are ahead, that you’re stronger than you think, and that you’re not alone.

Your smile is your superpower. Use it to overcome obstacles, to uplift others, and to create a ripple effect of joy and positivity.

Don’t let life’s challenges steal your smile. Keep shining, keep smiling, and keep pushing forward.

You are stronger than you think.

You are braver than you feel.

And you are capable of overcoming anything that comes your way.

So, smile. Smile with confidence. Smile with courage. Smile with hope!

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Lagos State’s Stability is a Barometer for Nigeria’s Stability – Amb. Tukur Buratai

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Lagos State’s Stability is a Barometer for Nigeria’s Stability – Amb. Tukur Buratai

Lagos State’s Stability is a Barometer for Nigeria’s Stability – Amb. Tukur Buratai

 

The Former Chief of Army Staff (COAS, Nigerian Army) and Former Nigeria’s Ambassador to the Republic of Benin, Ambassador (Lt General rtd) Tukur Yusufu Buratai, CFR has said that Lagos State has all the qualifications of a modern city and is one of the most populated cities in Sub – Saharan Africa. He went further to affirm that Lagos is also indicative of the degree to which Nigeria’s economic, political, social, and cultural landscape is deeply embedded within the global system.

 

Lagos State’s Stability is a Barometer for Nigeria’s Stability – Amb. Tukur Buratai

He made this assertion on Wednesday 20th November, 2024 as the keynote Speaker at the Second Edition of the Lagos State University of Education Security Summit, with the theme: Insecurity, Cost of Living and Good Governance in the 21st Century.

 

 

Ambassador Tukur Buratai, while delivering the lecture in a paper titled: Lagos in Nigeria’s National Security and Defence Architecture: An Analysis.

 

 

Ambassador Tukur Buratai postulated in his paper that, “The presence of strategic military installations, the verse Atlantic Ocean and extensive coastline has placed Lagos State on the strategic defense map of the Armed Forces of Nigeria”, He said further that, ” While the sea provides a strategic economic status it could also be vulnerable to external attacks across the ocean”.

 

In his paper, Ambassador Tukur Buratai reiterated that the Lagos State government should begin to look at the options and implications of having its own security.

 

Ambassador Tukur Buratai also emphasized the urgent necessity to bolster our nation’s troop level to 800,000. He said a larger and more robust force will enhance operational readiness, improve our country’s capacity to respond to various contingencies, and strengthen our alliance on the international stage.

 

 

He also called for the establishment of a Marine Corps for the Nigerian Navy to be strategically stationed in key regions such as Lagos, Borno, Cross River, and Port Harcourt.

 

 

He also raised the pressing issue of the persistent lack of stable power supply in Lagos. He asserted that the Lagos State Government must urgently prioritize the development of independent power generation.

 

Ambassador Tukur Buratai also lauded the Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s strategy regarding security in Lagos, which provides an example for governor’s throughout Nigeria. He said the governor recognizes that genuine security transcends mere physical presence or reactive measures. He commended the governor’s innovative approach, which has redefined the urban governance, and has also set a benchmark for other states to follow.

 

 

Ambassador Tukur Buratai also recalled that during his tenure as the Chief of Army Staff, he had the distinct privilege of witnessing the fruitful collaboration between the Nigerian Army and Lagos State under the leadership of Former Governor Ambode and now Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

 

 

Ambassador Buratai, during the lecture, also appluaded the Lagos State Government on its infrastructural development in Lagos State, especially the Red and Blue Railway lines.

 

Ambassador Tukur Buratai also commended the Federal Government interventions in the development of Lagos State, while applauding the construction of the Lagos to Calabar Highway, he adviced the Lagos State and Federal Government on the security implications of opening up the high way, he suggested to the government to be proactive by early planning for its security when opened and becomes operational.

 

Earlier, the Vice Chancellor of the Lagos State University of Education, Prof B. B Lafiaji-Okuneye welcomed Ambassador Tukur Buratai to the institution. In her words, she said, ” The great warlord and global peace ambassador is visiting our great institution for the first time. Sir, we appreciate you and what you stand for. Your desire for a Nigeria that is peaceful and safe, where the citizens and residents are free and are given every opportunity to prove their worth and contribute to the growth and development of the nation is evident “.

 

 

While making his contribution during the summit, the Commissioner of Tertiary Education, Lagos State, appreciated and commended Ambassador Buratai for adding value to the security summit and more importantly adding value to the Lagos State University of Education. The Commissioner also drew the attention of the participants of the summit to parts of Ambassador Buratai’s paper, where he elaborated on the strategy of social inclusiveness rather than the use of force to curb insecurity.

 

 

The Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Barr Tolani Sule on behalf of the Lagos State University of Education, presented a Plague of Honour to Ambassador Buratai for his role in nation building.

 

 

Other discussant at the Summit included, HRM, Oba Kamorudeen Animashaun, (Arolugbade 11, the Oloja of Epe Land and the Vice Chairman, Lagos State Council of Obas and Chiefs), HRM, Oba Momodu Afolabi Ashafa ( The Aladi of Ijanikin Kingdom), HRM, Oba (Dr) Aina Josiah Olanrewaju ( IKUYAMIKU 1, the Oloto of Oto Awori Kingdom) and HRH, Oba Babatunde Ogunlaja JP ( ALADESHOYIN, the Paramount Ruler of Odo – Noforija Kingdom), all of whom spoke on the theme :Insecurity, Cost of Living and Good Governance in the 21st Century.

 

 

The event which was attended by various Traditional Rulers, Members of the Governing Council and Senate of the Institution, the Commissioner of Tertiary Education in Lagos State, Barr Tolani Sule, Captain of Industries, Security and Para Military Chiefs in Lagos State, various invited guests and the students.

 

 

Ambassador Tukur Buratai’s delegation to the summit included, Lt General Lamidi Adeosun (rtd), Former Chief of Policy and Plans, Nigerian Army, Colonel Emmanuel Adegbola (rtd), Comrade Oladimeji Odeyemi, Alhaja Toyyibat Adeosun, Alhaji Isa Dogo amongst others.

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