Unongu Shares Mind

The federal government has released a new directive on how President Muhammadu Buhari should be addressed at formal functions. The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, gave the directive in a circular sent to ministries, departments and agencies of the federal government. “Government has observed with concern the inconsistent manner in which the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria is addressed during Official and Private functions. It has therefore become necessary to have a standard format for addressing him at such formal occasions,” Mr. Mustapha wrote in the circular dated January 26. “To this end, Mr. President shall henceforth be addressed as ‘‘MUHAMMADU BUHARI, PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA.’’ except in purely Armed Forces Programmes, where “COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE ARMED FORCES OF FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA” will be added. “All concerned persons should accordingly be guided and ensure strict compliance with the content

PRESS RELEASE Benin Monarch Partners NAPTIP Against Human Trafficking The Benin Traditional Institution is to work with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) to stem the tide of human trafficking in Edo State and Nigeria in General. This was the outcome of the advocacy visit of the Director-General of NAPTIP, Dame Julie Okah-Donli to His Majesty, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II Ogidigan, Oba of Benin Kingdom, in Benin City, the Edo State capital. The Director-General had led a team of NAPTIP officials to the Royal father to enlist the support of the traditional institution in Edo State and in particular the Benin Kingdom in the fight against human trafficking bearing in mind the endemic nature of the State in human trafficking and the image problem accompanying that status. She urged the Oba of Benin to join NAPTIP in its renewed efforts at stopping the juju priests in Benin from further administering oaths on victims of human

PRESS RELEASE Youth Migration: NAPTIP Boss Calls for Conducive Environment for Employment Creation The Provision of a conducive environment for direct foreign investment into Nigeria remains the panacea to the mass unemployment problem in Nigeria. The Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) Dame Julie Okah-Donli said this in Benin City, the Edo State capital while delivering a lecture at the University of Benin as part of activities marking the 60th birthday ceremony of businessman and philanthropist, Captain (Dr) Idahosa Wells Okunbo. She was speaking on the topic: Youth Migration, Deportation and Rehabilitation: The Way Forward, under the theme: Youth Migration, Consequences and Current Realities, Some of the issues she identified as capable of making the environment conducive for foreign direct investments include: development and maintenance of Infrastructure, security, strengthening the Economy and provision of Social Sec

Dame Julie Okah-Donli, the Director-General, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), on Wednesday called for the closure of detention camps across the world. Okah-Donli made the call when she received representatives from the UK Parliament and its House of Lords in NAPTIP office on Wednesday in Benin. She advocated that instead of detention camps, shelters should be provided where illegal migrants could stay for at least a month before deportation to their countries. According to her, the forceful repatriation of illegal migrants and victims of human trafficking hinges on their fundamental human rights. She said that there was the need for justice for the victims as they were entitled to lawyers, lamenting that these victims were not usually given such rights by the countries repatriating them. According to her, there is need for shared intelligence between countries repatriating illegal migrants and receiving countries. This she noted had not been

The Federal Government has promised improved funding for the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) in the current fiscal year. The Promise was given by the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Human Rights, Hon Edward Gyang Pwajok during the budget defence by NAPTIP at the National Assembly. It will be recalled the the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, had few months ago while playing host to the Director General of NAPTIP, Dame Julie Okah-Donli expressed satisfaction with the activities of the Agency and promised that the National Assembly will scale up the budgetary allocation to the Agency in order to boost its operations. Speaking after the submission by the Director of of NAPTIP, Dame Julie Okah-Donli who was represented by the Director, Finance and Account, Dr. Hassan Ndanusa, the lawmaker who was impressed with the prudent utilization of the resources allocated to the Agency in the previous year pointed out that the current funding a