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NEWS

We ‘ll Work Closer With Ukraine, President Buhari Pledges

Nigeria will partner further with Ukraine to the benefit of both countries, President Muhammadu Buhari has assured.

The President spoke at State House, Abuja, Tuesday, while receiving in farewell audience the outgoing Ambassador of Ukraine, His Excellency Dr. Valeril Aleksandruk, who had spent over four years in Nigeria.

Ukraine currently collaborates with Nigeria in the areas of education, military cooperation, space exploration, and many others.

The outgoing Ambassador said: “There are almost 5,000 Nigerians currently studying in Ukraine. And the number increases every year. Education is a great investment for the future.”

Dr. Aleksandruk added that his country also supplies Nigeria military hardware and ammunition, particularly to fight insurgency, and also informed that two agreements have been signed by the countries on space exploration.

“We are ready for new level in bilateral relations,” the Ambassador submitted.

President Buhari wished him well in further assignments his country would give him.

Femi Adesina

Special Adviser to the President

(Media and Publicity)

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NEWS

UNIOSUN Medical Students Return From Ukraine, Become Medical Doctors
Thirty-five of 85 medical students of the Osun State University who were sent to Ukraine University for medical studies by Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s administration have returned to Osun.
The medical doctors checkout at the Arrival post of the Muritala Muhammed Airport, Lagos few minutes past 9pm on Saturday night and were received by a state government delegation led by the Commissioner for Innovation, Science and Technology, Engr Remi Omowaiye and Special Adviser to the governor on Higher Education, Bursary and Scholarship, Prof Grace Akinola.
They returned home after graduating from the the V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, Kharkov, Ukraine and certified as medical doctors.
About 15 of the medical students stayed back in Ukraine for future pursuit.
It would be recalled that 50 of the 85 UNIOSUN students recently graduated and were inducted as qualified medical doctors after passing the 2017 KROK 2 Ukraine National Medical Exams June this year.
The UNIOSUN students were sent to Ukraine by the Aregbesola’s administration to complete their medical studies in Ukraine in 2013 as a result of non-availability of teaching hospital for their clinical studies.
One of the medical students, Miss Latifat Abiola Oyeleye was declared the over best medical student of the Karazin Kharkiv National University as well as the 2017 overall best students in the entire Ukraine with an outstanding score of 95.6% in KROK 2 Exams.
Receiving the young doctors at the Government House, Osogbo, Aregbesola welcomed them and urged them to let their skills, knowledge and education speak for them.
Aregbesola explained that sending the students to Ukraine was not about nationalism but about justice and fairness, stating that the students were admitted for medicine and it behoved the university and government to fulfill their obligations.
He said: “We had advertised the medical course and admitted the students, it is the obligation of the government to see the students through the program. Human being will only succeed when he upholds justice and fairness. So, what informed our decision on this students is justice and fairness.
Aregbesola who said education is not about one discipline but about having skills, motivation and knowledge, said he was happy and proud for the success in their academic program.
The governor urged the young doctors to be professional, humane and Godly in discharging their duties in hospitals and everywhere they find themselves.
In their remarks, the students attributed their academic success Aregbesola’s commitment to promoting functional education and concern on their plights when they were stranded in UNIOSUN.
They promised to embark on service to humanity and give back to the community, particular Osun state in appreciation of their free medical studies.
Oyeleye, the overall best students said: “I am one of the beneficiaries of Aregbesola’s gesture, I am one of the 85 medical students sponsored by his administration to one of the best universities in the world.
“We have studied and graduated. We thank God that today, we have been made medical doctors through the support of Osun Government. It is a dream comes true for me and my family.
“Osun Government has made history through this, Governor Aregbesola has done excellently well in our lives to attain this giant feat in academic because if not for him, we might not be celebrated like this today.”
Another beneficiary, Dr. Oluwasayo Motunrayo said, “I will forever be grateful to Aregbesola for making our dreams come to pass. He has done well to ensure that we did not fail in meeting up with our medical carrier in life.”
Ezekoye Maria, an indigene of Anambra state, who is part of the medical students, said: “We had lost hope when there was no teaching hospital to proceed to for out medical studies at UNIOSUN, we were all stranded.
“But Governor Aregbesola restored our hope, he made us realise our dreams by sending us to one of the best universities in Ukraine for medical studies free of charge. Today, we are certified medical doctors. We are all proud of Osun government.
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NEWS

Diversification: @SpeakerDogara Seeks Economic Partnership With Ukraine

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon Ya?kubu Dogara, has urged the government of Ukraine to partner with Nigeria to diversify its economy and invest in the solid mineral, agriculture and renewable energy sectors. This was contained in a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the Speaker on Media and Public Affairs, Mr Turaki Hassan. ?Dogara made the appeal on Tuesday when he received the ambassador of Ukraine, Mr Villari Alexandruk in his office.

The Speaker assured the ambassador that the present administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is putting structures in place to check corrupt practices in order to make Nigeria’s business environment more conducive for investors. He also added that the House of Representatives is reviewing laws to ensure that those policies which are crucial to investments in Nigeria are updated in line with global best practices.

?”Recently, we have been talking about laws relating to doing business in Nigeria and we have formed a committee of experts that are looking into those laws. I have also been engaging the chambers of commerce and the section of the Nigerian Bar Association on Business Law to take a look at the entire gourmet of laws relating to business in Nigeria and suggest ways through which we can effectively amend those laws to protect investments that are coming to Nigeria, and to create a very competitive environment such that we do not lose business to other countries in Africa which may be considered more transparent.

“Corruption has been the bane in this country; the current administration is, however, very determined to nip this in the bud. We aim to fight corruption to a standstill; to a point where it is substantially reduced in such a way that we can compete with other nations that are rated very high in terms of transparency in doing business,” he stated.

?The Speaker acknowledged Ukraine’s support in Nigeria’s ongoing battle against insurgency and terrorism, particularly in the North East, while adding that the government is committed to ending the insurgency and restoring the country to the path of sanity.

“We are aware that there is equally an unshaken commitment of the government to put an end to terrorism,” he said.

Earlier, Ambassador Alexandruk expressed the interest of his country in economic partnership with Nigeria and establishing a parliamentary friendship group to improve the relationship between the parliaments of both countries.

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NEWS

Nigeria To Expand Diplomatic Relations With Ukraine – VP Osinbajo

Nigeria will soon expand its diplomatic relationship with Ukraine, exploring new areas of mutual benefit to both countries.

This indication was given earlier today by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, while receiving the Ukrainian Ambassdor Mr. Valerii Aleksandruk in his office at the Presidential Villa.

“Very soon we will be signing outstanding bilateral agreements” the Vice President told the Ukrainian envoy while recalling with gratitude government scholarships that Nigerian students have benefited from in the Eastern European nation.

 

Prof. Osinbajo hinted that the Buhari administration will be interested in working with Ukraine in the areas of Agriculture and Steel sectors besides the ongoing cooperation in education.  According to him Nigeria looks forward to the setting up of a Bi-National Commission that will deal with the various issues and expand relationship between both countries.

The Vice President expressed Nigeria’s gratitude to Ukraine for its support in the areas of security including in the fight against the insurgents saying “we hope for more cooperation until we put down the evil of terrorism.

 

Earlier, the Ambassador of Ukraine informed the VP that there are a number of bilateral agreements waiting to be signed by the two countries in order to deepen the existing bilateral relations.    He said there were about 5000 Nigerian students in Ukraine and appreciated Nigeria’s support of his country at the  United Nations Security Council, where Nigeria is currently a member.

 

In a related development, the Vice President also received a delegation from the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies which included the African Union Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information, Mrs Pancy Tlakula.  Commenting on the free flow of information in the internet age,       Prof. Osinbajo expressed the optimism that what could not be obtained years back is made possible today with the use of internet.  He said “internet technology helps in terms of access to information, in fact, what we thought years ago was impossible is now made dramatically possible.” According to him, “whoever tries to hide information now has very little hiding place as internet provides immediate access to information which greatly helps us.”

 

He noted that freedom of information is important as people will have access to what government is all about.  He however, expressed that people must be taught on how to make freedom of information law more practically useful, stressing that some of the challenges are illiteracy and the issue of reasonable “internet journalism.”

 

Highlighting the challenges of freedom of information, Prof. Osinbajo identified literacy as important factor and that is why government now is rehabilitating and educating the children who have been displaced by insurgency that disrupted education activities in the North for about six years.  “We are now coming up with how to educate the 10 million children and deal with the issue of adult literacy as well”, he stated.

 

Earlier, Mrs Pancy Tlakula said she has been in the country on the invitation of the Institute for Advanced Legal Studies, to attend a memorial lecture and had been holding meetings particularly with those that are responsible for access to information and freedom of expression. She said her message is that Nigeria has gone a long way in making Freedom of Information a reality for the people, noting that what is left is for the country to step up the implementation of Freedom of Information law. She also said that it is through this that the right to information will be a reality to the ordinary people.

 

A delegation of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, (SSANU) also paid a courtesy call on the Vice President on Friday.

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