Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) has challenged traditional rulers, religious and community leaders to champion the campaign against substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking in their communities and spheres of influence.
Marwa gave the charge at different occasions in Igumale, Ado local government area and Otukpo in Benue state on Sunday 22nd and Monday 23rd January respectively. The NDLEA boss was in Igumale to perform the ground-breaking ceremony of the Agency’s Area Command office in the community.
Speaking at the palace of the community’s monarch, Chief Joseph Oche Ikor, Marwa urged the traditional ruler to see the siting of an NDLEA office in his domain as a call to mobilise his people to reject substance abuse and support ongoing efforts to eliminate access to illicit drugs wreaking havocs in families and communities.
In his remarks at the foundation laying ceremony and the commissioning of a 20-kilometre road facilitated by the member representing Ado-Ogbadigbo-Okpokwu Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives and who incidentally is the Chairman, House Committee on Narcotic Drugs, Hon. Francis Ottah Agbo, Marwa said “both developments are signs of the importance of this community and local government to Nigeria’s welfare and also a testament that communities in this corner of the country are not left out of the dividends of democracy by its leaders.”
While commending Hon. Agbo for his passion and commitment to the effort to make Nigeria a drug-free country, he told the community that the lawmaker is at the the cusp of making history with his sponsorship of a bill to make political office seekers take the Dug Integrity Test, from the lowest position of councillorship to the highest office in the country. “At the same time, he has also been one of the key drivers of the amendment of the NDLEA Act which we are hopeful will be passed by the National Assembly before the end of the tenure of the Ninth Assembly. Even as he worked on the national stage, he also remains an embodiment of the saying that “charity begins at home.”
Admonishing the community, Marwa said “I will also want to use this opportunity to appeal to the good people of this constituency to do their utmost to ensure we keep our communities clean of illicit drugs. Keeping Nigeria safe from dangerous substances is the mandate of NDLEA; the mandate, however, cannot be attained without the contribution of Nigerians. We have created a vehicle to facilitate the participation of the citizenry, which is the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign. It is a social advocacy which we are going to taking to every community in this country. We started in 2021 and in the past two years, we have succeeded in getting WADA to the doorsteps of our people at the grassroots.
As we intensify the campaign this year, I enjoin every one of you to be a part of this platform for social action where all well-meaning Nigerians become stakeholders in the concerted effort to safeguard the safety and sanity of our society against the drug scourge.”
Speaking during a WADA advocacy visit to the Ochi’Idoma of Idoma land, Agabaidu Elaigwu Odogbo Obagaji John, on Monday 23rd January, Marwa said traditional rulers as leaders of their people must embrace the campaign against the drug scourge in the interest of the youths, families and the security of their communities and the country as a whole.
In their responses, the monarchs and other community leaders who spoke at the different ceremonies promised to support the Marwa-led Agency to succeed in its given task while also assuring that they would work with NDLEA to rid their domains of illicit drugs.
Ethnos, a cybersecurity firm based in Lagos Nigeria, marked a significant milestone at the Tech Fair 2023 organized by Zenith Bank by introducing Aquila, a mobile application scanning and security solution. This strategic move solidifies Ethnos’ position as an innovative cybersecurity firms in the country, showcasing their commitment to advancing cybersecurity through groundbreaking innovation.
The introduction of Aquila was took at the just concluded Tech Fair 2023, where Ethnos captivated technology enthusiasts, stakeholders and spectators with an impressive display of their world-class mobile application solution.
Peter Ejiofor, the Chief Executive Officer of Ethnos expressed his enthusiasm for the invitation to the fair by Zenith Bank Plc, highlighting the confidence and trust the bank has placed in Ethnos over the years.
Ejiofor stated, “Being part of this event is a testament to the level of confidence Zenith Bank and the organizers have in us. Our longstanding relationship with the bank has been instrumental in establishing this trust. We are here to showcase our expertise, built over decades in the cybersecurity domain, and highlight our commitment to providing top-notch solutions.”
Addressing the media, Ejiofor explained, “that Aquila is a powerful software that scans .apk, ipa files for vulnerabilities, including comprehensive protection and monitoring of your mobile apps for potential threats. This development aligns with our mission to bring world-class cybersecurity solutions to their customers and empower local talent in the field.”
Olamide Ajayi, head, development for Aquila, emphasized the significance of their product, stating, “Aquila is security platform that scans mobile apps for insceure data storage, insecure communications, weak authentication, insufficient cryptography, weak authorisation, client code quality, code tampering and lots more. The platform also prevents your app from reverse engineering and safeguarding it against cyber threats. It is a must-have solution for organisations that have mobile application ensuring the security of their products from breaches.”
In addition to aquila, Ethnos also presented her cost efficient Managed SIEM solution designed for cyber threat monitoing, prevention and remediation. Miracle Chukwudebe, a Security Architect with Ethnos, highlighted their focus on providing affordable cybersecurity solutions for small businesses. “We understand the budget constraints faced by SMEs, and that’s why we offer Managed Security solutions that are cost-effective.”
Ejiofor concluded, “As an organization, we take pride in our world-class team, comprising Security Architects, Implementers, Engineers, Consultants, Developers, Product Managers, and Customer Experience Personnel. Working diligently to ensure the safety of their clients’ cyber assets.”
Ethnos also showcased some of their security solutions including Security Training, Managed Security Services, Compliance Certification (BAU), CISO as a Service. The event also served as a platform to announce their latest offerings, particularly in the realm of Managed SIEM Platform, designed to improve the protection of digital asset.
The Zenith Bank Tech Fair 2023, dedicated to fostering a deeper understanding and utilization of emerging technologies, features Zecathon, providing startups and tech enthusiasts with a platform to present innovative solutions.
The fair also includes a tech exhibition with leading IT firms, spanning cybersecurity solution providers to Fintechs. Exceptional ideas presented at the fair stand a chance to win grants and support from Zenith Bank.Ethnos is a leading indigenous cybersecurity firm committed to providing world-class cybersecurity solutions.
With decades of experience, Ethnos has established itself as a trusted partner for businesses, offering a comprehensive suite of services to safeguard against cyber threats.
Transnational Corporation Plc (Transcorp) has won four awards at the International Business Magazine Awards 2023, highlighting the company’s outstanding performance and dedication to corporate governance, as well as environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards.
The company emerged victorious in four key categories: Most Diversified Conglomerate in Nigeria 2023, Best Corporate Governance Company Nigeria 2023, Best ESG Conglomerate in Nigeria 2023, and Best CSR Initiatives Nigeria 2023.
Transcorp Plc has long been a trailblazer in the industry, and these awards serve as a testament to the company’s unwavering commitment to excellence across various parts of its operations.
International Business Magazine conducts its annual awards ceremony annually to commemorate the top companies of Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia and The Americas.
Transcorp Group is a publicly quoted Conglomerate with a shareholder base of approximately 300,000. The Group’s diverse portfolio comprises strategic investments in the Power, Hospitality, and Energy sectors. Among its notable businesses are Transcorp Hilton Abuja, Transcorp Hotels Calabar, Transcorp Power, Transafam Power, and Transcorp Energy.
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has congratulated popular television presenter, Dr. Morayo Afolabi-Brown, on her appointment as the Managing Director of TVCe, the Entertainment Channel of TVC Communications.
He said the new role given to Afolabi-Brown, the host of the TVC’s breakfast programme, ‘Your View’ is well deserved.
Governor Sanwo-Olu in a statement issued on Thursday by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Gboyega Akosile, said Afolabi-Brown’s appointment as Managing Director of TVCe is inspirational to young media practitioners that they can get to the top position of their career with hardwork, commitment and discipline.
He said: “The appointment of Dr. Morayo Afolabi-Brown as the Managing Director of TVCe, the Entertainment Channel of TVC Communications, is deserving having distinguished herself at TVC Communications and the media industry for almost two decades.
“Morayo Afolabi-Brown is one of the most influential women presenters not only in Nigeria but Africa. She has been recognised as one of the top 25 most influential women in Journalism Africa (WIJA) 2020 where she ranked 18th on the list.
“I believe strongly that Morayo Afolabi-Brown’s new appointment is an inspiration to young media practitioners, particularly members of staff of TVC Communications, that they can get to the top of their career in the company if they put in a little more than is expected from them by their employers.
“Morayo Afolabi-Brown’s new role attests to her exceptional track record of achievements in TVC Communications as a former Deputy Director of Programmes TVC News, where she created content on three independent channels for broadcast. She has also made a lot of impact as a host in addressing basic issues in society through the TVC’s breakfast show ‘Your View,’ programme.