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101 students graduate at Regular Course of Foreign Service Academy

By Isaac Taiwo
05 June 2019   |   2:56 am
One hundred and one students received pat on the back for successful completion of their nine months intensive training at their graduation and closing ceremony of the 23rd Regular Course of the Nigerian Foreign Service Academy....

PHOTO:AFP

One hundred and one students received pat on the back for successful completion of their nine months intensive training at their graduation and closing ceremony of the 23rd Regular Course of the Nigerian Foreign Service Academy which took place at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ijanikin with Fagboyegun Olatinuolawa emerged as the student having the overall best result.
Congratulating the graduating officers, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama reminded them of the privilege of finding themselves in an elite establishment and should therefore be ready to live up to expectation bearing in mind the fact that to whom much is given, much is expected.

He also hinted them on the importance of living up to the ideals of the noble and unique profession as diplomats which calls for stepping up the skills they have acquired that compels them to say and do things in a diplomatic way.

“Your career is such that exposes you to public sphere on which our image as a country rests.“Your job is the type that is demanding that is to say, it is not a career for the lazy but hardworking people which gives you the benefit of visiting countries all over the world.

“This is a challenging time as you are going to operate in the world faced with crisis, tensions, aggressions, environmental and climate change challenges, kidnapping, political instability among others. This is a difficult time and yet in the midst of all these, you are to defend Nigeria and uphold her integrity” he said.

The Minister charged them to be a trail blazer for others to emulate, have passion for what they are doing and always reminding themselves that they are representing a big country in any nation they find themselves.He told them the importance of continuing to improve themselves academically which is the only way they would continue to rise.

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Mustapha Sulaiman told the graduating officers of the need to take pride in who they are, build on the antecedents of their predecessors and always remind themselves that they are representing the most populous country in Africa any country they find themselves.

Director, Foreign Service Academy, Dr. Cyprian Terseer Heen told the officers to continue with all they have been taught, having it in mind that with determination, there is nothing impossible to achieve as they continue to improve themselves academically.
Director-General, National Intelligence Agency, Ahmed Rufai Abubakar told the officers to have it in mind that they have found themselves in a terrain that is changing continuously by a list of factors, events and policies and be ready to live up to standard.

Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode who was represented by the Secretary to the Lagos State Government, Adesina Odeyemi told the officers to be ready to be good ambassadors of Nigeria anywhere they find themselves in the world.

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