Felix Morka, National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) said the money that reportedly lost at the party’s mational secretariat does not belong to the party.

Morka said the loss is neither connected with proceeds of sale of forms nor with relocation of the venue for the collection of expression of interest and nomination forms from the secretariat grounds to the International Conference Centre (ICC), as erroneously reported by the media.

There were media media reports that $75,000 which is about N43,000,000 in Nigeria’s currency allegedly got missing at the APC national secretariat, Abuja on Wednesday.

But Morka in a statement on Thursday denying the report said only $50,000 was lost by an individual around the entrance gate of the national secretariat.

The Federal Government says that the country is safe to host the first Global Conference on Cultural Tourism and Creative Industry scheduled for Nov. 14 to Nov. 17 in Lagos.

The Minister of Information and Culture Alhaji Lai Mohammed said this when he featured on a phone-in programme of the Radio Nigeria monitored by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

NAN reports that Nigeria was given the hosting right for the maiden global event by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) at a meeting held at the organisation’s headquarters in Madrid Spain on April 19.

Mohammed said the insinuation in certain quarters that participants and tourists would not attend the conference because of stories of killings and kidnappings in the country are erroneous.

President Muhammadu Buhari has advised those planning to rig the 2023 general elections to perish the thought, vowing to use every legitimate means to protect the votes of Nigerians.

Those planning to rig the forthcoming elections should think twice because I intend to resolutely protect and defend the sacred will of the Nigerian people, to be expressed through the ballot box,’’ the President declared at an Iftar dinner with members of the Diplomatic Corps.

President Buhari also cautioned against foreign interference in the forthcoming elections.

Addressing the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the Nigerian leader called for greater consideration for humanitarian conditions in the affected areas in the ongoing crisis, warning that the conflict will get worse, if an immediate resolution is not found.

The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, on Thursday said that the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), would, on April 30, graduate no fewer than 49 Branch Commission (BC) cadets and 1,549 recruits.

Amao, represented by the NAF Chief of Policy and Plans, AVM Charles Ohwo, disclosed this at a maiden combined “beating of retreat” for BC 1/2022 and Basic Military Training Course (BMTC) 42/2021 at the NAF Military Training Centre in Kaduna.

According to reports, ‘Beating the Retreat’ dates back to 16th century England when it was devised as a means to call troops back to the castle at the end of a working day.

He, therefore, said the beating of the retreat would mark the end of formal military training exercises and other organized activities for the recruits and cadets.

He congratulated the cadets and recruits for their successful training, noting that it entailed rigorous and challenging academic and outdoor tactical exercises, especially for the cadets, considering the limited period of their training.

He enjoined them to avoid needless distractions and maintain focus and urged them to continually internalise, utilise and build upon the training and important lessons they gained which were hard work with integrity.

He said the graduands should put the nation ahead of themselves and seek excellence in the performance of all tasks.

Amao also urged them to place national and service interests ahead of self-interest at all times and be ready to defend the territorial integrity of Nigeria and its interests at all costs.

He commended the Commandant of the Military Training Centre for his commitment towards effective service delivery that ensured the smooth conduct in the training of the cadets and recruits.

Earlier, the Commandant, Military Training Centre, Air Commodore Babatunde Phillips, noted that training of the cadets and the recruits in the Centre was appraised in line with one of the key visions of the CAS which is to foster a disciplined workforce essential for combat readiness.

He said that the Cadets and recruits were taken through rigours of physical fitness and mental alertness, weapon handling and field training, discipline, regimentation and teamwork through the intensive drills, internal security duties, and basic intelligence, among others.

He added that the Cadets and recruits were taken to Air Force hill several times on exercises and organized various sporting events and obstacle crossing competitions to build their stamina and sharpen their reflexes.

“On weapon handling and field training, we conducted three range exercises, culminating into a shooting competition. During these exercises, the cadets and the recruits fired the FN Rifle, Tavor rifle, AR – M5T assault rifle and FN Pistol.

“We also conducted two bush camping exercises to consolidate the cadets and the recruits’ understanding of the theoretical lessons on-field training and to give them a feel of a real live operation through simulated exercises,” Phillips said.