Uphold discipline, patriotism in S’Leone, D-G charges TAC volunteers

By Maureen Okon

Abuja, June 29, 2024

Dr Yusuf Yakub, the Director-General, Directorate of Technical Aid Corps (DTAC), has urged the Technical Aid Corps (TAC) volunteers, deployed to Sierra Leone to uphold discipline and behave as patriotic citizens.

Yakub gave the advice in Abuja on Saturday at a deployment exercise for 18 TAC volunteers being sent to Sierra Leone.

He said that the deployment was in line with the mandate of the directorate to bridge the educational gap in Africa, Caribbean and the Pacific (ACP) countries.

The D-G lauded the TAC volunteers for deciding to serve humanity and their country by volunteering to give their professional services to other African countries.

According to him, the Corps is deploying the volunteers to serve humanity and their fellow African country that is in need of professionals to bridge the educational gap in that country.

“We also send volunteers to ACP countries to bridge the educational gaps in these countries as soft power diplomacy.

“We have been deploying TAC volunteers for the past 37 years. So, as you go there we expect you to conduct yourselves and be good ambassadors of this great country Nigeria.

“That is why you are wearing the Nigerian colours as a symbols of respect and honour. So, be of good behaviour, uphold our integrity by bringing a good name to our country.

“This is a very strong foreign policy of the Nigerian government which we use to deploy soft power diplomacy through technical aid to our brothers in the ACP countries.

“So, Nigeria as one of the super powers among the community of nations has introduced this very important foreign policy for the past 37 years and has been sustaining it.

“Through foreign policy instrument, we have developed friendship with so many countries of the world which is of great importance to our dear country Nigeria,’’ he said.

Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), some of the volunteers said the initiative of the Nigerian government to render soft power diplomacy to other African countries was a commendable one.

Mr. Benham Batari, a Nurse Anesthetics’ and Ukoma Nnoma, a Medical Doctor, expressed their commitment to make Nigeria proud by being good ambassadors of Nigeria while rendering their professional expertise in that country.

NAN reports in Abuja that the TAC volunteers went through a selection process of over 10,000 entries made from various medical fields ranging from doctors, nurses and researchers, amongst others, to be chosen as volunteers.

After the exercise, 18 qualified TAC volunteers who are professional practitioners, were selected to render their services to humanity to the host country, Sierra Leone.

Others previously sent by this selection of 10, 000 entries were 11 to the Gambia and 11 to Uganda from the engineering fields and Academics. Also, more are expected to be deployed soon.