Nation
Service Chiefs, Ambassador-Nominees Top Agenda As Senate Resumes, ‘Morrow
After 48 days at home following the Christmas and New Year holidays, the Senate would resume tomorrow to face the challenges of legislating for the country and ensuring that good governance is in place.
In line with the Senate Legislative Calendar, the Senate adjourned December 22, 2020, and proceeded for Christmas and New Year holidays after passing the 2021 budget into law, just as it was to resume plenary January 26, 2021.
Preparatory for the resumption, the National Assembly came up with a statement, postponing the resumption of its plenary sessions to Tuesday, February 9, 2021.
The notice of postponement was contained in a statement issued by the Clerk to the National Assembly, Ojo Amos Olatunde.
According to him, the development was due to the membership registration and revalidation exercise of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), which commenced on Monday, January 25.
As the Senator Ahmad Lawan-led Ninth Senate resumes, there are various issues, especially the unfinished jobs and new ones that must be accomplished.
During the holiday, President Muhammadu Buhari wrote to the Senate, seeking for the screening and subsequent confirmation of the newly appointed service chiefs.
Buhari, in a letter to the President of the Senate, Dr Ahmad Lawan, dated January 27, 2021, said that the screening was being sought in furtherance of Section 18 (1) of the Armed Forces Act Cap. A. 20 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria.
As the Senate resumes, its various Committees on Army, Navy, Air Force and National Security and Intelligence would be saddled with the responsibility of screening and to subsequently forward to the senators for confirmation of the names of the new service chiefs.
President upon nomination for appointment sought confirmation of the Senate for the appointment of Maj-Gen Lucky Irabor, Maj-Gen Ibrahim Attahiru, Rear Admiral Awwal Gambo, and Air Vice Marshal Isiaka Amao as Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Naval Staff and Chief of Air Staff, respectively.
This was done in furtherance of Section 18 (1) of the Armed Forces Act Cap. A. 20 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria.
In a statement in Abuja by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly matters, Senator Babajide Omoworare, he said, “President Muhammadu Buhari has communicated the appointment of the service chiefs to the National Assembly and has sought for the confirmation of the said appointment by the Senate through his letter to the Senate President dated January 27, 2021.
“When hopefully Mr. President’s communication for consideration and confirmation of the nomination for appointment of the service chiefs would be undertaken.
“Before this administration, confirmation of service chiefs were not sought and obtained from the National Assembly in consonance with the provisions of Section 18 (1) of the Armed Forces Act Cap. A. 20 LFN. We are aware that in Keyamo Vs. President & Ors, the Federal High Court set aside the Armed Forces Modification Order 2008 (purportedly made under Section 315 [2) of the Constitution) on July 1, 2013, and ruled that the confirmation of the National Assembly must be sought for the appointment of the service chiefs. We are in compliance with the spirit and letters of both the statute and case law.”
One other major assignment that must be accomplished before the very eyes of the senators upon resumption is the confirmation of the names of the immediate past service chiefs and the Chief of Defence Intelligence sent by President Buhari to the Senate as non-career ambassadorial nominees.
With this development and upon resumption of the National Assembly, tomorrow, President of the Senate, Dr Ahmad Lawan, would read the President’s letter on the floor of the Senate, and thereafter, the names coming up as Executive Communication on Wednesday by the Senate Leader, Senator Yahaya Abdullahi, All Progressives Congress (APC), Kebbi North, the President of the Senate will then refer the names to Senator Adamu Bulkachuwa, APC, Bauchi North-led Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs for screening, then report back at plenary for confirmation.
In a letter to President of the Senate, Dr Ahmad Lawan, the President said, “In accordance with Section 171 (1), (2) (c) & Sub-Section (4) of 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, I have the honour to forward for confirmation by the Senate, the under-listed five names of nominees as non-career ambassadors-designate.”
According to the statement, “The nominees are: Gen Abayomi G. Olonisakin (rtd ), Lt-Gen Tukur Y. Buratai (rtd), Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar (rtd), and Air Vice Marshal Mohammed S. Usman (rtd).
It would be recalled that President Buhari had on January 26, accepted the resignation of the former service chiefs and nominated new ones to take over.
As the Senate resumes plenary, tomorrow, another issue that would top the agenda is the elongation of the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu by President Buhari.
He was billed to retire from service on Monday, February 1, 2021, but his tenure was extended by three months.
The Senate would look at the legality of the action of the President as the issue when it comes up may be stormy as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Senate Caucus may form an opposition against the elongation, but at the end of the day, the minority will have its say while the majority will have its way.
Another issue is the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) against the backdrop that the President of the Senate, had assured that as Nigeria begins a New Year, 2021, the controversial Petroleum Industry Bill 2020 (SB) 510 will be passed by the end of the first quarter of the year.
Lawan, who spoke at a two-day public hearing on the PIB at the National Assembly, said any further delay in the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) would cost more colossal losses to Nigeria’s economy.
He had said, “topmost on the priority list are the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), which we need, to boost activities in our oil and gas sector. The PIB has defied passage for about two decades but we are determined this time around to break that jinx and pass the Bill by the end of the first quarter of the New Year.”
The lingering PIB was sent for the first time to the National Assembly in December of 2008 by the late Umaru Yar’Adua as the then President of Nigeria.
The Executive Secretary of the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), Dr Chioma Ejikeme, has reiterated the commitment to service delivery for pensioners.
Ejikeme said this during the Customer Service Week in Abuja, yesterday.
He said that commission had a mandate to deliver good service delivery to the pensioners.
Ejikeme, who was represented by the Director Civil Service Pension Department, Mr Kabir Yusuf, said that the customer service week was important to operations of PTAD.
“Customer service is the support that you give to a customer, whether it is an existing customer or potential customer in the process of delivering or making enquires about a service.
“To be a good customer service representative you need to be knowledgeable, have good attitude and attribute especially to the senior citizens and have empathy,” he said.
Ejikeme said that all PTAD staff had most of the attributes of a good customer representative.
“We provide excellent customer service by going to verify our aged pensioners who cannot do it by themselves anywhere across the country.
“There is a dedicated team that was mandated to go round to confirm the aliveness of those who can not confirm their aliveness either because the are too old or have health issues,” the executive secretary said.
The National Coordinator, SERVICOM, Mrs Nnenna Akajemeli, said that the official theme of the 2024 customer service week was “ We Go Above and Beyond For Our Customers.”
She commended PTAD and the SERVICOM team for organising the 2024 customer service week.
“This is in line with the best practice of celebrating frontline workers and service takers.
“Customer service week is celebrated annually during the first full week in October.
It calls attention to the importance of people to boost morale team work and departmental collaboration in supporting pensioners.
“ It is a platform to reward employees for the significant work they do,” Akajemeli said.
She said that the objective of the customer service week was to celebrate the hard work and dedication of employee who strived to create positive customer experiences.
She said that it was time to show customers that the organisation valued their experience and feedback, through comment cards, dedicated hotline, among others.
Akajemeli said that it raised awareness internally and externally about the importance of good customer service in building customer loyalty and satisfaction.
She said that the benefit was to increase motivation, show appreciation, encourage friendly competition, boost employee retention, create a positive workplace and increase productivity.
The Head, Surveillance Department at the National Pension Commission (PenCom), Mr Abdulrahman Saleem, said that good service delivery was the key success of every establishment.
Salem said that PTAD operated with standard, considering the success it had achieved so far.
Saleem said that pensioners required the best service attitude and behavior.
“ I give kudos to PTAD for its efforts and encourage it to do more.
“Therefore I urge PTAD staff to keep up the standard and continue to give good service to the pensioners,” he said.
The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, has honoured Flying Officer David Sangokoya for winning the 2023/2024 Royal Air Force College Cranwell International Cadet Sword of Honour.
Abubakar honoured the officer during the presentation of cheques to 13 beneficiaries of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Group Personal Accident Insurance Policy (GPAIP) in Abuja, yesterday.
He described the achievement as ground-breaking as it was the first time an African cadet had won the prestigious award since the Academy’s creation over 100 years ago.
According to him, the feat underscores the excellence that exists within NAF, and proof that NAF officers and cadets can stand shoulder to shoulder with the best in the world.
“To our awardee, you have set a new standard, not just for your peers, but for every cadet and officer that will come after you.
“This accomplishment is a powerful reminder that no goal is out of reach when one is armed with dedication, discipline and an unwavering commitment to excellence.
“Your journey as an officer has begun with this prestigious accolade, but the true measure of your success will be seen in how you serve, lead and contribute to the mission of NAF and the defence of our great nation.
“As we celebrate this historic occasion, we extend our deepest gratitude to the United Kingdom Government for its unwavering support in providing world-class training opportunities to our personnel.
“This has enabled our officers and men to gain invaluable skills and knowledge, strengthening not only our bilateral ties but also our collective ability to address global security challenges,” he said.
The CAS said that the NAF looked forward to continuing the fruitful partnership for the mutual benefit of Nigeria and UK countries.
He expressed gratitude and unflinching loyalty to President Bola Tinubu for his commitment to the welfare and training of members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, and NAF in particular.
“I must also take a moment to extend my heartfelt appreciation to the leadership of the Nigerian Defence Academy and the instructors who helped to mould and prepare this cadet for the global stage.
“Their dedication and commitment to developing top-notch officers is evident in this ground-breaking achievement.
“You have not only trained a leader but have given the Nigerian Air Force a legacy we will all cherish,” he said.
National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has advocated private sector involvement to strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare system.
The Director-General of the authority, Dr Kelechi Ohiri, made the call at a high-level policy dialogue on sustainable health system reforms in Nigeria in Abuja, yesterday.
The Tide’s source reports that the dialogue was organised by the Healthcare Federation of Nigeria (HFN), a coalition of private sector stakeholders, to address the multifaceted challenges plaguing the country’s healthcare system.
The dialogue has “Private Sector Support for SWAP (Sector Wide Approach) in Healthcare” as its theme.
Represented by Dr Yakubu Agada-Amade, the NHIA Director of Standards and Quality Assurance, Ohiri explained the crucial role of private sector collaboration in strengthening Nigeria’s healthcare system
He highlighted the “One Plan” under the SWAp framework, which seeks to unify health sector efforts, ensuring efficient resource use, effective governance and expanded healthcare access.
He also stressed the importance of overcoming barriers that historically hindered the implementation of healthcare interventions in Nigeria, such as inadequate financing, weak governance systems, and bureaucratic bottlenecks.
He added that “the dialogue explored innovative approaches, including digital health innovations and financing mechanisms to accelerate the implementation of the National Health Act and mandatory health insurance coverage.
“With enrollment in health insurance growing by 14 per cent over the past year, NHIA can push for greater inclusivity, particularly targeting the informal sector through flexible payment systems and partnerships with telecommunications companies.”
He called for stronger synergy between public and private health actors to ensure universal access to quality healthcare and sustainable reforms in line with the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII).
Panelists from the Association of Nigerian Private Medical Practitioners (ANPMP), Healthcare Providers Association of Nigeria (HCPAN) and Health and Managed Care Association of Nigeria (HMCAN) echoed the sentiments, underscoring the private sector’s role in expanding insurance coverage and improving healthcare delivery.
They commended NHIA’s efforts toward driving reforms to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) through the Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp).