Nation
THE STATES
Benue
Five officers of the Nigerian Prisons Service (NPS), serving in Benue State are to face the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to authenticate their certificates.
The Benue State Controller of Prisons, Mr Peter Pevigo, disclosed this in Makurdi last Tuesday in an interview with newsmen.
He said that the officers were among the 382 persons picked by the ICPC across the country to validate their certificates.
Pevigo explained that the officers were not guilty of certificate forgery, but were only invited by the anti-graft agency to clear some grey issues surrounding such certificates.
“No officer is found guilty until the joint investigation by NPS and ICPC is concluded, and an official report communicated to me; it is then that they could be deemed culpable.
Borno
The Police in Borno State last Monday said two Boko Haram suicide bombers were killed in a failed attempt to attack displaced persons’ camps and University of Maiduguri.
A statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Victor Isuku, said the suicide bombers were killed by security operatives before they hit their targets.
“On Sunday at about 2115hrs, a suspected female Boko Haram terrorist, took advantage of the darkness of night and attempted to gain access into Dalori 2 IDPs camp through the rear perimeter fence.
“Fortunately, she was sighted by vigilant security personnel on duty and chased.
“In an attempt to escape arrest, she hurriedly detonated the IED strapped to her body, killing herself alone.
FCT
A University teacher, Prof. Noel Wannang, last Tuesday stressed the need for a policy that would guarantee the safety and welfare of the aged population in the country.
Wannang is a Professor of Toxicology in Pharmacology Department of the University of Jos.
He made the call at the annual scientific seminar of the Association of Hospital and Administrative Pharmacists of Nigeria (AHAPN), FCT branch in Abuja.
Toxicology is the scientific study of adverse effects that occur in living organisms due to chemicals.
Reports say that the theme of the seminar is “Cardiometabolic medicine: Meeting the challenges of an aging population”.
Wannang who is also the Secretary-General, West Africa Postgraduate College of Pharmacists, decried challenges faced by the aged in the society.
Kano
Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State has warned the new interim management officers for the 44 local government areas in the state against corruption and laxity to duty.
At the swearing-in ceremony last Monday Ganduje said that his administration would continue to give priority to service to the people.
According to reports the swearing in followed the confirmation of the officers by the State House of Assembly.
Ganduje urged the new appointees to perform their duties with diligence, honesty and fear of God, adding that they should initiate developmental programmes in their areas.
Katsina
Communities displaced by the construction of Jare Earth Dam in Bakori Local Government Area of Katsina State have urged the Federal Government to review the compensation approved for their houses and farmlands.
The communities, under the aegis of Jare Earth Dam Association, said in a letter to the government that they have been short-changed by the committee responsible for the payment.
The letter was signed on behalf of the communities by Malam Dahiru Musa and Alhaji Rabi’u Ahmad and obtained by newsmen.
The communities also requested the government to investigate the activities of the resettlement committee, alleging that some of those affected were either excluded or shortchanged in the exercise.
Kogi
The Kogi State Government last Monday distributed food, drugs, sanitary items and cash to 18 registered orphanages across the state.
The Commissioner of Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Bolanle Amupitan, who handled the exercise, said that the gesture was aimed at improving the living standards of the orphans.
“Government has resolved that the children must be well fed; we have resolved never to allow the circumstances of their birth to define their future,” she said.
Matron, Stagi Orphanage, Lokoja, Mrs Clara Owosagba, while thanking government for the gesture, praised Governor Yahaya Bello’s efforts toward a better life for orphans.
Kwara
No fewer than 60 volunteers in the Federal Government’s job creation scheme for youths are on payment hold and may be prosecuted for fraud, the Presidential aide on Job Creation, Mr Afolabi Imoukhuede, said last Monday.
He gave the indication while addressing 5,559 N-Power volunteers in Kwara State at the Banquet Hall of the Government House, Ilorin.
At the event, he gave July ending as deadline for those experiencing payment issues to resolve them or be removed from the programme.
Imoukhuede had led a team of Monitoring and Evaluation officials to assess the performance of the volunteers in the state as well as mandate the state’s institutional partners to take absolute charge of the volunteers.
Lagos
Two men, Rabiu Rasaki, 46, a panel beater and Sakiru Adeogun, 47, a painter, were last Tuesday arraigned in an Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court, for allegedly stealing their customer’s car valued at N3.8 million.
The two defendants who live at Orile Agege, a suburb of Lagos, are standing trial on a two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing.
The Prosecutor, Insp. Clifford Ogu, told the court that the offences were committed on October 29 ,2016 at Amoo St., Orile Agege, Lagos.
Ogu said that the complainant, Mr Yomi Ogunusi, gave his Toyota Hilux to Rasaki for repairs.
“Rasaki gave it to Adeogun to first panel beat the vehicle before spraying it,” he said.
Nasarawa
Traders in Masaka Market in Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, last Tuesday urged the Nasarawa State Government to establish a fire service station in the market.
The traders made the call when some of them spoke with newsmen in Masaka last Sunday’s fire disaster in the market.
They said that such a measure had become necessary to avert future occurrence.
The traders have been counting their losses following the early morning inferno that destroyed over 2,000 shops, a report said.
Ogun
The Ogun State Government has inaugurated a committee to look into the menace of prostitution among under-aged youths in the state.
The committee members, drawn from the Ministries of Youth and Sports and Women Affairs, would sensitise, arrest and rehabilitate youths found engaging in such activities.
Speaking at the inauguration of the committee last Monday in Abeokuta, the Commissioner for Youths and Sports, Mr Afolabi Afuape, lamented the rampant nature of open prostitution in the state.
He said that sensitisation would start from all the four stadia across the state for a week, after which arrests could be made by security personnel.
“The ministry has always been an advocate against the act of open prostitution across the state, especially within the four stadia across the state.
“Yesterday, the committee swung into action by sensitising shop owners at MKO Abiola International Stadium,” he said.
Plateau
An NGO, Christian Women For Excellence and Empowerment in Nigerian Society (CWEENS), said last Monday in Jos that violence against women would persist unless measures were adopted to punish perpetrators.
“Perpetrators of the violence are not prosecuted; girls are commonly abused without any consequence. The evil will persist if nothing is done to punish the offenders,” Chairperson, CWEENS Observatory Steering Committee (OBSTEC), Mrs Ladi Madaki, stated.
Madaki told newsmen in Jos that existing laws and “some insensitive policies” had made it impossible to deal with the violence, much less eradicate it.
She said that some NGOs and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) were keen on complementing government efforts to deal with the menace, but were being held back by some bottlenecks.
Taraba
Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba State said recently in Jalingo that the Paris Club debt relief fund received by the state would be used to settle outstanding pensions and gratuities.
Ishaku, in a speech shortly before signing the Anti-open Grazing Bill into law, said that the amount received would cover the outstanding pensions of local government workers and a substantial part of gratuities of both state and local government workers.
He expressed concern that local government retirees had not been paid their pensions and gratuities since 2013, and promised to address the situation.
The governor announced that he had requested the House of Assembly to approve the re-naming of the state airport after Mr Danbaba Suntai to immortalise the late governor that died last month.
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).