Nation
THE STATES
Benue
Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom said last Friday in Makurdi that he had never accused the Catholic Church of ganging up against his administration.
Ortom in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Terver Akase was reacting to a report circulated on the social and conventional media, which quoted him as making that remark.
The report had quoted Ortom as accusing Catholic Churches of planning to use their huge population to vote him out in 2019.
It further quoted Ortom as saying that he would mobilise other Christian denominations to neutralise the Catholic Churches and shame them by securing his second term bid.
But Ortom, who accused the opposition of spewing hatred against him, said that he could not have made such remark against the Catholic Church or any other group in Benue.
Borno
A 67-year-old blind displaced person, Mr Babakura Mustapha has moved his family out of the Dalori Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Maiduguri due to the alleged activities of rapists.
Report says that about two million persons displaced by the Boko Haram insurgency are taking shelter in various camps in Maiduguri and other liberated communities in the North-East while 11 designated camps in Maiduguri are managed by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), while five others are under the Wor` ld Food Programme (WFP).
Mustapha told newsmen last Sunday in Maiduguri that he had evacuated his six daughters from the camp to save them from rapists.
The retired civil servant alleged that unknown men attacked and vandalised the tent housing his daughters after they refused to submit to their sexual advances.
Ekiti
Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayo Fayose last Saturday promised that all ongoing projects embarked upon by his administration would be completed and handed over to his successor in good condition next year.
Fayose, who spoke at the Grand- Finale of the 2017 edition of the Udiroko Cultural Festival in Ado Ekiti, said no single development project embarked upon by his administration would be abandoned; the biting economic recession notwithstanding.
Report say that the governor was the chief host at the cultural event in his capacity as the newly installed Apesin chieftaincy title holder in Ado Ekiti.
He listed his administration’s projects to include the N5.7 billion over-head bridge (fly- over) in Ado Ekiti as well as the N3.8billion ulltra-modern Kings Market in Ado Ekiti.
FCT
The 2nd Vice President, Nigerian Statistical Association (NSA), Dr Olusanya Olubusoye has advised the Federal Government to fight corruption by the use of statistics.
Olubusoye gave the advice on Sunday in an interview with newsmen in Abuja.
He said that the use of statistics would give detailed successes recorded in the fight against corruption and other social vices in the country.
“We are yet to value statistics; why is it that we are fighting corruption and we are not successful? Why is it that we are fighting crime and we are not successful?
“Other countries are using statistics to fight those social menaces; they are using statistics to fight hunger, illiteracy, they are using it to fight outbreak of epidemic”, he said.
Kaduna
Synergos Nigeria, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) says it will soon embark on a massive awareness campaign toward curbing the prevalence of malnutrition in Kaduna State.
Its Field Manager, Mr Victor Adejoh gave this hint in an interview with journalists last Saturday in Kaduna, shortly after the NGO concluded a two-day workshop on nutrition for local government officials.
The workshop was organised to create awareness among communities on how to encourage the use of highly nutritious food and vegetables to tackle stunting in children.
The NGO said it had identified lack of awareness as a key factor responsible for the malnutrition crises in spite of the varieties of cereals, tubers, fruits and vegetables grown in all parts of the state.
Kano
Primate of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Dr Nicholas Okoh last Saturday appealed to Nigerians to avoid hate speech.
Okoh made the call in Kano when he led some members of his church to visit Governor Abdullahi Ganduje at the Government House.
The clergyman, who described the trend in recent times as alarming urged Nigerians to work assiduously to control hate speech.
“Hate speech has serious consequences on our country as it promotes violence, extremism and conflicts.
“Most of the adherents of these two religions don’t have the real understanding of the teachings of their religions; that is why we are having problem with hate speeches,” he said.
Kogi
Kogi State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Bolanle Amupitan, says the state government has put in place mechanism toward achieving sustainable financial support for women empowerment.
She stated this last Friday during the inauguration of Omala Local Government Chapter of Governor Yahaya Bello Support Women Network (GYBSWoN) at Omala.
Amupitan further stated that GYBSWoN was tailored toward mobilising support for and enlightening women at the grassroots on the Bello-led administration, its policies and programmes.
She,therefore, urged women at the grassroots to form agricultural/entrepreneurship cooperatives to enable them benefit from the grant and loan initiatives of the government.
Lagos
Former Kaduna State Governor, Balarabe Musa, has said that saboteurs were behind groups issuing quit notices to Nigerians living in some parts of the country.
Musa, who condemned such notices in a telephone interview with newsmen last Saturday said that the development was a threat to Nigeria’s unity.
The People Redemption Party (PRP) leader was reacting to the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra’s reported rejection of the withdrawal of quit notice given to Igbos to leave the North and a fresh quit notice given to Yoruba and Hausa persons resident in the Niger Delta to quit the region before October 1.
“The quit notices are designed to escalate tension in the country and promote disaffection among citizens”, he said.
Nasarawa
The Nasarawa State Fire Service says a fire out-
break has gutted six houses and 40 shops along Makurdi road in Lafia last Thursday evening.
The state’s Chief Fire Officer, Alhaji Dogara Dalhatu confirmed the incident to newsmen in Lafia last Friday.
Dalhatu said that the fire was caused by a leaking surface tank filled with diesel.
He said in an effort to stop the leakage, the owners of the surface tank requested the services of a welder to block the leaking spot.
He said the process of fixing the leakage sparked fire which gutted six houses and 40 shops nearby.
“From our investigations, it was a surface tank filled with diesel that was leaking”, he said.
Ogun
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Ogun State is to commence a special patrol between August 30 and September 6 to enhance free flow of traffic during the Sallah festivities.
The Sector Commander of FRSC in the state, Mr Clement Oladele, told newsmen last Sunday that the exercise would ensure safety of lives and reduce gridlocks across the state.
Our correspondent reports that the Muslim faithful would be celebrating the Eid-kabir on September 1 and September 2 across the country.
According to Oladele, the FRSC would mobilise its personnel in ensuring that people travelling to different destinations across the state do not encounter hindrances.
“We are going to join hands together to ensure that minimum obstructions were experienced across all principal corridors of the state”, he said.
Ondo
The Wife of the Ondo State Governor, Mrs Betty
Akeredolu has promised to establish a Digital Academy in the state to train boys, girls and mothers on Information Communication Technology (ICT).
Akeredolu made the disclosure last Saturday at the closing ceremony of Solar4girls Naija, at Elizade University, Ilara-Mokin, Ondo State.
She expressed happiness that the ‘solar girls‘ had been tutored by experts on different aspects of ICT and empowered to become very confident in making use of technology.
According to her, the solar4girls Naija initiative is borne out of the need to educate young girls on ICT with a view to enhancing their future development.
‘‘The main objective of educating girls by building solar panels is to bridge the gap between men and women in solar energy sector, with the mission to promoting diversity and inclusion in all aspects of the solar energy industry”, she said.
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).
