Nation
Lawmaker Seeks More Fund For Maintenance Of Federal Roads
The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Federal Road Maintenance Agency,(FERMA) Mr Femi Bamisile, has canvassed for appropriation of more funds for the maintenance of federal roads across the country.
Bamisile said the sum of N460 billion budgeted for construction and maintenance of federal roads in 2021 budget was not enough owing to the deplorable state of roads in Nigeria.
The All Progressives Congress,(APC) lawmaker representing Ekiti South Constituency 2, made the call on Sunday, while addressing commuters, who got stranded on Igede-Aramoko -Efon Road, in Aramoko-Ekiti, in Ekiti West Local Government Area.
Lamenting the state of federal roads and how commuters were being stuck on them due to collapsed bridges or cases of deplorable conditions, Bamisile described the N30 billion allocated to FERMA out of the budgetary provision to the Federal Ministry of Works, as “paltry.”
The lawmaker was on-the-sight assessment to the place as a result of luxury bus belonging to Etie Okwe Transport Company gotten stuck at a bad portion of the road and obstructed free flow of vehicles along that route for several hours.
The federal lawmaker, representing Gbonyin/Ekiti East, who also visited Ado-Ilawe-Igbara-Oke and Ado-Ikere-Akure Road, where similar situations were experienced, called on the Ekiti Traffic Management Agency,(ESTMA) to rise to the occasion and remove the faulty vehicles.
Bamisile, who sympathised with the motorists, said FERMA had begun reconstruction of a bridge that collapsed at Ijan-Ekiti, in Gbonyin Local Government Area, causing gridlock on Ado-Ijan-Ikare Road axis.
He described what Nigerians were experiencing across the six geo political zones as pathetic and disturbing, saying he had met the Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, on the terrible conditions of the federal roads in Ekiti.
“We learnt that a bridge got cut off at Jebba in Kwara and these heavy trucks from the north and south now find Ekiti as the most convenient place to ply and that had further caused serious damage to both federal and state roads.
“I have moved round Ekiti and what I saw were disturbing. The bridge at Jebba had collapsed and made those going to the East, Central, far North, West and South South of the country to be taking Ekiti route.
“On Friday, I saw about 1000 trucks along Ado- Akure Road stranded, because of bad road. I pity what Nigerians are passing through at this time. This situation of bad roads is so unfortunate and we have to find solutions to it,” Bamisile said.
He said the Federal Ministry of Works got a total of N460 billion in the budget and N30 billion was allocated to FERMA, adding that it was too small for the agency saddled with maintenance and rehabilitation of roads across Nigeria.
Bamisile suggested that there should be a serious reform in the way federal roads are being maintained, promising that when he returned to Abuja he would take the matter up.
He, however, appealed to the stranded motorists not to resort to violence for they have no other country than Nigeria, assuring that he will ensure that all the barricades are removed for them to continue their journeys.
On the best way to salvage the deplorable roads in the country, Bamisile appealed to the Federal Government to grant tax waver to Aliko Dangote and also adopt concrete tarring to ensure durability.
“The best and most modern method of construction now is Concrete tarring . That was what Dangote adopted in construction of Lokoja-Obajana Road.
“The Federal Government should also grant tax waver to Dangote for it to be able to perform more Corporate Social Responsibilities, (CSR) to Nigerians. If the Company is allowed to do this, it will help us,” the lawmaker added.
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).