Nation
Red Cross Boss Advocates Ministry Of Reconciliation
The Chairman of Red Cross Society of Nigeria, Anambra State, Prof. Peter Kathy, has called for the establishment of Ministry of Reconciliation at the State and Federal levels of governance in Nigeria.
The Ministry, according to Prof. Kathy, will be mandated to ensure peace and national cohesion in the country.
Prof. Kathy, a humanitarian, made the call recently while speaking with news men in Enugu on the importance of International Day of Charity.
According to him, when established, the Ministry “is expected to cause peace and national cohesion to be enshrined in the Nigerian psychy.
This, he said, is better than tough talks and military deployments in situations, which, he explained, exacerbate the militating situations.
“Sequel to internal conflicts/restiveness that have bedeviled Nigeria recently, including political bitterness, Boko Haram insurgency, agitations for different republics, herdsmen and farmers conflicts, youth restiveness, religious intolerance, wanton exhibition of hatred, hateful songs, speeches, acerbic insinuations and glaring marginalisation, it has become very pertinent to call on Federal and State Governments to embark on the Reconciliation of the entire Nigeria.
“This is the first step to keep Nigeria one and secure the future of the nation,” he said.
Prof. Kachy stated that deeper approaches that give special attention and protection to the most vulnerable via reconciliation moves that would sustain peace and progress in all parts of the country need to be taken.
He said this required the participation of governments by creating enabling environment, embarking on advocacy, motivation, and partnership with donors, international agencies, civil societies, volunteers and the mass media to bring succor to all.
“Especially in this militating period of Boko Haram terrorism, herdsmen-farmers conflicts, self-determination agitations which results in extreme difficult situations of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who are in great need of food, water, shelter, healthcare and security to survive”, he said.
He, however, lauded international and local humanitarian charity organisations as well as philanthropists for their contributions to sustain the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of poverty reduction, which is central to world economic and social order.
“I must commend International Committee of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Rotary International, Medicine San Frontier, Bill Gates Foundation, Ford Foundation, Rocky Fella Foundation, MTN, Globalcom, Dangote Foundation, Nestle, Guinness and lots of individual foundations/charities working in Nigeria.
“They are the lifelines of mankind with enormous power of charity which is the unflagging symbol of hope, vigour and amelioration in vulnerabilities.
“Most of the groups mentioned earlier have provided immediate interventions to create enabling situations towards massive push which is needed to boost access to essential services for most vulnerable children and families.
”All these charity works and activities have provided a vital kick-start to human development and poverty reduction, long term initiative that are rooted in human rights based approach to development”, he said.
It would be recalled that the International Day of Charity, celebrated globally on September 5, is meant to herald activities of charities all over the world that helped to save and improve people’s lives, fighting diseases, protecting children, and giving hope to millions of people.
The day is also celebrated to honour the important work that these charities do, that in 2012 the United Nations decided to nominate an annual International Day of Charity, as an official day of recognition and celebration.
It was further gathered that the reason the date was chosen is because it is the anniversary of the death of Mother Teresa of Calcutta.
By: Canice Amadi, Enugu
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).