Nation
Mimiko, Ogun SSG, Adeboye Charge Incoming Govt On Unity, Diversify
Former Governor of Ondo State, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, has charged the in-coming administration on unity and managing diversity for a fair, just, and better nation.
Mimiko made the call at the Change and Development Forum powered by the Dare Adeboye Foundation on Friday.
It had the theme: “Good Governance and Accountability: Setting the Agenda for Nigeria’s Incoming Administration.”
In his address, Mimiko emphasised steps to help the nation become better developed.
“We must manage and confront our diversity. The ultimate management of diversity is to be fair and just to everybody. You must see this as your number one priority”, he said.
He also strongly recommended that different efforts must be made to make the public space more inclusive while recalling the incident of bigotry and nepotism during the 2023 general election.
According to the former governor, the new administration must be creative, innovative, and deliberate.
He added that we must plan and target, must protect our local and “adire’’ industry as well as begin patronising made-in-Nigeria products.
On how to be more accountable, Mimiko reiterated the need to improve the quality of law enforcement agents and secure the nation.
“Without security, we are talking about nothing. There is a consensus that a centralised policing system cannot secure Nigeria.
“Since all the major presidential candidates have ascribed the evolution of policing to the sub-sectional, the government should quickly ensure that they place state police among other measures in securing Nigeria”, he added.
On measures to develop the nation, he charged the electorate to hold the leaders accountable.
“You must know the mechanisms available to you. That is where freedom of information comes in. It gives access to everybody to demand any information from any government agency”, he stated.
As the keynote speaker, Mimiko underscored the need for Nigerians to know what to expect from the leaders.
“We must be aware. If the leaders don’t know their responsibility, we must hold them accountable.”
On his part, the Secretary to the Ogun State Government, Mr Olatokunbo Talabi, said the State Government has been accountable in its approach.
He said: “As an administration, what we have done is that for any project, we call all stakeholders to give us a priority on the reparation of the road that is most important to them”.
Talabi, however, commended the Dare Adeboye Foundation for the timely gathering on governance and development of the nation.
Pastor Leke Adeboye, who is the CEO of the Dare Adeboye Foundation, described the foundation as kingdom advancement that focuses on youth empowerment, education, leadership and government, sanitation, and clean water initiatives.
He highlighted that the foundation, last year, recorded many successes, including the donation of a block of eight bathrooms and toilets in Iwo and a community in Akwa-Ibom State.
“There was also a donation of a borehole with 10 water tanks in the exact location.”
The foundation has also constructed a 3,000-seater hall/youth church in Ifewa called the Living Seed Church.
“We have organised free training for more than 100 youth in web 3.0 skills blockchain and then NFT and cyber security, and trained about 100 youths in data science among others,” he outlined.
The Tide’s source reports that The Dare Adeboye Foundation is a legacy and impact organisation created to immortalise Pastor Oluwadamilare Adeboye and to further his vision and deep commitment to impacting lives and communities all around Africa.
Adeboye, 42, died in his sleep on Wednesday, May 4, 2021 in Eket, Akwa Ibom, where he was based with his family as an assistant pastor in charge of Region (Youth) 35.
He was the third child of Pastor Enoch Adeboye., General Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).
He is survived by his wife and three children.
The foundation is poised to continue the good works of Pastor Dare Adeboye in perpetuating effective change within Africa.
This is in its quest to change the world and become a force for positive impact and sustainable development by leveraging partnerships and collaborations to deliver individual, community and nation-based impact.
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).
