Nation
Off-Cycle Polls: Don’t Engage In Thuggery, Violence, Ndiomu Tells Ex-Agitators
The Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Maj-Gen Barry Ndiomu (rtd), has called on ex-agitators in states holding off cycle elections this weekend, to resist the temptation of being used as thugs to subvert the process.
This is as he urged the ex-agitators to go all out and vote according to their conscience and abide by the tenets of democracy in their respective areas.
Ndiomu made the call when the leadership of the Third Phase of the PAP led by its National Chairman, Mr. Elaye Slaboh, paid him a solidarity visit in his office in Abuja.
Ndiomu said as ambassadors of the PAP, it would be a sad development to see any of them engage in electoral malfeasance because of financial and other inducement.
The PAP boss also explained the need for people of the Niger Delta to support the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
He emphasized that ongoing efforts by the President to sustain the PAP and make it more productive need to be encouraged by people of the region.
Addressing the former warlords, the PAP boss stressed that even in the face of scarce resources and other competing demands, the Tinubu administration has shown tremendous efforts to adequately and consistently fund the programme.
“We need to understand that these are financially difficult times and knowing that the Federal Government is doing its best and the PAP administration is working with an unchanged budget in addressing the needs of the ex-agitators, these efforts are worth applauding”, he said.
Ndiomu implored them to also cherish the efforts of the management team of the amnesty programme for the various policies, innovations and initiatives it has introduced to address the welfare needs of beneficiaries in a sustainable manner.
While explaining that the amnesty programme was not established as a social welfare scheme for the region, Ndiomu pointed out that it was rather floated to address the needs of ex-agitators through formal and non-formal education, skills, and empowerment programmes to reintegrate them back into society.
He said, “It is agreed that the Programme derailed and this is being corrected through the various policy reform initiatives, but it is regrettable that some of the ex-agitators who are supposed to be direct beneficiaries of these policies are ignorantly supporting the old ways which failed to add value to the Programme”.
On the scholarship scheme, he assured that ex-agitators who were interested in furthering their academics would be considered on merit, noting that individual universities have spelt-out criteria for admitting students into various disciplines in their respective institutions.
The Interim Administrator, however, advised that considering the age of most ex-agitators, what would be more beneficial to them was an empowerment programme such as the PAP Cooperative Loan Scheme (PACOSOL) designed to unlock their entrepreneurial potentials.
“PACOSOL is deliberately designed to end over dependency and over reliance on monthly stipends. The cooperative is sustainable, and I will do my best to strengthen it for the good of beneficiaries”, he assured.
Ndiomu expressed hope that the Third Phase under Mr. Elaye Slaboh would usher in peace, show more understanding and work closely with the management of PAP to achieve the desired objectives of the programme.
Earlier, National Chairman of Third Phase Ex-agitators, Mr Elaye Slaboh, had intimated that the visit was to appreciate General Ndiomu for the good work he is doing as PAP’s Interim Administrator.
“The cooperative scheme is a novelty which has been widely accepted and more ex-agitators are eager to subscribe. Those who have received their loans have established businesses while others have upscaled their existing enterprises”, he said.
Slaboh assured that the executive of the Third Phase Ex-agitators under the new leadership would work closely with the management team of the PAP to realize set objectives and take advantage of existing opportunities such as scholarships, empowerment, and training programmes to improve the welfare of their members.
The group presented a plaque to General Ndiomu in recognition of his efforts in steering the Presidential Amnesty Programme towards safe harbour.
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).