Nation
SDP National Chairman Lauds FG’s Efforts To Tackle Insecurity
The National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Alhaji Shehu Musa Gabam, has commended the efforts of the Federal Government in addressing the of nations insecurity
Alhaji Gabam spoke in Abuja at the weekend while fielding questions from news men on the state of the natione.
According to online reports, he stated that the efforts of the government have yielded significant improvements and called for the support of Nigerians to achieve more for the betterment of the citizens.
He also called on the government to ensure it keeps improving as the non-statement of the actors behind such nefarious activities are also improving themselves.
Gabam also commended the government for the measures it was taking to ensure the stability of the naira and improve the economy, saying that the nation would rise again with the political will to mentain the current efforts aimed at fixing the nation for the betterment of the Citizens
According to him, “I know as a matter of fact that the level of crime and criminality, kidnapping, the maiming and barbarism has drastically reduced. Most of the gang leaders that have been responsible for kidnapping people have been eliminated or arrested or under prosecution.
“This is a kudos to the Federal Government because in the absence of securing the environment, you cannot have a political environment and you cannot have investment friendly environment. The confidence needs to be restored.
“People who are bringing in resources need to be assured that their lives would be secured, their investment would be secured. So the security level in the country is tremendously improving.
“You can drive from here, Abuja to Kaduna anytime now even in the night. Even in the South-East, the sit-at home has reduced drastically. So the government has put a lot of attention, a lot of priority in securing the territorial integrity of the country.
“So I give them kudos in terms of security and in terms of improving the security architecture of the country. But they should do much more because the sophistication of the non state actors challenging the states are also improving.
“So the dynamics and the approach of the government and the security agencies must also improve to deal with the unanticipated areas of behaviour to undermine the government that is in place. But so far in the area of security, the government is doing tremendously well.
“In the currency, we are seeing the fluctuations even though in the last few days, it has shot up again but we hope that they would look at the entire mayhem surrounding the forex and those responsible for the fluctuations and sabotaging the economy and deal with it aggressively.”
This came just as the SDP National Chairman lauded the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Chairman, Olanipekun Olukoyede, for his efforts in addressing the problem of corruption threatening the foundation of the country in all spheres of the economy
He urged Nigerians to be fair to the new chairman of the EFCC and support him in his efforts in dealing with corruption in the country.
He couselled the EFCC boss to be focused and not being deterred in sanitising the system.
According to him, “listening to the current chairman of the EFCC, his approach, I think Nigerians should be fair to him. They should give him credit for the way and manner he is dealing with the issue.
“First he had mentioned that the institution needs to be sanitized because individuals use institution to siphon public funds. Now if you do not strengthen the institution, if you do not block the leakages, there’s no way you can be able to strengthen the institution and stop individuals from using our public institutions to siphon resources of the country for personal interest.
“I believe that approach he is doing particularly in the ministry of Humanitarian affairs is professional, well articulated. And he has said he is not dealing with individuals. He is dealing with institutions and that investigation would take time because it has to do with the root causes and the easiest way people can siphon public funds which is great to me.
“So it is not fair for people to vilify him simply because he has granted a press conference and he is giving a situation report and the approach he is taking. Normally investigations professionally all over the world take a very long time.
“So for me he has expressed himself. He should be given the opportunity. He is approaching it professionally. The government should strengthen and encourage him to do the needful.
“He should remain focussed, decisive and patriotic in dealing with every issue. He has a more civilised approach as far as I am concerned. in encourage him to continue doing whatever he is doing. Whatever he does people are going to criticize him so let him remain focussed and achieve the goal,”
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).