Nation
D-YEAF Hails Fubara Over Achievements .Tasks Outgoing LG Chairmen On Peace
The leadership of the D-Young Elite Advocacy Forum(D-YEAF) has poured encomiums on the Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara on the monumental achievements of his administration within the past one year in office.
This is even as it has called on the chairmen of local government councils in the State to give peace a chance, and honourably bow out of office at the expiration of their tenure on June17, 2024.
The forum, which gave the indication in a statement signed by its Coordinator, Mr Opurum Loveday; and its Secretary, Mr Bright Nnadi, noted that Governor Fubara has so far demonstrated courage, steadfastness, determination and peaceful disposition towards governance, even in the face of political affronts and provocative political utterances by some individuals in the State.
“This rare attribute of His Excellency is worthy of commendation and emulation. You have not only shown inspirational leadership but very high level of humility and tolerance which is a major attribute of an outstanding leader”, it said.
The group also applauded the Governor’s detailed, expository and chronological presentation of his account of stewardship and performance report, during the one year in office celebration of his administration, describing it as a democratic testament which must be treasured by all lovers of democracy, political advancement and transparent leadership.
It further indicated that the forum is very pleased with Governor Fubara’s leadership and development strides, going by the quality of projects being commissioned and flagged off by his administration across the length and breadth of the State, adding that the Governor has, indeed, proven and shown his willingness and commitment in delivering quality service and projects to the people of the State.
“In view of the above, the entire members of D-YEAF, in solidarity with the good people of Rivers State are not only happy with your performance in the last one year in office but have consciously resolved to pledge their support and commitment to the government of the State and your administration for a more prosperous State and development of the youths in particular”, it said.
Against this backdrop, therefore, D-YEAF urged Governor Fubara not to be distracted or feel weak but to remain strong and focused in his resolve to defend democracy, sustain the mandate given to him by the fathers of democracy and the entire Rivers people, as well as continuously uphold the tenets of good, productive, impactful development and people-oriented governance, as always advocated by him.
The forum equally urged outgoing chairmen of local government councils in the State not to expose the youths and the people to needless political crisis by their negative utterances, instigating some youths and publicly blowing the trumpet of war, which it noted are capable of breaching the existing peace in the State.
“Attempting to disobey the rule of law, as their tenure elapses this June would be the height of dishonour both to their person and the exalted office they occupy”, the group said.
According to the forum, there is no justification that the council chairmen would remain in office beyond June 17, 2024.It, therefore, condemned in strong terms unguarded utterances credited to some of the council chairmen, particularly those of the Chairman of Ikwerre Local Government Council, Engr Samuel Nwanosike.
“As a group of young elites, we specifically appeal to the Ikwerre Local Government Chairman to reconsider his position before June 17,2024, by following and obeying the rule of law, and not to maintain a stance that would expose our youths to political crisis.At this critical point in our political history as a State, all council chairmen must show high sense of responsibility, rationality, pragmatism, administrative competence and political maturity, which we believe they have”, it said.
According to the forum, what Rivers people need now is the voice of progress, advancement, unity, peace, equity, justice, equal rights and sustenance of our democratic heritage as a people.
The group advised the political class to regurgitate the eternal political words of former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, which eschew political violence and bloodshed because as D-YEAF puts it, no politician’s ambition, aspiration and interest are worth the blood of any Nigerian.
In the face of the political crisis currently rocking the State, the forum advised the State government under the watch of Governor Fubara to rise stoutly and firmly to guarantee the safety of lives and properties in the State, particularly in the coming days when the tenure of council chairmen will elapse.
It also reiterated the need for the council chairmen to honourably bow out of office at the expiration of their tenure instead of becoming the instrument for the destruction and destabilisation of the State and the society.
The group appealed to the youths not to allow themselves to be used by political gladiators in the State to cause chaos and the breakdown of law and order but to solidly and consistently oppose illegality, while at the same time defending democracy and upholding the rule of law.
The forum, however, paid glowing tributes to leaders and founders of democracy in the State like Dr Peter Odili, Chief Rufus Ada-George, Sir Celestine Omehia, Senator John Azuta Mbata and a host of others for the roles they are playing to stabilise the polity.
By standing with Governor Fubara and supporting his administration, the forum said Senator Mbata in particular has shown that the feud between the Governor and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike has no ethnic undertone, and therefore, should not be given ethnic colouration.
The group also commended the Rivers State Chairman of the National Youth Council of Nigeria(NYCN), Hon Chijioke Ihunwo for his steadfastness, consistency and practical commitment to the defence of democracy.
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).
