Nation
THE STATES
Borno
The United Nations says it has distributed fertiliser, seeds and other inputs to 1.2 million farmers displaced by the Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East.
The UN Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator for Nigeria, Peter Lundberg told newsmen in Maiduguri that the gesture was to assist farmers who had returned to their homes in liberated communities.
Lundberg disclosed that the UN and its partners were currently providing food support to 1. 3 million displaced persons on monthly basis in the region.
He said that the measure was part of a comprehensive support programme to enhance food security and tackle humanitarian crisis occasioned by the insurgency.
“For the UN, food security situation is one of the major issues,” he said.
FCT
A combined military training organised by the United States Air Force (USAF) Command in Europe in partnership with the Nigeria Air Force (NAF) has opened in Lagos.
The Director of Public Relations and Information, NAF Headquarters, Air Commodore Olatokunbo Adesanya, disclosed this in a statement in Abuja. Adesanya said the week-long programme with the theme: “Aeromedical Evacuation and Medical Deployment”, began last Monday at the Sam Ethnan Air Force Base, Ikeja.
He said the programme would bring together countries in Africa to simulate a combined security and humanitarian environment.
Declaring the programme open, Governor Akinwumi Ambode, said the combined training was a welcome development.
Kano
A Kano Chief Magistrates’ Court recently ordered the remand of a teenager, Abdul Ibrahim in prison custody for allegedly defiling an eight-year-old boy. Ibrahim, 18, who lives in Brigade Quarters in Kano, is facing a charge of defilement. The Prosecutor, Sgt. Pogu Lale, told court that one Umar Jibrin of Tudun Murtala Quarters, Kano, reported the case at the Gwagwarwa Police Division in Kano on June 1. Lale said that on May 31 at about 7:00 p.m., the accused deceived and lured the boy to his brother’s shop situated at Brigade Market, Kano.
“The defendant deceitfully had canal knowledge of the boy and gave him the sum of N30,” he said.
Kebbi
Staff of Kebbi State House of Assembly last Monday embarked on an indefinite strike over the non-payment of their allowances for the past three years. It was gathered that the strike stalled the activities of the House as the workers’ chants made it impossible for the members to communicate, forcing a quick adjournment. Chairman, Kebbi State chapter of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria, Alhaji Mohammed Garba, who briefed newsmen on the action, said that workers were left with no other option after pleas to management yielded no fruits.
“We have pursued the payment of these allowances for the past three years.
“We have made several appeals and held meetings with the leadership of the House on the issue but to no avail,” he said.
Kwara
Vice-Chancellor, University of Ilorin, Prof. Abdul Ganiyu Ambali, has pledged to hand over a better institution than he inherited five years ago, to his successor.
Ambali, whose five-year tenure ends on October 15, 2017, disclosed this during an interview with newsmen last Tuesday in Ilorin. The vice-chancellor noted that his administration had done its best towards sustaining the legacies of the founding fathers of the University.
He added that he had also succeeded in maintaining an uninterrupted academic calendar as well as ensuring peace on campus.
Lagos
No fewer than 62 juvenile offenders and 67 inmates with disabilities held at Kirikiri Female Prisons and Kirikiri Medium Prisons, Lagos, were recently released on the orders of the State Chief Judge, Justice Olufunmilayo Atilade. She said her intervention particularly at the female prisons was part of efforts to address the problem of under-aged offenders being locked up in prisons across the state. Our correspondent reports that Atilade had on August 1 released 80 juvenile offenders held at Badagry Prison, Lagos, for sundry offences.
Nasarawa
The Joint Union of Tertiary Institution (JUTI) has called on the Nasarawa State Government to enrol its workers in the contributory pension sheme.
The Chairman of the union, Mr Ariks Bashayi told newsmen in Lafia yesterday that the call became necessary in view of the problems that had beset the existing pension scheme. “Under the current pension scheme, a lot of our staff who retired from service more than firve years ago have not been able to receive pension or gratuity, he explained. Bashayi also urged the managements of all the Nasarawa state owned tertiary institutions to allow their workers to join the contibutory pension scheme.
The College of Education Akwanga (COEA); State Polytechnic Lafia; College of Agriculture Lafia; and Nasarawa State University in Keffi are some of the state-owned tertiary institutions.
Niger
The Niger State House of Assembly has pledged to enact laws that would ensure an environment conducive to woo investors to the state.
The Speaker of the Assembly, Alhaji Ahmed Marafa, made the pledge in Minna during the 2017 Niger State Investment Summit which had as its theme: “Impact Investing for Advancing Agricultural Economy and Innovation.”
Oyo
A divorce-seeking housewife, Risikat Ojo, says her husband, Mathew Ojo, deserts home whenever Eid-el-Kabr and other festivals draw nearer in order not to spend money during the festival periods.
Risikat testified recently in an Idi-Ogungun Customary Court, Agodi, Ibadan, in a divorce suit she filed against her husband.
“My lord, Ojo did not pay my dowry and was in the habit of abandoning me at home and pack out to unknown destination whenever Ileya festival and other festivals draw nearer.
Plateau
The Plateau State Police Command has advised motorists to protect their vehicles with security gadgets.
It advised motorists to protect their vehicles with steering and pedal locks in addition to inscribing their vehicles’ registration numbers on the two windscreens, side mirrors and other parts. The Command’s Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Terna Tyopev, gave the advice in a statement made available to newsmen last Tuesday in Jos. According to Tyopev, the advice became necessary because of the rising incidents of car theft in the state.
“We have observed with so much concern the rising spate of car theft within Jos and the environs, this is mainly because people park their vehicles with any form of security”, he said.
Sokoto
Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State last Tuesday urged corps members posted to the state to consider themselves as agents of change.
Tambuwal made the call at the closing of 2017 Batch ‘A’ stream II, NYSC orientation camp in Sokoto State. The governor urged them to freely mingle with the communities as well as engage actively in activities that would contribute toward economic development of the state. The Governor, represented by State Head of Service, Dr Abubakar Bello, urged corps members to also strive toward eradication of poverty, fight against corruption, drugs abuse and other social vices.
Zamfara
Chairman, Zamfara State Council of Chiefs, Alhaji Attahiru Ahmad, has attributed low turnout of electorate to collect their Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs) and participate in Continuous Voters Registration in the state to insecurity.
Attahiru, who is the Emir of Anka, stated this at his palace, Anka, last Tuesday, when he received in audience the state committee on mobilisation and awareness creation on the collection of PVCs. The 14-man committee was led by the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Alhaji Sanusi Rikiji. The emir noted that insecurity situation faced by the state had resulted to underdevelopment in various sectors, including PVC registration.
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).