Nation
THE STATES
Borno
The Force Commander (FC) Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), Maj.-Gen. Lucky Irabor has commended troops of Sector 1 Task Force in Cameroon for their gallantry effort in fighting the Boko Haram terrorists.
Irabor gave the commendation when he paid an operational visit on the troops in Mora in Cameroon Republic.
The MNJTF Information Officer Col. Mustapha Anka stated this in a statement in Maiduguri last Monday.
Anka quoted the commander as promising additional support for the troops to enhance their operations.
“On arrival, the commander and his entourage were received by the Commander Sector 1, Brig.-Gen. Dobekreo, who presented a detailed brief on the activities, achievements and prospects of the formation in the fight against terrorism and insurgency.
Ekiti
The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH) chapter has joined the ongoing national strike, the chapter’s President, Dr Tunji Olaoye has said.
Olaoye told newsmen in Ado Ekiti yesterday that the chapter decided to shelve its plan to join the nationwide strike because of the ongoing accreditation of the Surgery Department of the institution.
A correspondent that visited the hospital yesterday observed that normal activities were still ongoing in the various wards with doctors and other medical personnel attending to patients.
Olaoye said resident doctors in the hospital would join the strike because of poor welfare and in line with its national headquarters’ directives.
Kaduna
The Kaduna State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board says it has begun the airlift of pilgrims back home from Saudi Arabia.
The Public Relations Officer of the board, Yunusa Abdullahi, said in a statement released in Kaduna on Monday that the first batch of 448 pilgrims arrived the Kaduna International Airport in the early hours of Monday via MedView Airline flight.
“The return journey started after successful completion of Hajj rites by pilgrims from the state,’’ he said.
Abdullahi stated that the second flight is expected to arrive Kaduna on Tuesday evening.
According to him, four pilgrims from the state died while on pilgrimage.
Our correspondent reports that a total of 6,713 pilgrims from the state performed this year’s hajj.
Kano
The Kano State Hisbah Board has arrested 1,429 beggars for violating the law banning street begging, between January and August, according to Malam Dahiru Muhammed, an official of the board.
Muhammed, who is specifically attached to the board’s Anti-Begging Unit told newsmen in Kano last Monday that 420 of those arrested were children while 1,009 were adults.
He said that the arrests were carried out around Lodge Road, Magwan Junction, Kwari, Katsina Road and Wapa, all in Kano metropolis.
A further breakdown showed that 860 of them were from Kano city, with 551 coming from Jigawa, Kaduna, Katsina and Niger States while 18 were from Chad Republic.
Katsina
The Katsina Pleasant Library and Book Club, an NGO, says it introduced teacher research development skill competition for primary and secondary school teachers in the state.
The Chairman of the Book Club, Alhaji Mutagah Rabe, made this known at the opening ceremony of the sixth meeting of the club in Katsina last Monda.
He said “the competition is to encourage primary and secondary school teachers to embrace research in different subjects.
“We design the competition so that primary school teachers will compete to develop their own researches and prizes will be given to them.”
Rabe said that the organisation was determined to give education the necessary support it deserved and encouragement in Katsina State.
Kwara
The first batch of 555 pilgrims from Kwara State who performed the 2017 Hajj in Saudi Arabia are expected to arrive.
The Executive Secretary of the state Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, Alhaji Mohammed Tunde-Jimoh disclosed this while speaking with newsmen from Saudi Arabia last Monday.
He said MedView airline had perfected arrangements to transport the first batch of pilgrims to the llorin lnternational Airport.
The Executive Secretary, who did not give the specific time the pilgrims would arrive the llorin international Airport said all the 555 pilgrims were already in high spirits to meet their relations at home.
Nasarawa
Governor Umaru Al-Makura of Nasarawa State last Monday announced that the state government had restored the full payment of salaries and allowances of its civil servants.
Al-Makura announced this in Lafia at the commencement of a five-day retreat organised for Permanent Secretaries, Directors and labour officials in the state.
He also announced the promotion of over 9,000 civil servants in the state.
He said that government restored the full payment of the salaries and allowances in order to boost the morale of the workers.
Niger
A 35-year-old rape suspect, Ahmadu Musa last Monday confessed to the Niger State Child Rights Protection Agency how he sexually abused a 4-year-old girl in Minna.
Musa, a resident of New Market, near Gwari Market, Chanchaga Local Government Area admitted that he sexually abused the victim once but could not recall the exact date and month.
“I saw her passing in front of my house, I called her to buy pure water for me, I then lured her and had sex with her.
“The second time I called the girl to the uncompleted building and I was about removing my trouser to urinate before the act when I was caught,” he said.
Ondo
The Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta, Brig.-Gen. Paul Boroh (rtd), last Monday inspected facilities at the Federal Government’s Vocational Training Centre located in Agadabga Obon-Arogbo, Ese-Odo Local Government Area, Ondo State.
Boroh also the Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) said that President Muhammadu Buhari’s sincere commitment to the peace and infrastructural development of the region had built confidence in the people of the region.
The coordinator expressed readiness to continue with the ongoing training and empowerment of delegates.
He promised to engage qualified beneficiaries of the educational scholarship with first and second degrees in relevant disciplines as instructors and teachers both at the centre and in existing schools in the community.
Osun
Prof. Adegboyega Fawole of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) has warned that Human Papiloma Virus (HPV) has been found in the throats of people engaging in oral sex.
Fawole, who is of the Department of Gynaecology, UITH told newsmen in Ilorin yesterday that HPV was mostly sexually transmitted.
He said that the virus caused almost all cases of cervical cancer and could cause genital warts and anal cancer.
“Oral sex has been linked with an increased risk of acquiring HPV infection in the mouth and with an increased risk of developing oral cancers that are caused by HPV.
“However, sex in general has also been linked with these risks,” he said.
The gynaecologist warned that those engaging in oral sex were twice more likely to have oral HPV infection than those who did not engage in oral sex.
Sokoto
The first batch of 563 pilgrims from Sokoto State who performed the hajj in Saudi Arabia have returned home.
The pilgrims arrived Sultan Abubakar International Airport Sokoto aboard Max Airline last Sunday and were received a member of the state Hajj Team, Alhaji Abdullahi Maigwandu
Our correspondent also reports that the first batch left Nigeria for the Holy Land on July 31, while the state government completed transportation of its 4, 859 pilgrims on August 24.
Maigwandu told newsmen that the pilgrims from Gada and Sabonbirni Local Government Areas, were in good health.
The official said the Hajj operation has been successful so far and commended Governor Aminu Tambuwal, airline operators, individuals and voluntary groups for the feat recorded.
Zamfara
Workers under the employment of Zamfara State Government last Monday embarked on an indefinite strike for the failure of the government to meet their several demands.
The workers had earlier given the government a 21-day ultimatum to meet certain demands or face industrial action.
The Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in the state, Bashir Mafara announced the decision after a joint meeting of the affiliated unions in Gusau.
He said Zamfara workers were faced with a number of problems which include failure to pay the salaries of 1,400 recruited by the government more than two years ago, non payment of backlog of pension and gratuities, non payment of minimum wage to primary school teachers and local government employees as well as non-payment of annual salary increment.
He said the two labour unions, Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress had decided to declare an indefinite industrial action throughout the state from September 12.
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).
