Nation
Insecurity: Nigerians In Diaspora Berate Wase’s Dismissal Of Petition
Nigerians in Diaspora have lampooned the Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon Ahmed Idris Wase, for summarily dismissing Hon Mark Gbillah, representing Gwer East Federal Constituency of Benue State, who attempted to present a petition to the House on behalf of the Mutual Union of Tiv in America (MUTA) but was blocked by Wase.
The March 10 incident on the floor of the green chamber drew the ire of Nigerians, who described the development as dictatorship and an attempt to silence some Nigerians who were grieving over the forceful takeover of their ancestral lands by marauding herders.
The MUTA, in a statement signed by its President, Simon Kusugh, and Prof Joseph Zume, yesterday, reminded the Deputy Speaker that 2019, Nigerians residing abroad contributed approximately $23.5billion to the Nigerian economy in the form of direct business investments and remittances back to their families to help pay for hospital bills, education, and basic amenities like water, energy, food, and security.
“In a functioning society, the Nigerian government ought to have been providing these services, obviating the need for Nigerians abroad to sacrifice their hard earned and sometimes meagre salaries.
“To buttress the significance of the contributions that Nigerians abroad make to the Nigerian economy, it is worth further pointing out that, in 2018, Diaspora remittances translated to 83% of the federal budget, and was 11 times the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows. In essence, Nigerians abroad are greatly subsidizing the federal budget yearly. These are the groups of Nigerians that Mr. Deputy Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives argues do not have a right to make a petition to the House”, MUTA stated.
The association wondered why a country like China is engaging its Diaspora citizens, yet Nigeria’s leadership is actively discouraging and denying Nigerians abroad a voice in the affairs of their own country.
“Perhaps, Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase’s position was only targeted against Nigeria’s Tiv Diaspora. He must clarify his position for posterity.
“We are in deep shock and disbelief that such a high-ranking officer of the House-the number six citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, would so glibly deny bona fide Nigerian citizens the right to present a grievance before the House. Under whatever guise, whether borne out of mischief or ignorance, or both, Hon. Wase’s action bodes no good for our motherland. We must make it clear that MUTA members are Nigerians, and have the right like other Nigerians, to make a case to the National Assembly on matters of concern to them.
“Yes, we are stakeholders, contrary to Hon. Wase’s uninformed position that we are not because we sojourn in a foreign land, or that we are not registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC). Even at that, let it be known that MUTA is an affiliate of the parent organization, the Mzough U Tiv (MUT) in Nigeria, which is duly registered with the CAC. This fact was stated in the opening paragraph of the petition, if only the Deputy Speaker had given it a chance to be heard”, the statement added.
MUTA added that the action of the Deputy Speaker’s action remains highly reprehensible given that the subject of its petition addressed the fate of hundreds of thousands of authentic Nigerian citizens who have been displaced from their communities for years.
“As national representatives of Nigerians, the Honourable Members should ordinarily be expected to empathize with those hapless citizens they represent, whose normal livelihoods have been truncated by unfortunate circumstances. Obviously, that was not indicated on this day as no member present attempted to persuade the Deputy Speaker to allow Hon. Gbillah’s presentation.
“Unfortunately, the naked display of bias and pathetic ignorance by the Deputy Speaker in denying us a hearing, is emblematic of the general rot in our country where persons placed in high positions so often act in betrayal of such positions. What else can we surmise, if a high-ranking legislative leader does not know that they owe a responsibility to protect the constitutionally entrenched rights of all Nigerian citizens, irrespective of where they may reside? But how could Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase, be that much ignorant of the place of Nigerians in the Diaspora when the Federal Government of Nigeria, in recognition of the strategic importance of the Nigerian Diaspora, signed the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) Establishment Bill into law in July, 2017? Not just that, but in 2019, the Federal Government went further to set July 25 of every year as National Diaspora Day.
“To the best of our knowledge, Nigeria still recognizes dual citizenship. It should, therefore, be unquestionable to any serious person that Nigerians in the Diaspora, as citizens, have a right to register their grievances with any arm of the Nigerian government”, the statement noted.
Nation
PTAD Reiterates Commitment To Pensioners’ Service Delivery
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.
Nation
CAS Honours Officer For Placing NAF On International Spotlight
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.
Nation
Healthcare Reforms: NHIA Advocates Private Sector Involvement
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).
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