Nation
Afenifere Faults Buhari’s Shoot-At-Sight Order In S’East
Apex Yoruba association, Afenifere, has described the shoot-on-sight order given to soldiers in the South-East by President Muhammadu Buhari as a move that would further threaten the unity and ruptured peace in the country.
The order, which was given to the soldiers who are predominantly Northerners without first exploring the option of dialogue, the association maintained, had further fuelled the suspicion that Buhari did not consider the life of another ethnic group sacred but that of Fulani, his kinsmen.
The leader of Afenifere, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, stated this in a statement signed by the association’s Publicity Secretary, Mr Jare Ajayi, yesterday.
With the inconsiderate order, Afenifere expressed fear that the “fate of the people of the South-East amid clear and present animus, arising from the deeds and words coming from Buhari, now appeared to be in a certain jeopardy.
“The rising hostility against the South-East zone since the beginning of the Buhari administration has now become a matter of great concern to Afenifere, as this reality should also become a major concern of other stakeholders in the Nigerian project”.
The Afenifere leader, who described the order as “artless and heartless”, said it was targeted at protesting Igbo youths.
Adebanjo also noted that from the moment Buhari became president, his “disposition toward the Igbo, a demonstration of his own admission of 95/5%, has been against the posting of northern soldiers to kill at every opportunity, Igbo youths, his mode of engagement in the South-East zone has been this decisive, no dialogue, no civil discourse, just the gun and bullet approach.”
Apparently sensing some foul play, Adebanjo observed that the same fate did not apply to Buhari’s Fulani ethnic group.
He said the Fulani as exemplified by the herders, was the fourth deadliest terrorist group as determined by Global Terrorism Index, the international body that monitors terrorism all over the world.
“Whereas Buhari allows his Fulani people to roam freely, killing, maiming, raping, protecting, prevaricating to the Fulani herders without a restraining order, the Igbo youths he orders his mainly northern military to kill on sight.”
In what Adebanjo described as a “devious plot”, he recalled the genocide in Benue a few years back in which the Fulani killed in their hundreds the innocent citizens of that state.
“Adebanjo, as one of the leaders of Southern and Middle Belt Forum that travelled to Makurdi on that occasion, observed firsthand the positive identification of the killers by the Benue State Government and despite the incontrovertible identity of the killers, all Buhari had to say to the governor, was, “accommodate your neighbour”.
”Adebanjo decried the situation where two sets of laws exist in this country — a set of laws where the Fulani go scot-free and another, that the life of others, especially that of the Igbo, does not matter.
“Take a look at the security council, no Igbo man is a member of Buhari’s security architecture… Is that how to run a multi-ethnic multi-religious country like Nigeria? The Afenifere leader asked pertinently”.
Earlier, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, raised fresh worries over the directive to contain the tension when it condemned the “shoot on sight” order, insisting that it clearly confirmed the uneven handed way the Federal Government had been treating matters affecting the people of the zone.
Quoting an earlier report, Ohanaeze insisted that the way and manner soldiers were carrying out their duties in the zone in the guise of checking insecurity, indicated that a plot was afoot that could trigger “another pogrom and genocide in the zone.
“The pattern of deployment of northern military officers to the southeast lends credence to the above report. It was revealed that in preparation for the above, the Nigerian Army has posted Northern Muslims as commanders over its operations and brigades in Anambra, Imo, Abia, Akwa Ibom, Enugu, Benue, Edo, Delta, and Rivers states.
“In Anambra, the Cantonment Commandant of the 302 Artillery Regiment, Onitsha, is Col. Abdulsalam Sambo, a northern Muslim; in Imo, the Commander of 34 Brigade, Obinze, is Brig-Gen Ibrahim Tukura, another Muslim; in Abia, the Commander of 14 Brigade, Ohafia, is Brig-Gen M. Ibrahim, a northerner, while in Akwa Ibom, the Commander of 2 Brigade, Uyo, is Brig-Gen Faruk Mijinyawa, another northerner. This is truly worrisome”, Ohaneze had stated.
In his concluding treatise on the “shoot-on-sight order, the Afenifere leader also said, “one will assume that Nigeria is now a theatre of bloodshed as our streets are now lined with the blood of innocent Nigerians not paved with the gold Buhari promised Nigerians with his mantra of Change…
“With this draconian order, no opposition member is safe. To prevent yet another looming massacre in the South-East zone, therefore, Afenifere leader has urged other leaders in the other zones to condemn the shoot-on-sight order.
“The President must be told that if he is sincere about the peace and unity of this country, his reckless and draconian order should be revoked forthwith. Certainly, if the President has no hidden agenda, there are more civilized and democratic ways to beef up the security in the South-East.”
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).