Nation
Ex-Militants In Ondo Seek Inclusion In Pipeline Surveillance Contract
Some ex- militants in Ondo State have called for inclusion in pipeline and waterway surveillance contract awarded to former militants by the state government.
The ex-militants, formerly under the aegis of Sea Wolf Avengers, made the appeal in a statement issued in Lagos yesterday by their leader, Deji Ehinmowo.
Ehinmowo expressed displeasure with the exclusion of the group in the surveillance contract.
According to him, in 2017 when Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo was the Acting President, he came to Igbokoda where the youths told him that “our major problem is amnesty and surveillance.”
“We told the vice president that we need amnesty and surveillance contract and he directed Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu to immediately address the issue.
“After the governor met with the Federal Government, he advised all the militants to surrender their arms and a meeting was held at the International Culture and Event Centre (The Dome) in Akure on Nov. 9, 2017 where Amnesty programme for ex-militants was flagged-off.
“After the programme, we were given twenty-one days to surrender our arms with a promise that we would be paid stipends as well as expose us to training on skill acquisition programmes.
“At the event, there was also a promise that some us would be sent abroad to acquire more skills”, he said.
Ehinmowo expressed regret that while the former militants had fulfilled their own side of the amnesty deal, the government failed to fulfill its own side of the agreement.
He particularly expressed disappointment that government had not kept it promises to the group on their inclusion in the amnesty programme.
“We have made several reports and nothing has been done up till now.
“Some militants were disarmed in Edo and they are getting paid. Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, offered amnesty to some militants in Rivers State and they are being paid.
“Why are they not paying us in Ondo State. Do they want us to go back to our vomits?
“When we talk about amnesty in Ondo State, we in the Ilaje/Ese-odo Federal Constituency, we don’t depend on the state allocation, what we depend on is the Ondo State Oil Producing Area Development Commission (OSOPADEC) and Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
“To our greatest surprise, government is doing empowerment through OSOPADEC for the youths of the region, that is pipeline security surveillance, but excluded us.
“In Ilaje and Ese Odo Local Government areas, we have the old amnesty when militants surrendered arms during the tenure of the former President Musa Yar’Adua which was the first phase of the amnesty.
“We also have the new amnesty. This group under the aegis of Sea Wolf Avengers under my leadership as the most senior general, surrendered arms in the 2017 amnesty programme.
“We are the major camp in the new amnesty programme that submitted arms and ammunition in 2017 in Ilaje,” he said.
Ehinmowo said the former militants worked for the re-election of Governor Akeredolu as part of their commitment to ensure the sustainance of the amnesty programme in the state.
“We worked for the re-election of the Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu, and we believe we should benefit from the amnesty programme and the government is supposed to use the surveillance contract to take care of us.
“It is our turn to be empowered with surveillance job. If the state government wants to give it to Ilaje, it should be between the old and new amnesty groups.
“We leant that N300,000 would be given to each camp which would be about N30,000 per slot out of N28 million surveillance contract.
“We are urging the government to separate the old amnesty from the new amnesty,” he added.
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).