Nation
No Provision For ‘Elders’ Forum’ In ASIMPIN’s Constitution -Exco
The Association of Igbo Maritime Practitioners in Nigeria (ASIMPIN), has distanced itself from a group which recently branded itself as ASIMPIN Elders’ Forum, stressing that the Association’s constitution has no provision for Elders’ Forum.
ASIMPIN’s executives, led by the Secretary-General, Prince Okey Egbuchulam; National Publicity Secretary (NPS), Dr. Obicee Okonkwo; and Senior Special Assistant to the President General, Mr. Emeka Nwosu; argued that the purported members of the Elders’ Forum are not recognized members of any Chapter of the association.
Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Dr. Obicee Okonkwo said, “One must first be a member of a Chapter before you can lay claims to be a member of the whole body. You can verify from the ASIMPIN Constitution and other legitimate members of the association if there is any provision for Elders’ Forum in the constitution.
“So, before we begin to interrogate what these individuals said, we should note that they had no right to speak in any capacity on behalf of ASIMPIN”.
The ASIMPIN NPS also cited Article 7, Section B of the Association’s constitution which stated that; “Mode Of Election: The mode of election into any office of ASIMPIN shall be by secret ballot. The National Executive shall be by collegiate, while Chapter shall be elected by all Chapter registered financially up to date members”.
He further explained that going by the constitution, fresh national elections will only be conducted after the chapter elections are held first, adding that interested contestants must be financial members.
Obicee, however, explained that the new biometric system criticized by the alleged Elders’ Forum was conceived to streamline the Association’s members to recognize financially-committed members in Chapters.
He recalled that in the previous and only election of the association, there was the national elections first before the chapter elections because the body had just been formed and needed to create a leadership structure.
Also speaking, the Secretary-General of ASIMPIN, Prince Okey Egbuchulam revealed that at the recent national executives meeting the association agreed to introduce biometrics as part of efforts to know real members of the body so that non-members aren’t smuggled in during elections.
Egbuchulam added that the ASIMPIN executives had contracted a private company to carry out the biometrics capturing for its members and the executives also distributed forms to the respective chapters to be obtained at N1,000 for raw data before biometrics capturing.
His words: “In September 2022, we had a NEC meeting at Villa Park in Lagos and we decided to do elections. However, to curb the fraudulent practice where candidates imported non-Igbos and non-members just for the sake of voting; we agreed that ASIMPIN’s Electoral Committee (ASIMPEC) will only be inaugurated after the biometrics and membership forms from the respective chapters have been completed.
“Subsequently, we printed forms and distributed them to all the chapters; but no chapter has been able to register one member. No one has gotten back to us that any single member has registered.
“We need the chapters to fully register their members before we arrange for the private company to do the biometrics. The private company we contracted for this biometrics has been calling us repeatedly, but we kept telling them to hold on”.
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).
