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Adamawa

The Adamawa State Forestry Department has raised and sold about 5,000 tree seedlings to communities in the area in the last three months.

Mr Zakari Philip, the Zonal Forestry Officer in charge of the Mubi North Local Government Council, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in  Mubi on Monday.

Philip said that the seedlings included Eucalyptus, Albezia-lebbeck, Khaya Senegalesis,Azadirachita indica, cashew, guava, mango and tectons grandis.

He added that the tree seedlings project was being run in collaboration with the Federal Government.

“We are targeting about 200,000 tree seedlings under the supervision of a Federal Government’s forestry expert.’’

The officer said that the Forestry Department had embarked on a sensitisation campaign to educate the communities about the dangers of tree felling and the need to plant more trees.

Ekiti

The Ekiti State Police Command yesterday in Ado-Ekiti, paraded three suspects for their alleged involvement in the killing of Police Constable Olufowobi Olusegun during a robbery incident.

The trio allegedly killed the police officer during a robbery operation on July 20, at about 9 p.m. at the residence of the deceased at Moferere in Ado-Ekiti.

The suspects, one of them a medical student aged 24, allegedly committed the murder along with with two other suspects; aged 27 and 24.

A 22-year- old pre-degree female student, suspected to be a girl friend of one them had been detained for allegedly running errands for the suspects.

One the suspects is presently in coma at Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital (OAUTH), Ile Ife, for gunshot injuries received during the robbery.

Jos

People who engage in self-medication are at the risk of delayed diagnosis and treatment when they take ill, a pharmacist has noted.

Rotkang Dimka told newsmen  in Jos that such people risk prolong and ailments like cancer and diabetes which, when diagnosed early, could be treated or managed.

Self-medication is the act of obtaining and consuming drugs without diagnosis or prescription from a doctor.

“Once some people have symptoms similar to ailments they experience in the past, they just make references to previous prescriptions without going to health centres or hospitals for proper diagnosis”.

“Most of them feel they already know the treatment that will be given to them at the hospital and just go ahead to treat themselves without recommendations by qualified medical personnel.

Kano

The Kano Government is to reward the best local government in environmental cleanliness.

Dr  Abdullahi Ganduje, the Deputy Governor, who disclosed this at a meeting with stakeholders in the environment sector, said this was necessary to improve the state of sanitation in the state.

He said that a trophy, to be competed for by all the eight local government areas, would be dedicated as the reward.

Ganduje said the initiative was informed by the state government’s commitment to effective observance of environmental sanitation by the people of the state.

He said that the state government had reintroduced the monthly environmental sanitation beginning from the end of last month.

He said that the government would ensure the success of the exercise in the state capital and in all the 44 local government areas of the state.

Kebbi

Sheikh Ismaila Gotomo, an Islamic scholar in Kebbi, was advised Muslims to embrace Islamic banking as approved by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Gotomo gave the advice in Birnin Kebbi while addressing the annual Pre-Ramadan lecture, organised by the state branch of the Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN).

He said that the non-profit banking system would provide expanded economic activities for investors and improve the nation’s economy, devoid of ethnic or religious differences.

Gotomo said that Islamic banking had been in operation for many years in some western countries, and that such countries had not been Islamised.

Kwara

The Kwara Government has called on the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) to join hands with it to ensure the success of the recently introduced Bridge Empowerment Scheme designed to reduce unemployment.

The Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Sola Gold, made the call on Monday, in Ilorin, while receiving the executive and members of the state chapter of the council.

The scheme was geared toward creating employment opportunities for youths, he said, urging the NYCN to educate its members to embrace the scheme.

On the recently concluded National Sports Festival in Rivers, the SSG commended the council for its support and assistance to Team Kwara.

Nasarawa

TALLAFI Foundation, a pet project of the wife of the Nasarawa State Governor, Hajia Mairo Almakura, has donated food items to Quranic school pupils to curb street begging among them.

Hajia Almakura, who donated the food items to four of such schools in Nasarawa and Keffi local government areas, said the gesture was aimed at ameliorating the plight of the Almajiris to keep them off the street.

“What I am doing today is to see how to keep these children off the street by providing them with food since I learnt from their teachers that they basically go out to beg for food”.

I also want to see how we can come in to incorporate formal western education into the system,” she said.

Niger

Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State has said that governors are committed to paying the new minimum wage after the grey areas must have been be clarified.

Aliyu stated this while interacting with journalists shortly after attending a Speech and Prize giving Day ceremony at the Nigerian Military School (NMS), Zaria, Kaduna State.

“Nobody can run away from the payment of the minimum wage; all of us agreed to find ways to pay; I think we are now working on the ways”.

“These ways include resources and logistics. You must work out details on the payment. Again, you have to work out logistics”.

Ondo

An Okitipupa Magistrate’s Court has granted bail to Ebenezer Oke, 20, and Sunday Oyetakin , 23, both accused of conspiracy, stealing and receiving stolen property.

The Prosecutor, Mr. Zechariah Orogbemi, alleged that the accused who were granted bail in the sum of N500,000 each, committed the offences on July 8, at about 7:40 am in Igbokoda in Ondo state.

Orogbemi alleged that Oke stole N150,000 kept in a bag belonging to Mrs Abeni Ekudehinwa of Ajere Mobile Junction in Igbokoda.

“After stealing the money, at about 1:pm, Oke gave N10, 000 out of the stolen property to Sunday,” he alleged.

Osogbo

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has sponsored no fewer than 1,000 officers and men of the corps to various colleges for arms training.

Dr Ade Abolurin, the Commandant – General of the organisation, disclosed this yesterday at a workshop organised for the local government officials in Osogbo.

Abolurin urged all Nigerians to consider security issue as a collective responsibility and contribute their quota to the task of making the country safe, stressing that security agencies could not do it all alone.

“Every intelligence gathering revolves around the information supplied by the people. It is the information that the security personnel act upon for crime prevention.”

Sokoto

The Federal Government has reimbursed Sokoto State Government to the tune of about N1.27 billion for the construction of a 74-kilometre Sokoto –Illela federal road.

Alhaji Bashir Kankiya, the Federal Controller of Works in the state, announced this in an interview in Sokoto.

“Actually, the road is about 84 kilometres but the defunct PTF had rehabilitated 10 kilometres out of it while the state government awarded the contract for the construction of the remaining part of the road; the cost of the contract awarded was about N1.995 billion.’’

According to Kankiya , the contractor has completed 74 per cent of the road, amounting to about N1.5 billion .

Taraba

The Nigerian Red Cross in Taraba, has distributed relief materials worth thousands of Naira to victims of Kona and Mumuye ethnic clashes.

The clashes which occurred near Jalingo on July 10, claimed about 10 lives.

The relief materials included blankets, pots, mattresses and food items, which were distributed to Kaudad, Minda, Sambe, Jauro Shawo, Jauro and Awai villages.

Presenting the materials to the victims on Tuesday in Jalingo, the State Chairman of the Red Cross, Alhaji Hassan Abubakar, condemned the incident and prayed that such should never happen again.

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PTAD Reiterates Commitment To Pensioners’ Service Delivery

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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.

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CAS Honours Officer For Placing NAF On International Spotlight

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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.

 

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Healthcare Reforms: NHIA Advocates Private Sector Involvement

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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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