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THE STATES

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Adamawa

Members of People’s Democratic Party (PDP)  in the Adamawa House of Assembly have assured Governor  Murtala Nyako of their block votes ahead of the party’s primaries for the state governorship election in 2012.

The development was sequel to a motion moved by Alhaji Umaru Ahmadu, the Majority Leader of the House and member representing Madagali Constituency.

The motion was seconded by Mrs Wilbina Jackson (PDP-Guyuk).

Moving the motion, Ahmadu said all the 20 PDP members in the Assembly had mandated him as their leader to present their position and resolved to give Nyako full support at the party’s governorship primaries and main election.

He said the governor had delivered in all sectors of the economy in his first tenure and deserved to continue in office for a second term.

The lawmakers passed the motion at their session presided over by Speaker Ibrahim Sadiq,

Nyako and a former lecturer, Dr Umar Ardo, have been cleared by PDP for its primaries scheduled for October 24.

Benue

Prof. Chukwudi Obinne of the University of Agriculture, Makurdi, has stressed the need for adequate sensitisation of farmers on various aspects of agriculture to ensure food security in the the world.

Obinne, who made the call in an interview with newsmen in Makurdi, said that farmers in developing countries did not receive the relevant training in farming.

The professor also said that if farmers were encouraged to venture into mechanised farming through necessary incentives, the level of food production would drastically improve.

He said that adult farmers got weaker because of the manual labour associated with agriculture and because they had little understanding of new technologies available to them to improve production.

FCT

The Senate Committee Chairman on Science and Technology, Sen. Robert Boroffice, has assured the Ministry of Science and Technology of the Senate’s cooperation to boost its programmes.

Boroffice gave the assurance on Monday, in Abuja, in an interview with newsmen at the opening of a workshop on the International Space Weather Initiative.

He said that the committee, which was made up of committed members, would do its best to address the challenges facing the sector.

“Working with the Ministry of Science and Technology, we are sure that we would be able to ensure that adequate funding is provided for the sector. ’’

He said that the committee would equally collaborate with the Executive arm of government to develop the sector.

Jigawa

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has indicated interest to partner with Jigawa government on job creation.

The UNDP Resident Representative, Mr Douda Toure, gave the indication when he paid a visit to Gov. Sule Lamido in Dutse on Monday.

Toure said the organisation would collaborate with the state government on job creation for the youth and women.

He said that UNDP was also willing to cooperate with the government in other areas to enhance development in the state.

In his response, Lamido said the state government would partner with UNDP and other interested organisations in its drive to boost development in the state.

Kaduna

The Kaduna State Chapter of the NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in Kaduna have suspended their planned strike over the non-implementation of the N18,000 minimum wage in the state.

Addressing newsmen, the Chairman of the NLC in the state, Mr Adamu Ango, said the strike was suspended because of the agreement between labour and the government over the new table which covered grade levels nine to 17 that were excluded from the previous chart.

Ango said the two unions had agreed and adopted the new table after studying it and decided on the suspension of the proposed strike.

Kano

The Parent-Teacher Association of Gwammaja Model Primary School in Dala Local Government Area of Kano State has donated 50 chairs and two sets of computer to the school.

Presenting the items, the Chairman of the association, Alhaji Isa Salihu, said similar donations of books and other teaching materials had been made to the school in the past.

He advised the Education Department of the local government to deploy additional teaching staff and strive to provide a conducive atmosphere for learning in the school.

Receiving the chairs and computers on behalf of the school, the Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board, Alhaji Yakubu Adamu, reiterated the commitment of the state government to raise educational standards.

Kogi

The Chief Judge of Kogi, Justice Nasir Ajanah, has decried the poor performance of lower courts in the determination of cases brought before them.

Speaking at a special court session to herald the commencement of the 2011/2012 Legal Year in Lokoja, he said that courts in the state received 29,096 cases in the out-going year, out of which 15,150 were disposed of.

The remaining 13,919 cases, he added, were allowed to spill over to the new legal year, noting that a great percentage of the carry-over were from the lower courts.

Ajanah said that of the 1,845 cases pending in the state High Courts in the out-going year, 1,210 were fully determined, leaving 635, while the 38 magistrates’ courts received 3,768 cases, and disposed of 1,920.

Lagos

The Lagos State House of Assembly (LSHA) has passed a resolution to organise a public hearing on the planned removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government

To this end, the House has raised a seven-man committee to organise the hearing, scheduled for October 27.

In a motion moved on the floor of the House by Mr Sanai Agunbiade (ACN-Ikorodu I), the lawmakers expressed concern over moves to remove fuel subsidy in 2012.

The committee chaired by Agunbiade, includes Mr Rotimi Olowo (Somolu I), Mr Yishawu Gbolahan (Eti-Osa), Mr Hodewu Avoseh (Badagry II) and Mr Hakeem Masha (Lagos Island).

Others are Mr Sultan Adeniji-Adele (Amuwo-Odofin) and Mr Abiodun Tobun (Epe II).

Niger

Governor. Babangida Aliyu of Niger State has said the State Government had so far spent about three billion naira on Millennium Development Goals MDGs projects between 2008 and 2009.

Aliyu made the remark while receiving an award of‘“The International Millennium Development Ambassador” by Global Educator for All Initiative at Government House, Minna, saying the money was expended on quick-win projects and conditional cash transfer.

He cited some constraints militating against the country in meeting its MDGs’ targets by 2015, expressing the hope that the country could meet the target five years after the deadline.

Ogun

Small-scale farmers under the aegis of Association of Small-scale Agro-Producers in Nigeria (ASSAPIN), Ogun State Chapter has decried poor funding of agriculture by the three-tiers of government in the country.

They, however, urged governments at all levels to increase budgetary allocation to agriculture to avert food crisis in the country.

The farmers were gathered in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun yesterday to examine the theme for the 2011 World Food Day: “Food Crisis: From Crisis to Stability”.

They said that there was an urgent need for government at all levels to invest more in agriculture to avert looming food crisis.

Mrs Ireti Disu, the Assistant Director of Justice, Development and Peace Commission (JDPC), Ijebu-Ode Catholic Diocese, said that the poor funding of agriculture had resulted in increased prices of food.

Plateau

A Federal High Court sitting in Jos yesterday discharged and acquitted six suspects accused of participating in the January  20 crisis in the Plateau capital.

The suspects are Alhassan Mohammed, Abubakar Samaila, Abubakar Shuaibu, Buhari Dahiru, Ibrahim Musa and Nasiru Idris.

They were charged with terrorism after allegedly participating in the crisis in which many lives were lost and property worth millions of naira destroyed.

A federal Prosecution Counsel, Mr Gbenga Walington, had earlier told the court, presided over by Justice Ambrose Allagoah, that he could not press charges against the accused.

He said that he was in a “precarious situation,’’ having failed to trace the military officers who arrested the suspects on the day the violence erupted.

Yobe

More than 8,000 youths in Yobe are beneficiaries of the World Bank credit facility under FADAMA III programme, Governor Ibrahim Gaidam has said.

The governor made this known when participants of the National Defence Course 20 visited him at the Government House, Damaturu.

He said that the programme, geared toward dry season farming, had been part of the measures taken by his administration to improve the economic status of people at the grass roots.

He pointed out that the scheme, designed to to encourage self-reliance, was also a source of revenue for the state government.

Gaidam said the government was also developing a Gum Arabic plantation to check desert encroachment and that there were youth empowerment farms in the 17 local government areas of the state.

On measures to boost the state’s internal revenue, he said government had constructed a 3-Star Hotel in Damaturu apart from organising local festivals.

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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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