Nation
THE STATES
Adamawa
Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja team has emerged winner of the maiden edition of Baba Mai Mangoro National Para-Soccer Championship (Adamawa 2013), which ended last Saturday in Yola.
In the final match of the tournament, Abuja defeated Kano to emerge the overall winner while Adamawa came third after beating Nasarawa in the third place match by three goals to nil.
The final match between Abuja and Kano ended in a penalty shoot out after the two teams drew 2-2 at full time. Abuja scored all its three penalty kicks to have a total of five goals while Kano scored only two of its penalty kicks missing one to emerged runners up with four goals.
The prize for the most valuable player went to Mohammed Hussaini of Nasarawa, while prize for best goal keeper went to Ibrahim Abubakar of Gombe. Mohammed Abdullahi of Kano got the prize for the highest goal scorer.
Bauchi
The Police in Dass town of Bauchi State said they repelled an attack by gunmen at the town’s police station last Friday night.
The Commissioner of Police, Bauchi State Command, Alhaji Mohammed Ladan, told newsmen that the attackers were repelled by his men.
Ladan said in the face-off with the gun men, a police man was shot on the leg, adding that apart from the wounded policeman the attackers did not succeed in either carting away arms or burning the station.
Confirming the attack, Information Officer of the Dass Emirate, Alhaji Bala Nalado said that the assailants only managed to pull down parts of the building.
He said that the attackers left without causing serious damages to the building. The attack was the first incident of an attack on police stations in the state this year.
Benue
The Permanent Secretary, Benue Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Andy Uwouku, has urged the Federal Government to release more grains from its reserves to meet possible shortfall of food items in the country.
Uwouku said in Makurdi on Saturday that the flood disaster in 2012 in the country was capable of affecting food supply stating that in Benue alone, all the major rice producing local governments were affected, and that rice worth millions of naira was washed away by the floods.
He said about 60 percent of rice fields in Makurdi and Guma Local Government Areas was destroyed, 50 per cent of the farms in Logo, Gwer West was washed away while in Agatu, 80 percent of rice cultivations was devastated.
The permanent secretary disclosed that rice production programme was targeted at places where the crop had great comparative advantage in soil compatibility.
FCT
The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has upgraded its Automated Biometric Identification System aimed at boosting enrolments of Nigerians into the national identity project.
In a statement issued on Saturday in Abuja by Mr Anthony Okwudiafor, the Director, Corporate Communications, “the system was first deployed in 2010, it had only two bimodal functionalities to capture the fingerprint and the face.”
The statement added that the system had been upgraded to accommodate more features. It said the Federal Government had approved the upgrade to 70 million Databases to accommodate the two modal functionalities as part of the N30.066 billion three-year funding that was approved for the commission in 2011.
“But the Management of NIMC has been able to utilise the same funding to achieve a higher upgrade due to its cordial relationship with service providers,” it said.
Gombe
Commissioner of Information and Orientation in Gombe State, The Rev. Habu Dawaki, says the Gov. Ibrahim Dankwambo administration has executed “unprecedented’’ development projects in the last one and a half years.
The commissioner said that the government was paying attention to education, roads and infrastructure, water resources, erosion control, healthcare as well as youth and women empowerment.
He said the government had embarked on a massive construction of roads with a view to opening up the state for agricultural and socio-economic development.
“Most of these roads have been completed while some are under construction,” Dawaki said.
Kaduna
The Speaker, House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, has said that corruption and poverty are national social menace that are detrimental to national development.
He said this at a lecture on “Religion, Ethnicity and Corruption : Challenges of National Security” organised by the Centre for Peace, Conflict and Security Studies, ABU, in collaboration with Students’ Representative Council of the institution.
Tambuwal, who was represented by Rep. Bashir Adamu, Chairman, House Committee on Defence, lamented over the prevalence of corruption and poverty in the country.
In his speech, the ABU Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Abdullahi Mustapha, observed that national conflicts were added conflicts emanating from ward, local and state levels.
Kogi
The Deputy Governor of Kogi State, Yomi Awoniyi, has commended the Federal Government for awarding contract for reconstruction of the Lokoja to Benin road.
Awoniyi who made the commendation in a statement issued by his Press Secretary, Mr Michael Abu, in Lokoja expressed gratitude to the Controller of Works and the Zonal Director, Federal Emergency Road Management Agency, Mr Aigbe Osayi and Femi Kayode respectively.
Awoniyi said good road remained cardinal to the socio–economic well being of any society and advised the Federal Government to also construct the Obajana – Ilorin road, in view of its socio–economic significance.
He stated that the state government was ready to partner with the Federal Ministry of Works to improve all federal roads passing through the state, and assured contractors on the maintenance jobs along Lokoja – Abuja road of government’s support.
Kwara
The Kwara Government has relaxed the 24-hour curfew imposed on Offa and Erin-Ile communities to allow Muslims and Christians to observe their religion obligations.
The Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Isiaka Gold who gave this directive in a statement in IIorin, advised Muslims and Christians in the two communities to use the relaxed period on Fridays and Sundays for religious purposes..
The statement said movement would be allowed between 12:00 noon and 6:00 p.m. on Fridays and between 7:00am and 2:00pm on Sundays. However, the 24-hour curfew would continue to operate on other days besides Fridays and Sundays.
Meanwhile, the President of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) Alhaji Najeem Yasin on Friday called on the Inspector-General of Police to investigate causes of the crisis.
Yasin made the call at Offa after inspecting scenes of the crisis and described the level of destruction and loss of lives in the two feuding communities as enormous.
Lagos
The Minister of Works, Mike Onolememen has directed Messrs Borini Prono, handling the Apapa-Tincan Atlas Cove project, to hasten its ongoing construction of trailer park on the Oshodi – Apapa Expressway.
Onolememen, who spoke in Lagos on Friday while inspecting projects on the axis, had listened to the submissions of Mrs O. Osakue, Engineer Representative on the project.
Osakue had blamed the slow pace of work on illegal occupiers on its right of way and inadequate funding of the project by the government.
Onolememen said that the firm’s excuses were not genuine, and urged the company to emulate Julius Berger, its counterpart which handled phase one rehabilitation of the Oshodi/Apapa Expressway, and did not wait for funds.
Oyo
Primate Rufus Ositelu of The Church of the Lord Aladura Worldwide says that licensing of religious preachers before operating in the country will not work.
Ositelu told newsmen in Ibadan, Sunday that the recent suggestion on preachers’ permit by the Sultan of Sokoto, Saad Abubakar, was commendable due to security challenges, particularly in the north.
Ositelu, however, said considering the huge population and different religions, monitoring all religious preachers through permits was not practicable.
Ositelu commended the sultan and described him as a true leader who had worked with Christian counterparts to fight religious violence in the country.
Plateau
The Plateau State Emergence Management Agency (SEMA) has commenced the distribution of 1,500 tonnes of grains to the 2012 flood victims in the state.
The Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr Steven Barko, inaugurated the lifting of the grains to various distribution centres on Friday. Barko represented Mr Ignatius Longjan, Plateau Deputy Governor and Chairman of SEMA’s Governing Council.
Longjan said the 1500 tonnes of sorghum and maize which were 30,000 bags, were donated to Plateau Government by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to mitigate the sufferings of the victims of the flood disaster.
SEMA Executive Secretary, Mr Alhassan Barde, said that every arrangement was completed for the distribution.
The executive secretary gave assurance that transparency and fairness would be the watch words during the distribution exercise.
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).
