News
FG Laments Poor Response To HIV/AIDS Testing
The Federal Government, yesterday, lamented the low response of people to HIV/AIDS testing, appealing to citizens to embrace it.
This was as it disclosed that a number of measures have been put in place to empower poor women in rural communities living with the disease.
The Director-General of the National Agency for Control of AIDS, Dr Gambo Aliyu, speaking at the 2020 World AIDS Day celebration in Abuja, also regretted that the Covid-19 pandemic has adversely impacted the HIV/AIDS programmes in the country.
Aliyu, who identified stigma and discrimination as major causes of low response to testing, vowed that his organisation would be at the forefront of the fight against such issues.
Speaking further at the event with the theme: “United to End AIDS in the Midst of Covid-19: Get Tested”, the NACA boss said:”This is very important because this year’s HIV/AIDS response is different and it is different because of Covid-19.”
Aliyu said the agency was scrutinizing its data to find out the real impact of Covid-19 on the people living with HIV/AIDS in the country.
“We have had and we have seen the impacts of Covid-19 on HIV programme. Even though we are scrutinizing our data to find out the real impact of Covid-19 on the people living with HIV/AIDS.
“But one thing that we know without even looking at our data is, we know that in terms of dare economic realities, Covid-19 has a negative impact or adverse impact compared to other average population and because of that, recently, we launched a project in conjunction with the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs,” he said.
“This project is basically PPE but not PPE that you see but the PPE to protect and empower people living with HIV/AIDS,” he added.
According to him, indigent women living in rural communities “find it difficult to go to facilities to collect medication.
“They also find it difficult to earn living and we are focusing on women simply because we know that in terms of equality when it comes to business and when it comes to empowerment, women are disadvantaged.
“And because of that, we want to, first of all, take care of women living with HIV/ AIDS before we focus our attention on men. And in the next couple of months, you will see us out in the community,” he explained.
He said: “As early as this week, we are flagging off this project to empower women living with HIV AIDS who are indigent. We will teach them how to do small businesses at the community level and give them seed money to initiate those businesses.
“This NACA is determined to continue until the end of the year and in 2021, to make sure that we reach the most disadvantaged living with HIV AIDS across the country and empower them,” he stressed.
He appealed to the private sector to join in the government’s efforts to see this through.
“We are calling on the private sector to join us in this effort just as they joined us last two years in our efforts to find a solution to the HIV/AIDS pandemic in the country. We were very grateful to the private sector for coming out with this initiative with such fund,” he said.
The NACA boss thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for his support to the agency so far, saying his organisation has not had it so good as now.
Hear him: “In terms of government’s commitment, we are very grateful to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, for funding NACA with the kind of funding that we haven’t seen in recent years and for keeping to his pledge of putting 100,000 people living with HIV AIDS on treatment within domestic resources.
“So, together, we will fight and together, we will be out in the community to fight stigma and discrimination, to make sure that people have the courage and confidence to get tested for HIV.
“For, it is only when people agree to get tested that our dream will be realized. Without testing, there is no way that we can identify individuals that are out there and living with HIV/AIDS,” he said, adding: “I want everyone here to take this message to the lowest community that you can have access to and that message is ‘get tested and get tested’ now.”
Recall that every year; the global community, including Nigeria celebrates World AIDS Day to raise awareness of the AIDS pandemic.
The occasion presents an opportunity to support people living with HIV/AIDS and also the people affected by HIV/AIDS.
This year’s theme of the celebration is, “Global Solidarity and Shared Responsibility”.
However, in Nigeria, the theme is, “United to End AIDS in the Midst of Covid-19: Get Tested.”
Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for an official State visit at the invitation of the Prime Minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed.
Upon arrival yesterday, Shettima was received at the airport by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Dr. Gedion Timothewos, and other members of the Ethiopian and Nigerian diplomatic corps.
Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, revealed this in a statement he signed yesterday, titled: “VP Shettima arrives in Ethiopia for official state visit.”
During the visit, Vice President Shettima will participate in the official launch of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Programme, a flagship environmental initiative.
The programme designed to combat deforestation, enhance biodiversity, and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change targets the planting of 20 billion tree seedlings over a four-year period.
In line with strengthening bilateral ties in agriculture and industrial development, the Vice President will also embark on a strategic tour of key industrial zones and integrated agricultural facilities across selected regions of Ethiopia.
News
RSG Tasks Farmers On N4bn Agric Loan ….As RAAMP Takes Sensitization Campaign To Four LGs In Rivers
The Rivers State Government has called on the people of the state especially farmers to access the ?4billion agricultural loans made available by the State and domiciled in the Bank of Industry.
This is as the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) of Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), a World Bank project, took its sensitization campaign to Opobo/Nkoro, Andoni, Port Harcourt City and Obio/Akpor local government areas.
The campaign was aimed at enlightening community dwellers and other stakeholders in the various local government areas on the RAAMP project implementation and programme activities.
The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Maurice Ogolo, said this at Opobo town, Ngo, Port Harcourt City and Rumuodumanya, headquarters of the four local government areas respectively, during the sensitization campaign.
Ogolo said apart from the ?4billion, the government has also made available fertilizers and other farm inputs to farmers in the various local government areas.
The Permanent Secretary who is the Chairman, State Steering Committee for the project, said RAAMP will construct roads that will connect farms to markets to enable farmers and fishermen sell their farms produce and fishes.
He also said rural roads would be constructed to farms and fishing settlements, and warned against any act that will lead to the cancellation of the projects in the four local government areas.
According to him, the World Bank and Federal Government which are the financiers of the programme will not condone such acts like kidnapping, marching ground and other acts inimical to the successful implementation of the projects in their respective areas.
At PHALGA, Ogolo asserted that the city will benefit in the areas of roads and bridge construction.
He noted that RAAMP was thriving in both the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; Lagos and other states in the country, stressing that the project should also be given the seriousness it deserves in Rivers State.
Speaking at Opobo town, the headquarters of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area, the project coordinator, RAAMP, Mr.Joshua Kpakol, said the programme would reduce poverty in the state.
According to him, both fishermen and farmers will maximally benefit from the programme.
At Ngo which is the headquarters of Andoni Local Government Area, Kpakol said roads will be constructed to all remote fishing settlements.
He said Rivers State is lucky to be among the states implementing the project, and stressed the need for the people to embrace it.
Meanwhile, Kpakol said at PHALGA that RAAMP is a project that will transform the lives of farmers, traders and other stakeholders in the area.
He urged the stakeholders to spread the information to their various communities.
However, some of the stakeholders at Opobo town complained about the destruction of their farms by bulls allegedly owed by traditional rulers in the area, as well as incessant stealing of their canoes at waterfronts.
At Ngo, Archbishop Elkanah Hanson, founder of El-Shaddai Church, commended the World Bank and the Federal Government for bringing the projects to Andoni.
He stressed the need for the construction of roads to fishing settlements in the area.
Also, a former Commissioner for Agriculture in the state and Okan Ama of Ekede, HRH King Gad Harry, noted that storage facilities have become necessary for a successful agricultural programme.
Harry also stressed the need for the programme to be made sustainable.
In their separate speeches, the administrators of Andoni and Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Areas, pledged their readiness to support the programme.
At Port Harcourt City, the Administrator, Dr Arthur Kalagbor, represented by the Head of Local Government Administration, Port Harcourt City, Mr Clifford Paul, said the city would support the implementation of the programme in the area.
Also, the administrator of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Dr Clifford Ndu Walter, represented by Mr Michael Elenwo, pledged to support the programme in his local government area.
Among dignitaries at the Obio/Akpor stakeholders engagement is the chairman, Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council and paramount ruler of Apara Kingdom, HRM Eze Chike Wodo, amongst others.
John Bibor
President Bola Tinubu has ordered the commencement of personnel audit and skill gap analysis across all cadres of federal civil servants.
The president gave this directive in Abuja, yesterday, while speaking at the International Civil Service Conference, reaffirming his resolve to achieve efficiency and professional service delivery in the civil service.
“I have authorized the comprehensive personnel audit and skill gap analysis across the federal civil service to deepen capacity. I urge all responsible stakeholders to prioritize timely completion of this critical exercise, to begin implementing targeted reforms, to realize the full benefit of a more agile, competent and responsive civil service,” the president announced.
Tinubu further directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), to prioritise data integrity and sovereignty in national interest.
He called for the capture, protection and strategic publication of public sector data in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act of 2023.
“We must let our data speak for us. We must publish verified data assets within Nigeria and share them internationally recognized as fruitful. This will allow global benchmarking organisation to track our progress in real time and help us strengthen our position on the world stage. This will preserve privacy and uphold data sovereignty,” Tinubu added.
President Tinubu hailed the federal civil service as the “engine” driving his Renewed Hope Agenda, and the vehicle for delivering sustainable national development.
He submitted that the roles of civil servants remain indispensable in modern governance, declaring that in the face of a fast-evolving digital and economic landscape, the civil service must remain agile, future-ready, and results-driven.
“This maiden conference is a bold step toward redefining governance in an era of rapid transformation. An innovative Civil Service ensures we meet today’s needs and overcome tomorrow’s challenges.
“It captures our collective ambition to reimagine and reposition the civil service. In today’s rapid, evolving world of technology, innovation remains critical in ensuring that the civil service is dynamic, digital” the President said.
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack in her welcome address told the President that his presence and strong words of commendation at the conference has renewed the morale and mandate of public servants across the country.
Walson-Jack described Tinubu as the backbone of driving transformation in the Nigerian civil service, and noted that the takeaways from past study tours undertaken to understudy the civil service in Singapore, the UK and US under her leadership, is already yielding multiplier effects.
Walson-Jack assured Tinubu that her office, in collaboration with reform-minded stakeholders, will not relent in accelerating the implementation of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan, FCSSIP 25.
She affirmed that digitalisation, performance management, and continuous learning remain key pillars in strengthening accountability, transparency, and service delivery across MDAs.
Walson-Jack reaffirmed that the civil service is determined to exceed expectations by embedding a culture of innovation, ethical leadership, and citizen-centred governance in the heart of public administration.