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Confab Restricts FG On Sponsorship Of Foreign Medical Trips
Adamawa State Branch Chairman, Nigerian Society of Engineers, Mr Polycarp Samuel (left); Vice President, Nigerian Society of Engineers, Mr Kunle Mokolo and other officials during a ground breaking and foundation laying of Yola Branch Office of the Society in Yola last Saturday. Photo: NAN
The national conference has resolved that henceforth, there should be restriction of government sponsorship of public officers for foreign medical care; and that unless for exceptional cases that require referral abroad, all public officers should mandatorily utilize local health facilities.
The National Conference, in a bid to reduce the current negative impact of medical tourism on the image and integrity of Nigeria and her healthcare system, has set strict procedures that must be observed by public officers seeking medical treatment outside Nigeria.
The Conference on Tuesday said seeking medical treatment abroad has resulted in immense capital flight and drain on Nigeria’s economy resulting from medical tourism; it cited abuse of existing processes for screening of referrals for foreign medical treatment as one of the reasons.
These exceptional cases, it said, must be screened by a medical board made up of appropriate medical and healthcare professionals.
In addition, the recommendations of the board should be subject to the approval of the Minister of Health who is the chief medical adviser to the Federal Government; except where such exceptional cases are serious emergencies, in which instant approval may be given.
Conference however expressed the need for improvement in the quality of healthcare services in Nigeria; a deliberate effort to refocus the attitude of healthcare workers to patients in Nigeria; and improved political commitment to health by political office holders.
These resolutions were arrived at after heated debates on the report of the Committee on the Social Sector presented by the Committee Chairman, Iyom Josephine Anenih, supported by the deputy chairman, Professor Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufai, the former Minister of Education.
It was also resolved that free-healthcare be established for children aged 0-5 years; senior citizens from the age of 65 years; persons living with disability or the physically challenged persons; free maternal services and free school health programmes.
After another round of heated debate by the delegates, Conference resolved that government and owners of mission/private schools should dialogue to facilitate the handover of all mission and private schools to their original owners.
In returning the schools, it was agreed that owners must ensure that they are affordable and able to serve wider variety of the public as it were in the original concept of the mission schools.
It recommended that there should be regulation of fees charged by the schools; the schools should provide assistance to the local community through scholarships and other services; and that children from other denominations should not be marginalized in the admission process.
Conference agreed that staff of such schools should have the option of remaining with the institution or being absorbed into government service in the case of the return of the mission and private schools to their original owners.
Still on schools, it was unanimously decided that government should convert all Almajiri schools to normal schools and integrate Quranic education curriculum to absorb the millions of out of school children.
Government was also asked to provide free basic education with free uniforms, books and midday meals for all children from primary one to junior secondary three.
It was also resolved that government should build additional Almajiri Schools to bring them up to 400 as originally planned while a 10 year plan of sustained implementation should be put in place with a view to providing access to all children.
On pension, Conference said the 2004 Pension Act should be amended so that payment of pension to beneficiaries would continue throughout their lifetime instead of the current practice where payment is only made to people between 15 and 18 years post-retirement.
Delegates agreed on the urgent need to amend the 2004 Pension Act to include a provision to hold the pension commission responsible and also prescribe penalties.
It was accepted that salary reviews should be reflected in calculating benefits across the board, particularly in reference to long-time retirees; salary increases should automatically affect retirees in both the old and new pension systems.
To ensure full coverage of citizens, Conference said pension fund administrators and the national pension commission should be obliged to begin a comprehensive programme of registering the informal sector workers under the 2004 Pensions Act.
Conference also unanimously decided that a social security policy be put in practice to cater for the well being of the elderly in addition to the pension policy.
Proceedings at the Conference however came to a halt for about 15 minutes as female delegates and some male delegates took the floor to protest attempts by other delegates to vote against the application of the affirmative action demanding that 35% of elective offices at all levels be given reserved for women.
As soon as delegates voted to reduce the percentage from 35% to 30%, all the women in the hall including some men stood up, started singing and threatened a walk-out if the decision was not reversed.
When the hall was eventually called to order, some of the male delegates including former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Umar Na’Abba, spoke in favour of 35%. They stated that the matter was already an existing government policy.
At this point, it was unanimously decided that since the practice was already in existence and on-going, it should be allowed to remain. Instantly, some female delegates started asking for increase to 40%.
Conference also decided that the Federal Government should put into effective use, the National Policy on Women adopted in 2004 which was replaced with the National Gender Policy in 2006.
Government was also asked to draft for passage and implementation, a Bill on the Abolition of all Forms of Discrimination against Women in Nigeria to address the issue of discrimination and violence against women and maltreatment of widows
Delegates adopted a recommendation that government should legislate to prohibit installation of telecommunication mast in residential neighbourhoods and to prohibit other practices that negatively impact on health including female genital mutilation.
Justus Awaji, Abuja
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.
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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.