The Nation Newspaper

Tag: support

  • AGF seeks support for govt’s anti-corruption efforts

    Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami has sought support for the Federal Government’s anti-corruption efforts.

    He solicited the commitment of agencies to the implementation of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS), validated on April 27, 2017.

    Malami spoke yesterday in Abuja while inaugurating the Monitoring and Implementation Committee on the National Anti-Corruption Strategy.

    He said the committee, provided for under the fourth pillar of the NACS, was to ensure periodic assessment of NACS by the implementing agencies.

    The AGF told the members that their “mandate is to ensure that the National Anti-Corruption Strategy is implemented. I solicit the cooperation of members.”

    He said the committee, whose secretariat would be situated at the Technical Unit on Governance and Anti-Corruption Reforms (TUGAR), was expected to suggest ways the NACS 2017-2021 would be better implemented.

    The committee members are drawn from TUGAR, Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC), Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Office of the Civil Service of the Federation, Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), Bureau of Public Service Reform (BPSR) and Public Complaint Commission (PCC).

    Others are Federal Ministry of Information, Ministry of Communication Technology, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation and civil society organisations.

    The National Programme Manager, Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Programme of the European Union, Danladi Plang, said the committee would execute its task.

    He advised members to be inquisitive and query information presented by any agency they assessed.

    “You should know that people may not be comfortable with the activities of this committee, because you are like auditors, who will scrutinise people’s books,” Plang said.

  • USAID increases support for good governance, health

    The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has announced more development assistance to support achieving the development goals outlined in the bilateral Development Objectives Assistance Agreement between the U.S. and Nigerian governments signed in 2015.

    Of the new funding, $25 million will strengthen good governance by supporting state governments’ efforts to bolster Nigeria’s Open Government Partnership commitments to improve transparency and fight corruption.  An additional $1.5 million will support a healthier, and more educated population in targeted states through the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), totalled at $26.5 million.

    USAID is also partnering federal and state health ministries to build stronger health systems with the aim of guaranteeing equitable access to quality healthcare services nationwide.  The additional new funding brings the total U.S. government assistance provided under the five-year Development Objectives agreement to $1.1 billion.

    “The United States believes that as the most populous country in Africa, with the largest economy on the continent, Nigeria holds tremendous influence over the future of Africa,” Acting Mission Director Erin Holleran said, adding: “USAID is committed to partnering with the government and the people of Nigeria to address its development challenges.”

    USAID collaborated with the ministries of Budget and National Planning, Health, Agriculture, Power, and Education, as well as state-level government counterparts to structure the bilateral assistance agreement, which runs through 2020.

  • Lagos seeks support of public servants on health insurance scheme

    The Lagos State Government has sought the support of public servants in the successful implementation of the soon to be launched mandatory Lagos State Health Scheme (LSHS).These are  especially in the areas of propagation of information about the scheme, its benefit packages and roles of stakeholders.

    The Health Commissioner, Dr. Jide Idris, said the role of public servants just like other stakeholders is important  in the successful implementation of the scheme.

    Dr Idris stated this at the meeting organised by the Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA) in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and the Public Service Office to sensitise public servants on the scheme.

    “The reason for this sensitisation meeting is to educate and sensitise you on the reasons for the roll out of the scheme, policy decisions, the modalities of the scheme, the plans, the benefit packages, service provision, premium breakdown and payment modalities as well as your roles and responsibilities of enrollees and stakeholders in the scheme”, Idris said.

    Dr Idris said LSHS is a compulsory health insurance programme established by the enabling law of the state to ensure all residents of Lagos State have access to affordable and quality healthcare, as the scheme is aimed at protecting people living in Lagos from financial distress resulting from huge medical bills.

    Idris while explaining that the premium payment for a family of six is 40,000 naira per year and premium for single enrolment is 8,500 naira per year, said a premium subsidy of 75 percent was approved by the Lagos State Executive council for public servants, “What this means is that the state government will pay 75 percent of the premium while public servants will only be required to pay 25 percent”, the Commissioner said.

    He noted that LSHS apart from increasing access to quality health care services without financial hardship is also providing enrollees with options of accessing these services at public or private health facilities.

    In the same vein, the Head of Service, Lagos State Public Service, Mrs. Folasade Adesoye who also spoke at the meeting, stated that it is important for public servants as key stakeholders and potential beneficiaries of the scheme to understand their roles and what they stand to gain from the scheme.

    She said: “It is for this purpose that representatives of public servants of different grade levels were drawn from all MDAs to participate at this meeting with the hope that information received will be shared at individual MDA level. The workforce will also go a long  way in promoting healthy life style and improved standard of living for the teeming Lagos populace including public servants and their families”.

    The Head of Service stated that the sensitisation programme will be a continuous activity until the required awareness and information are entrenched within the public service communities.

    While expressing the gratitude of public servants to the governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode for the subsidised premium payment, his unwavering commitment to the well-being of  public servants and their families, Adesoye noted that public servants would continue to ensure the effective and efficient implementation of government policies and programmes, as expected, at all times.

    The General Manager of LASHMA, Dr. Peju Adenusi, while giving an overview of the scheme, explained that the LSHS Bill was signed into Law in May 2015. She  added that the law which established LASHMA, LSHS and the Lagos State Health Fund (LASHEF) will serve as a basket of funds from several sources for the provision of health care services for the enrolled population.

    Adenusi said the Lagos State Residents Registration Agency (LASRRA) registration number shall be a prerequisite for accessing any benefit available under the schemes.

    She disclosed that the services to be provided under the scheme otherwise known as benefit package will include antenatal and postnatal care, normal delivery and Ceaserian operation, care of newborn, prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV, immunisation, growth monitoring and promotion, management of childhood illnesses, family planning and counseling and adolescent reproductive health care.

     

     

    Others, according her, are prevention of Tuberculosis (TB) and Leprosy, prevention and control of Malaria, prevention and control of STIs,/HIV/AIDs, prevention and control of non-communicable diseases such  as diabetes and hypertension, emergency health services, minor surgeries and anaesthesia, health education, ophthalmic care and dental care.

    The General Manger noted that the responsibilities of enrollee will need to understand the scheme fully, register themselves and their family members, ensure regular payment of premium, encourage others to join and make suggestions or complaints known through established mechanisms.

     

     

  • Support swells for APC in Abia

    The people of Ukwa East and West Local Government Areas of Abia State have given their support for the All Progressives Congress (APC), President Mohammadu Buhari and state leader, High Chief Ikechi Emenike.

    Emenike began his tour of the 17 councils at Ukwa West last Saturday and Ukwa East on Sunday where he addressed various groups on the need for them to support the party. He urged them to be prepared for the 2019 elections as APC is determined to take over the state.

    The party leader also addressed teenagers, comprising about 50 from each ward, and within the 18-21 years, after which he addressed Emenike Daughters, numbering over 300.

    Emenike later in the day met with over 150 stakeholders, mainly retired school principals, professors, permanents secretaries, judges, among others, at the home of Rogers Wabara, and encouraged them to get their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

    He explained that the tour of the 17 councils is to ascertain the party’s membership strength.

    He said: “I am overwhelmed by the huge followership the party is already enjoying at the grassroots. The change we talk about can only be effected with votes. If we don’t have the capacity to vote, we can’t bring change. APC supporters should utilise the extended registration period to get their PVCs and mobilise their relatives, friends and neighbours to do so.

    “If you register and vote, you will get the government you desire and there will be development in the state. Stakeholders, who are elders and opinion moulders, should play active part in the electoral process.”

     

  • Lagos to support Ikeja NBA on social justice

    Lagos State government has promised  to  support the  newly elected  executives of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Ikeja Branch led, by Mr  Dele Oloke.

    State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Adeniji Kazeem, made the promise when the new executives and elders of the branch visited him.

    The elders included Mr Dele Adeshina (SAN), Mr Femi Falana (SAN), Mr Roland Otaru (SAN), Mr Layi Babatunde (SAN) and Mr Monday Ubani. Their mission was to introduce the  new executives to the AG.

    Kazeem expressed his gratitude to the new executive and the  elders for their visit and congratulatory messages.

    He pledged the cooperation of the ministry towards ensuring a successful tenure for the new executive.

    According to Kazeem, “he has the full backing of the state government to key into the programmes of the Bar association.

    “As such, the Bar would be engaged to play a major role in the review of some of the laws in the state, for example the Tenancy Law which is under review at the moment.

    “As a critical stakeholder, the Bar is contributing to law making and will ensure people are afforded with a balanced output in laws enacted as a result of their participation in the kaw-making process,” he said.

    Kazeem also reiterated the use of technology to improve service delivery  and  justice administration in Lagos State.

    He mentioned the Lagos State DNA Forensic laboratory and Criminal Data Information System which will assist in crime detection, prosecutions and adjudication.

    Oloke assured that the executive committee of the NBA Ikeja would not be confrontational with the state government.

    “We are ready to always partner and engage the government on all issues of concern rather than fight government,” he said.

    According to him, the NBA is a pressure group of note that should be seen as a partner in progress to assist government in ensuring justice for all.

    The new NBA Ikeja chairman pledged the preparedness of the new executive to partner with the state government to ensure that social justice for all is entrenched in the state.  The Bar Chairman congratulated the Attorney General on his recent elevation to the position of Senior Advocate of Nigeria and called for more assistance from the government in providing a suitable platform for lawyers in private practice to profitably practice their profession.

    Adeshina, a former NBA National General Secretary and Mr. Falana welcomed the Attorney-General to the Inner Bar  and praised the Ministry of Justice for its many achievements under the leadership of Mr Kazeem.

    According to  Adeshina, the Ministry is a trail blazer in the area of Mediation as a credible alternative to litigation and suggested that more should be done to encourage resolution and mediation.

    Falana while commending Justice Administration reforms in the state, described the state as a pacesetter.

    They, however, urged the government to extend the reform in the Justice Sector to the Customary Courts.

    They  advised that senior lawyers could be employed in the customary courts. They cautioned that these lawyers must also be trained in order not turn procedures at such courts into the formal tradition of superior courts which will inhibit speedy dispensation of justice.

    They praised the state government on various reforms that the state embarked upon, such as the Multi-Door Court, Witness Support Unit, Citizens Mediation Centre, and Domestic and Sexual Violence Court.

    Other elders of the branch who spoke at the meeting pledged their support to the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice and promised to contribute their quota to move justice system forward in the state.

  • Group seeks support for cocoa farmers

    Cocoa farmers require more support to apply global best practices in their operations, the Project Manager of the Olakoko Sustainability Project, Mrs. Mopelola Fabunmi, has said.

    Mrs Fabunmi spoke during the commemoration of Farmers’ Day at Igbara-Oke, near Akure, the Ondo State capital, where 2,851 farmers from Edo, Osun, Ogun, and Ondo states participated.

    The project manager said Nigeria is in a pole position to increase its yield of cocoa and ensure improved quality of the produce as well as improve the quality of lives of farmers.

    She recalled that in over two years of its operation, the Olakoko Project had trained more than 8,000 farmers from Edo, Ogun, Osun and Ondo states.

    Mrs Fabunmi said: “We do not relent in our efforts at ensuring that farmers are thoroughly trained on farm practices and passing necessary information required to improve agricultural yields.”

    Highlights of the Farmers’ Day included the Farmers’ Market, which provided an avenue for farmers to get farm inputs for cocoa and other crops as a means of diversification.

    Mrs Fabunmi said: “One of the aims of the project is to ensure that farmers take good care of their farms (fruits and soil) to get good quality cocoa beans there. We do this by linking them to sources of good inputs, such as fungicide, insecticide, herbicides and others, which are approved by authorised bodies such as CRIN.

    “We also encourage diversification of other crops during the cocoa off-season. Thus, the essence of the Farmers’ Market is that farmers can have closer interaction with the input and agro dealers and they in turn sell to them at subsidized price.”

     

  • Buhari to governors: support your wives’ humanitarian activities

    PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has advised state governors to support their wives’ humanitarian activities.

    He spoke when wives of state governors visited him under the auspices of the Northern and Southern Governors Wives Forum at the Presidential Villa at the weekend.

    Buhari, in a statement by the Director of Information to his wife, Suleiman Haruna, hailed the governors’ wives for the humanitarian activities they are carrying out in their states.

    Assuring them of his support, he said he would canvass more moral and financial supports for them.

    He said: “I appreciate the role you are playing as your work helps in pricking the conscience of the people.”

    The President specifically hailed their work on the IDPs and disadvantaged children as well as the fight against drug abuse.

    Buhari also encouraged them to interface with Central Bank of Nigeria and Federal Ministry of Agriculture over new and existing opportunities so that women farmers and entrepreneurs can take advantage of them.

    The President’s wife, Mrs. Aisha Muhammadu Buhari, underscored the complementary role that wives of governors play in supporting the programmes and policies of their husbands.

    She stressed on the need for the governors to encourage them.

    Mrs. Buhari highlighted areas where efforts are more pronounced as girl-child education, child abuse, women and youth empowerment and health promotion.

    “As mothers of the states, wives of governors have the ears of women and youths; this is so because they run programmes that directly touch these categories of Nigerians,” she said.

    She urged the President to support their work.

    Chairperson, Northern Governors Wives Forum and Bauchi State governor’s wife, Mrs. Hadiza Abubakar, said apart from issues of maternal health and girl-child education, the flagship programme of the forum is prevention of substance abuse, for which they rally stakeholders to come to a holistic solution.

    She lauded the ban on codeine-containing cough syrups, describing it as a major breakthrough.

    The forum, she stated, is advocating for the revival of moribund drug rehabilitation centres and the establishment of new ones in states that did not have them.

    Chairperson, Southern Governors Wives Forum and Imo State Governor’s wife, Mrs. Nkechi Okorocha, said their activities take a cue from the works of Mrs. Buhari’s Future Assured Programme and focuses on issues of cultism, kidnapping, child labour, baby factories and youth restiveness.

    She said the forum had trained 1,000 women in different skills and 2000 school children were supported with educational materials.

    Highlight of the event were presentations to the President by the two leading governors’ wives.

     

  • APC chief drums support for Akeredolu, Adetimehin

    A chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Timothy Felder Olatunji, has urged members to support the Ade Adetimehin-led Executive Committee (exco) in Ondo State.

    Olatunji, who hails from Ileoluji/Okeigbo Local Government, described the process leading to the emergence of the exco as transparent to strengthen the party.

    Olatunji, a senatorial aspirant, in a statement enjoined members “to ignore moves by desperate politicians to cause disaffection in the party.”

    The statement said: “While congratulating our amiable Chairman of APC, Mr. Adetimehin and other members of the newly-elected Executive Committee of our great party as they take over the mantle of leadership, may I say that no process could have been more transparent than what brought the new party leadership in.

    “I consider this an ample opportunity that must be celebrated by well-meaning members of our party, especially as we inch towards 2019 general election. No doubt, Adetimehin, an engineer, is a tested and trusted party man, who has demonstrated a great deal of loyalty and hard work. I, therefore, have confidence in him and his team to take the party to the next level.

    “I use this medium to congratulate our governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu SAN, for the leadership and determination to unite the party.

    “At a time like this in the life of our party, all that is required is support for good leadership as exhibited by Akeredolu and Adetimehin. Both men have strived to bring together members of the party by creating platforms for participation in governance and party activities.

    “May I, therefore, use this medium to call on all stakeholders in the party to unite and remain supportive of the governor and the party leadership as we march towards the national convention aimed at completing the chain of the credible processes that had been achieved at the ward, local and state levels.”

  • Tinubu seeks support for party’s candidate

    The national leader of APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has urged the contestants to support the winner saying, “It is time for us to make history. Let us not squander this fine chance. We win by standing together.”

    According to him, “The Ekiti primary has now been conducted. From all indications, it was free of disruption and any sign of offense. Here, we all must thank and commend the excellent work and diligence of Governor Al-Makura. He showed commitment to the party and its democratic principles by ensuring that the primary was conducted fairly and openly. He did all he could to ensure an honest process. He has done well for the party and Ekiti.

    “Now that the primary has been concluded, we must realize that only one person can win. I applaud all the contestants for their passion and effort during the primary. By the very exercise of your democratic rights to contest for the governorship nomination, you have strengthened the party. Now I ask, I beseech all of you to further strengthen the party by respecting the fair results of the primary whatever the result may be. Everyone cannot be satisfied by the outcome but we all must respect the fairness of the process.

    “This is the manner of democracy. Yesterday was the time to compete against each other. Today is now time to join hands to ensure a unified APC wins the governorship of your state. It is time for us to make history. Let us not squander this fine chance. We win by standing together.”

  • Osinbajo, Mustapha urge youths to support Buhari

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Boss Mustapha have called on the youths to support President Muhammadu Buhari’s efforts to reposition the country.

    Osinbajo who was represented by Administrator, Aso Villa Chapel, Rev. Peter Ambi, at a Summit organised by the Youths For Peace and Good Leadership Initiative in Abuja yesterday, said the government was not happy with the spate of killings in some parts of the country.

    He assured the gathering of youths that the government was doing a lot to bring the killings to an end, adding that younger generation of Nigerians should also contribute to efforts at finding solution to the problem.

    Osinbajo said: “We at the Presidency are not happy with the killings. This is because peace is key to any development that will take place in this nation.

    “The government is doing a lot to bring this issue of killings to an end.  And we must also support the government to put an end to the killings.  We have issues in this nation that are actually dividing us.

    “The issue of religion, the issue of ethnicity and political differences are dividing us.

    “But as young people, we must come together, discuss and suggest ways through which the government can solve some of these problems.

    “We must also tell the perpetrators that we will not agree to be used for crime”.

    The SGF, who was represented by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Political Matters, Gideon Sammani, urged the youths to believe in the capacity of the Buhari administration to better their lot.

    He urged the youths to key into the various empowerment programmes put in place by the government, adding that the administration would continue to make opportunities available to the youth population.

    According to him: “The government has directed the security agencies to fish out the perpetrators and we believe and trust in God that the perpetrators will be arrested.

    “So the traditional rulers and the religious leaders must be committed towards making our country great again”.

    The President of the Youth for Peace and Good Leadership Initiative, Dr. Simon Dolly, urged the government and policy makers to evolve more policies and initiatives with the youth population as primary focus.

    The youth leader called on the government to provide the enabling environment to the youth to thrive and develop their potentials.

    According to him, any country that neglects its youths can never make progress.