The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has approved the enrolment of corps members into the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
The Director-General of the NYSC, Brig.-Gen. Suleiman Kazaure, disclosed the approval of the health services scheme to journalists at the opening ceremony of the 2018 edition of the NYSC Annual Management Conference which coincides with the 45th anniversary of the scheme held in Akure.
The director general also revealed that apart from the approval of enrollment into the NHIS, the orientation camp of the scheme now has a consultant from the Federal Medical Centre on ground as part of the partnership with the Federal Ministry of Health to attend to any critical emergency health issue.
Kazaure used the opportunity to commend the corps members who participated in the Osun State gubernatorial poll, describing them as good ambassadors of NYSC.
The director general noted that the scheme, just as the civil service, would receive adequate attention as soon as the new national minimum wage is approved.
Kazaure said the scheme had cleared the backlog of unpaid staff allowances and also created a robust forum to interface with members of staff and labour unions for industrial harmony.
He said the theme of the conference is very apt in view of the laudable achievements recorded by the scheme in its 45 years of existence and the need to evolve strategies that will enhance operations and open new opportunities.
Also speaking at the conference, the Ondo State Governor, Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN), said that NYSC has contributed tremendously to the development of the nation's democracy.
Akeredolu, represented by his deputy, Hon. Agboola Ajayi, noted that the sustenance of the scheme will continue to impact on the society and pointed out that NYSC has contributed over 80 per cent to the nation's development and has deepened democracy.
"NYSC has not only harmonised the diverse ethnic groups of Nigeria, but also reduced prejudices and misconceptions thereby promoting mutual trust, understanding and tolerance," he said, adding that the scheme has been an outstanding initiative in the task of nation building with a significant impact on national development.
"As a way of appreciating the contribution of corps members to the development of the state, my administration has also introduced a package of N100,000, N80,000 and N50,000 for the state honour award winners," the governor added.
Akeredolu highlighted some of his administration's achievements since inception, assuring the audience that his government will not relent in its efforts to support the NYSC in order to assist the scheme to achieve its aims and objectives in the development of the state and the entire nation.
In her goodwill message the NYSC National Governing Board Chairperson, Ambassador Fatima Balla Abubakar, stated that the board was attending the AMC in compliance with President Muhammadu Buhari's charge to enhance service delivery by the scheme through improved operational strategies.
Abubakar said the theme of this year's edition is a reminder of the present administration's quest to reposition the economy by opening new opportunities for the youths in the country, adding that the government will continue to make positive contributions that would set the scheme for greater impacts.
Earlier in an introductory address by the NYSC Director, Planning, Research and Statistics, Mrs Victoria Okakwu, said the choice of Akure as the venue for the conference was informed by the unrelenting support, uncommon hospitality, love and care the scheme enjoys from the government, stakeholders and good people of Ondo State.
She said that the annual management conference is an event where top managers of the scheme, state coordinators, deputy directors and other critical stakeholders across government and non-governmental organisations meet to review the operations of the scheme with a view to formulating policies that would drive it for greater performance.
She added that the focus of the conference is to brainstorm and come up with practicable solutions and strategies that will reposition and promote the ideals of the scheme in both present and future operating environment.
Business activities in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) remained sluggish yesterday after the five-day holidays occasioned by Nigerian Labour Congress' (NLC)'s warning strike and the 58th Independence festivities.
On September 25, Nigeria's three labour centres had declared an indefinite warning strike to press the Muhammadu Buhari administration to adopt a new minimum wage for workers.
The strike, which started on Wednesday last week kept most Federal Government workers indoors thus grinding business activities in the FCT to a halt.
But in addition to the strike, the Federal Government had declared October 1, 2018 public holiday in observance of Nigeria's Independence Day.
Although, the strike was called off on Sunday while the Independence Day celebration ended on Monday, business activities remained dull and dreary hours after the two events ended.
At the Federal Secretariat, fewer numbers of staff were seen in the offices while most of the desks were unoccupied.
One of the directors confirmed that some of the workers traveled home and were not yet back. He also explained that some of the workers in his department complained sick and were granted sick leave.
One of the workers corroborated the position of the director, saying that some of his colleagues traveled to their villages because of the strike declared by NLC and the public holiday announced by the Federal Government.
"I came because I did not travel since I did not have any money to travel. The strike came at the wrong time. NLC should have waited until they paid us before embarking on the strike," he lamented.
The hardest hit in the lull were the taxi drivers who traversed the nooks and crannies of the city empty due to the scanty number of people in the city.
A taxi driver regretted coming out for business yesterday because, according to him, he bought N3000 fuel (yesterday morning) and till this afternoon (yesterday), he had not recovered the money.
"If I do not recover the money today, I will not come out tomorrow (today)," he lamented, regretting why he even came out for business in the first place.
The middle aged man who was rescued by Fishermen after he jumped off 3rd mainland bridge in an apparent suicide attempt has died.
The man identified as Nurudeen, died in the hospital where he was rushed to for medical treatment.
Recall that yesterday morning, LIB reported the story of Nurudeen who called his wife before he jumped off the bridge into the lagoon.
His remains has been deposited in the state morgue. May his soul rest in peace, Amen.
Popular Nigerian lawmaker, Patrick Obahiagbon, pictured above kneeling as he begged Edo state APC members to vote for him so he can be the party's flagbearer in the Edo South Senatorial district election.
Journalist, Ena Ofugara,who shared the photo online, wrote;
''Barrister "Igodomigodo" Obahiagbon, the grandiloquent and highfalutin former legislator finds to his chagrin, discomfiture, mortification, peevishness and spleen that he must put aside his manhood, masculinity, machismo, virility and BROCUS and like a bingo that ate his masters food, he finds he must kowtow, grovel, beseech, wheedle, brown-nose, crawl, creep, cower, snivel and prostrate to be allowed back in the house.
today all he can say is "la wo wo. Please. I beg. Sorry for me"
The Sultan of Sokoto, Sa'ad Abubakar III and President, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Samson Ayokunle, on Tuesday in Abuja signed a peace pact to ensure peaceful atmosphere before, during and after 2019 general elections.
The Sultan was represented by the Emir of Keffi, Dr. Shehu Chindo-Yamusa, while the President of CAN was represented by the Prelate of Methodist Church, Rev. Samuel Uche. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that peace accord was signed at a Peace Declaration Summit organised by the Nigerian Interfaith Action Association (NIFAA) in collaboration with local and international partners.
The duo urged Muslims and Christians to continue to work together, shun violence, embrace dialogue and be committed toward building communities that were resilient and free from fear. "We join together to affirm that Nigeria is and shall remain a country committed to peace and harmony among all of its members, Christian or Muslims, from the north or from South. "And that democracy must bring us closer together as a people and not separate us.
"We join together in patriotic love for our country and our fellow Nigerians to declare for peace as key stakeholders representing various religious and ethnic groups in Nigeria." The duo further expressed commitment to embracing a vision of common humanity and speaking publicly of hope for Nigeria's peaceful and bright future.
The Sultan and CAN President also pledged to demand that free and fair democratic elections should be conducted in peace and for the benefit of all Nigerians regardless of ethnicity, religion or geographical zone. Similarly, the two leaders of dominant religious agreed to promote peace and understanding in all communities as the country enters its elections period as well as denounced hate speech and violence.
On Tuesday, the Oyo State Government shut down the business premises of Obasanjo Farms, located at Oluyole Industrial Estate, Ibadan and MRS Oil in Ibadan, the state capital city as part of its continued exercise to get companies and corporate organisations to pay their environmental levies.
According to reports, Obasanjo farm is one of the sixteen business organisations that were sealed for defaulting in the payment of the environmental development levy due to the state government.
The exercise, which began on Monday, was carried out by the combined task force teams of the Oyo State Inter-ministerial Enforcement Unit and coordinated by the Oyo State Board of Internal Revenue which saw branches of some banks also sealed.
Locations visited by the task force team included: Dugbe, Eleyele, Podo, Challenge and Onireke areas of the state capital. Some of the other firms affected in the seal up by the task force team on Tuesday included Black Horse, Heinemann Educational Books, Lister Flour Mills, and University Press Limited.
Others were Evans Brother, Brooking House, Group Medical hospital at Mokola, Butterfield bakery, Chicken Republic and Rasmed publicity.
Chairman, Oyo state Board of Internal Revenue (OYBIR), Bicci Alli, while speaking said the exercise became inevitable due to the failure of the affected firms to comply with the state tax laws after series of formal communication failed. Alli stressed that the enforcement will be continuous, warning that all corporate organizations in the state must do the needful and be corporately responsible in line with the laws of the land.
He said "the exercise was not something new and not outside the law. It is within the law. We went to restrain some corporate organizations that failed to pay what is due to Oyo state government after giving due notices, demand notices and even public notices to that effect and they failed to pay.