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Govt Plans Health Insurance For Senior Citizens

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Govt Plans Health Insurance For Senior Citizens

A health insurance scheme that will enable the Federal Government to cater for the health needs of senior citizens in the country may soon come into operation.

The Director-General of the National Senior Citizens Centre , Emem Omokaro, made the announcement in Abuja on Sunday at an interview session of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

Ms Omokaro said that the management of the centre was working to enlist stakeholders, who would sponsor the scheme for the benefit of the senior folks.

“Access to health care is free in some developed countries because someone has paid for it.

“The challenge in Nigeria is not to say that this is free. It is who is paying for the service and how sustainable can the payment be?”

She disclosed that the Federal Government had set up a committee to revise the National Social Protection Policy, to take special care of senior citizens.

“The 2017 National Social Protection Policy has been undergoing revision for nearly a year.

“We have identified all categories of older persons and we have noticed that the policy did not have an implementation working document and there was no cost attached to it.

“It was just a guiding document that the present administration picked and then identified some pillar programmes and embarked on.

“Right now as I speak, the final draft of the policy has been brought to an inter-ministerial committee for review.’’

The director-general pointed out that in some societies, senior citizens were given near-free medical care, noting, however, that whatever that was given free to the senior folks must have been paid for by some sponsors.

Ms Omokaro advised that while doing a comparison of countries, one should try to determine if the care provided was by legislation or via a trust fund.

“What is the basic health package? Have they paid for you when you can approach the hospital and ask: can I have surgery, can I check my heart and do full body check?

“What is the content of the healthcare that is free? So we thank this administration for now embarking on revising the policy.’’

The director-general said that health insurance, which senior citizens and retirees were not enjoying, would soon become a thing of the past.

“After you have retired now, you will realize how much you have overworked your body and how your body will start demanding something from you. That is when you need your health.”

Ms Omokaro revealed that the ministerial committee, which she was a member of before her current appointment as director-general, did a good job of appraising the issues – relating to who pays for healthcare?

“All these questions have been answered in the report which is going to be submitted to the Federal Government soon.

“I know that with the political commitment of this administration, older persons and anybody who retires will soon get the service.’’

She described older citizens as a diverse segment of the population, who should deserve health benefits as their dividend for being citizens of the nation.

She also said plans were being made to create identity cards for the aged for easy access to social amenities in the country.

Ms Omakaro said that the identity card for the aged would enable them to get prompt and first-hand services.

According to her, older persons face a lot of challenges in society; not just attitudinal barriers but also physical barriers resulting in discrimination.

She said that the aged do not deserve such treatments due to the years and what they had given to society, adding that they deserved better pay back from society.

“One of such ways is the society should give back to the elderly by way of creating age-friendly services for the senior citizens.

“So we want to build a Nigeria where senior citizens will be dignified; we want Nigeria to see it also in the sense of financial assistance.

”When you go into the bank, you just see older persons lined up, youths are in front, the older persons are lined up behind, this should never happen.

”So the idea is that they should walk anywhere and get prompt service with their ID.”
Ms Omokaro said that there should be safe transportation for them with discounts.

“There was a time when we had this in Nigeria, so with their ID they can go to hospital or to a pharmacy and get pharmaceutical coupons. If they want to be seated on the train, they get first-class services.

“You don’t have to announce I am old, once people see your ID card, they just know,” she said

Ms Omokaro said that the centre was looking for a Nigeria where youth would want to grow old.

READ ALSO: UNIBEN Chapel Celebrates 103-year-old Madam Ogbebor, Other Senior Citizens

She said because they would see the elderly and respect them “and they see the tradition of society that pays back somebody who has invested so much in the country.”

She said that the centre at inception interacted with older persons, urging them to list their needs so they could be catered for properly.

“They came listing them and one of it was that they had suffered enough discrimination. They said please identify us and we need age-friendly services.

“That was in the communique that I now took amongst others to present to the minister and with a memo to facilitate it – this is what they want – to Hajia Sadiyah Farouk, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management.

“So she is pushing it, hopefully, we will hear the news,’’ she said.

The DG stressed the need to establish the anti-elder abuse response volunteer squad, saying it would caution and curb various abuses encountered by older persons in society.

Some of the abuses she listed as being encountered by older persons were verbal abuse, emotional abuse, financial, caregiver and family abuses.

She however noted that the centre, for now, was working with the national human rights commission and the legal aid council to provide legal assistance in issues related to the aged.

(NAN)

 

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Abiodun Seeks US Partnership In Developing Critical Sectors

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Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun

The Ogun State government has solicited for partnership with the United States of America in developing the critical sectors of the State’s economy.

The State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun who stated this when he received the American Consul General to Nigeria, Mr. Will Stevens, who led a 5-man delegation on a courtesy call in his office at Oke-Mosan Abeokuta on Wednesday, noted that the State considers the United States as a progressive partner in the areas of economy, good governance, security, climate change and human capital development around the world.

Governor Abiodun posited that the State apart from the sophistication of its people and their cognitive political culture, is unanimously and popularly adjudged as the New Jersey of Nigeria and the leading industrial hub in the West Africa Sub-region, hence the need to tap from the American experience to further its developmental stride.

The governor said his administration at inception in 2019, assembled a team made up of highly resourceful technocrats and cerebral policy architects and conceptualized a transformational philosophy coined ISEYA, which is an acronym for Infrastructural Development, Social Welfare and Well-being, Education and Human Capital Development, Youth Empowerment and lastly, Agriculture and Food Security.

He said: “Through this concept, we have strategically transformed the state with modern infrastructure, deliberate policy steps to attract businesses and moving the economy from being federal allocation-focused to becoming the state with the third largest Internally Generated Revenue in the country.

“The State’s strategic location as the primary gateway to Lagos State – the largest market with the busiest ports in Nigeria has contributed to its status as the Industrial Hub of Nigeria.

“Our State is home to one of the largest industrial zones in Sub-Saharan Africa, which includes the 8,000 hectares OPIC-owned Agbara Industrial Estate, which accommodates the Federal Ogun-Guangdong Free Trade Zone (OGFTZ), with forty-four (44) operational companies, factory tenants from across the world, with over 6,000 Nigerian employees and an estimated 100,000 metric tons of freight moving in and out daily.”

Prince Abiodun noted that in its quest to make Ogun State the first destination for investors in Nigeria, his administration is currently constructing an Agro Cargo International Airport at Iperu-Ilishan road in Ikenne Local Government Area of the State, adding that the project is strategically designed to create the needed infrastructure to boost the exportation of agricultural and non-agricultural goods.

“By its structure and business plan, the Cargo Airport remains a game-changer in our import and export promotion efforts, as it was specifically constructed to be an aerotropolis (Airport City) equipped with components such as a special agro-processing zone to process raw agricultural materials for exports, an international testing centre to certify that agro-produce complies with international standards before it is exported, and facility for passenger operations as well as facilities to receive parcels coming into Nigeria that are to be redistributed to other parts of the country.

“In addition to that, it is an important component of Ogun State’s transportation master plan expected not only to connect rail, road and water transportation but also to decongest the Lagos Airport,” the governor added.

Governor Abiodun appreciated the American government for her firm stance on democratic governance, specifically on the sanctity of the electoral process as well as supporting different reforms in the electoral process and taking an uncompromising position on electoral offenders.

In an interview after a closed-door meeting with the governor, the Consul General said their discussions centred on security and health.

He noted that health remains the number one investment in Nigeria as the US government is in the health sector to help Nigeria to reach the 95 95 95 goals of ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the country.

“It is my job to promote US trade and investment here in certain parts of Nigeria. I had a great conversation with the governor about the incredible investment the US companies are already making in the state as well as opportunities for more increased US trade and investment.

“We also talked about the tax sector, I think there are incredible opportunities right now to find jobs and opportunities for Nigerian youths to participate in the tax sector.

“We’ve seen the explosion of growth and investment in that sector throughout Nigeria, particularly in the South West,” the Consul General added.

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BREAKING:Chicago State University Unable To Grant One Request By Atiku As It Releases Tinubu’s Academic Records

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Senator Withdraws Support For Tinubu Over Choice Of Muslim Running Mate
President Bola Tinubu

The Chicago State University (CSU) was unable to meet one request by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Candidate Atiku Abubakar as it finally released to him the academic records of President Bola Tinubu.

Atiku requested the documents to back his allegation of forgery of CSU certificate against Tinubu. It would mean Tinubu was not qualified to run for the election, which he won, if the allegation is successfully proved against him.

The university, on Monday, presented to Atiku’s legal team, a cache of documents connected to Tinubu’s education at the institution and copies of certificates with redacted names issued to other persons about the same time the Nigerian president finished from the school in 1979.

It also contained Tinubu’s admission records, and a letter dated 27 June 2022 confirming that he attended the university from August 1977 and June 1979 majoring in accounting. The letter said Tinubu was awarded Bachelors of Science in Business Administration with Honours on 22 June 1979.

The District Court in Northern Illinois, had in its judgement delivered on Saturday, given the university up till 12 noon on Monday to deliver the documents to Atiku.

The judge, Nancy Maldonado, gave the other after dismissing Tinubu’s objection in the judgement.

Ms Maldonando dismissed Tinubu’s objection to the 20 September decision of a magistrate judge of the court, Jeffery Gilbert.

The judge fully affirmed Gilbert’s ruling, ordering the CSU to release Tinubu’s academic records as requested by Atiku. She insisted Atiku had the right to have access to the records.

Complying with the court order on Monday, the university produced four sets of documents copies which went viral online on Monday.

In a deposition detailing its compliance with the court order, the university confirmed it was able to grant three of Atiku’s four requests.

Responding to one of the requests it granted, the university said, “after diligent search”. it was able to locate and produce seven different certificates for Bachelor of Science degree it issued in 1979.

Atiku had apparently requested the documents to compare and contrast them with the one presented by Tinubu as his for the 2023 presidential election.

The university also handed to Atiku’s team, documents relating to Tinubu and certified by an official of CSU, Jamar C. Orr, a lawyer.

The university similarly produced, “after diligent search”, copies of three other diploma certificates issued to other students other than Tinubu in 1979.

This was in response to Atiku’s request for “true and correct copies of any diplomas issued by CSU (other than to Tinubu) that contain the same font, seal, signatures, and wording (other than the name of the recipient and the specific degree awarded)”. Atiku sought these documents to compare and contrast them with the one Tinubu claimed to have obtained on or about 22 June 1979.

But the university said it was unable to locate “a copy of the original diploma it prepared for Tinubu in 1979” as requested by Atiku.

This was the kernel of Atiku’s request which is at the heart of the issue he intends to use the documents for in his legal challenge of Tinubu’s victory at the 25 February presidential election.

The university said it “does not in the ordinary course keep copies of student diplomas, and after diligent search cannot locate a copy of the original diploma it prepared for Mr. Tinubu in 1979, hence has no documents responsive to this request.”

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Group Commends Ogun Governorship Election Petition Tribunal’s Verdict

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Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun

A Civil Society Organization, Advocacy for Peace and Good Governance, has commended the Ogun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal for its verdict on  the March 18, governorship election in the State.

It would be recalled that the tribunal, on Saturday, unanimously validated the victory of Governor Dapo Abiodun, as it dismissed all the grounds canvassed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Ladi Adebutu in their petitions.

The group stated that the verdict was a victory for democracy and affirmation of the people’s choice.

The group, in a statement signed by it’s National Coordinator, Waheed Sulaimon, on Saturday in Abuja, described the judgement as explicit without any ambiguity, saying it was a true reflection of what happened across Ogun State on March 18, 2023.

The group noted that the tribunal delivered its verdict based on the facts and evidence presented before it, as well as the credibility of the electoral process.

It lauded the judiciary for its impartiality in the ongoing election petition-related cases across the country, adding that Nigerians have always reposed their confidence in that arm of government.

The group, therefore, urged all parties involved to accept the decision of the tribunal and join hands with Governor Dapo Abiodun, to work towards the development of the state.

It also called on all stakeholders in the Ogun State project to rally round the governor to make the Gateway State among the best in Nigeria in terms of economic prosperity, political stability and social cohesion.

The group also lauded Governor Abiodun for his commitment to good governance and efforts at ensuring the security of lives and property, as well as his unwavering political will to speedily develop the state.

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