By Uthman-Baba Naseer,Minna

Concerned Officers and Men of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NcoS), and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corp (NSCDC),have raised serious concerns about the delay in the payment of their three years accumulated promotion arrears.

Similarly,the Concern Officers decried that the highest echelons of the Services were paid their accumulated three years Promotional arrears without putting the junior officers into consideration.

It was reliably gathered that since the announcement of their promotion after the Successful performance of the Promotional examination conducted by the Civil Defence Correctional Fire and Immigration Board,(CDCFIB) their hope of receiving their Promotional allowances has been eroded without any reasons.

The Officers also are worried that they used their earnings to buy their official kits without any refunds by the headquarters.

Investigations conducted by our reporter in Minna, revealed that the officers pay the sum of two hundred thousand Naira to sponsor themselves for courses across the Correctional training Schools in Enugu, Kaduna, Kebbi and Illa Oragun in Osun state.

According to our findings, some of the officers of the Correctional Service after the payment of the two hundred thousand Naira the officers would not be refunded even as they Promised to refund them after the completion of their training courses.

Among the other agencies under the Federal Ministry of Interiors, it was gathered that Nigerian Correctional Service (NcoS) and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corp (NSCDC) were yet to receive the three years Promotional arrears.

It was gathered that only Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) have been paid leaving the other agencies behind.

” We don’t just know what is delaying our three year promotional arrears. Other sister agencies like the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and Federal Fire Service (FFS) have received their own three year Promotional arrears why our own is been delay we don’t know” a source who pleaded anonymity told our reporter in Minna

However,the Public Relation Officer (PRO) Niger State Command of the Nigerian Correctional Service Mallam Rabiu Shaibu ACCS,who neither confirmed nor denied the report, stated that the issue is beyond him but directed our reporter to the headquarters of the service for further enquiry.

Also the Public Relation Officer (PRO) of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Niger State Command Rabiu Mohammed Muti DSC said the issue is general issues.

” The issue of the three year Promotional allowances is being paid batch by batch. I cannot speak for other sister agencies under the Federal Ministry of Interiors” In our case, I don’t think we are being indebted for three years.

” I’m aware that some part of the Promotional allowances have been paid I cannot say is up to three years. I’m aware some payment were made but not three years.” he told our correspondent.

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By Abdul-Ganiyy Akanbi,

In a bid to revitalise Nigeria’s livestock sector, the federal government has disclosed a number of initiatives such as the establishment of climate-resilient grazing reserves, expansion of veterinary health infrastructure, and the strengthening of community-based animal health services.

Minister of Livestock Development, Alhaji Idi Mukhtar Maiha, disclosed this in Abuja at the convocation and 7th investiture ceremony of new Fellows of the Postgraduate College of Veterinary Surgeons of Nigeria.

Maiha, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr. Chinyere Ijeoma Akujobi, expressed optimism that the induction of new fellows would provide the additional expertise needed to drive President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda in the livestock sector.

In a keynote address delivered at the ceremony, Professor Abdulkadir Junaid of the Usman Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, advocated for universal animal immunisation across the country and called for the adoption of a digital reporting system to improve disease monitoring and response.

Also speaking, the President of the Veterinary Council of Nigeria and Acting Vice Chancellor of Yakubu Gowon University, Abuja, Professor Mathew Adamu, emphasised that the newly inducted fellows must play pivotal roles in advancing the nation’s livestock transformation agenda.

The Acting Registrar of the Veterinary Council of Nigeria, Dr. Oladotun Fadipe, noted that the addition of 205 new fellows would significantly enhance animal health and by extension, improve public health in Nigeria.

Earlier, the Acting Provost of the Postgraduate College of Veterinary Surgeons of Nigeria, Professor Adamu Zoaka, outlined the rigorous criteria for selecting fellows.

Zoaka stressed that the intensive training they had undergone had instilled the discipline and resilience needed to meet the challenges of veterinary practice.

The interim Secretary of the Postgraduate College of Veterinary Surgeons, Dr. Helen Ego Oputa-Chime called on the fellows to be proactive and improve the standards of the profession.

Oputa-Chime emphasized the need for resilience and perseverance in the profession as disease burden in the continent had continue to increase

In his remarks, the President of the Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association, Dr. Moses Arokoyo, said as zoonotic diseases continued to arise, there was the need for more specialists in the profession to handle the burden of the diseases.

By Uthman-Baba Naseer,Minna

The United Nations Children’s Fund has on Friday,confirmed that Niger state has so far recorded 150 positive cholera cases.

This is as UNICEF disclosed that in total, 16 deaths have been recorded since the cholera outbreak.

Making this disclosure when she led a team to pay an advocacy visit on the Emir of Minna, Alhaji Farouq Bahago, the Chief of Kaduna Field Office, UNICEF, Dr. Gerida Birukila said that, 451 persons were isolated and those confirmed positive treated and discharged are 150.

The Chief who was represented by Health Specialist Dr. Ahmed Tsofo also solicited for the Emir’s support to curtail various diseases ravaging the state.

According to the Chief, “we have recorded more than 451 cases of cholera infections out of it, over 150 were confirmed positive through rapid diagnostic testing.

“So far, we have now recorded 16 deaths and we brought it to the Emir’s information. We have also updated him on the support we are providing and the collaboration between UNICEF and government to contain the outbreak and to prevent further spread”.

Among other issues highlighted during the visit included polio and measles diseases as well as the low rate of exclusive breastfeeding in the state.

“We came to advocate for his support in person and the support of the traditional institution over the ongoing health and Public health interventions that we have been supporting in Niger.

“As you must have heard from the discussions we had with the Emir we advocated for his support in the next coming in-between rounds activity for polio eradication campaign; we advocated also for the ongoing cholera outbreak in the state.

“We advocated for his support also toward the introduction of the measles and rubella vaccines which is coming up in October this year”.

The UNICEF Health specialist noted that these diseases could be eradicated with the collaboration of government and the traditional institutions.

In his response, Emir of Minna, Alhaji Farouq Bahago assured the UNICEF of the Emirate’s support and prayed that Allah would enable them achieve the aim of eradicating the diseases in tue state.

Accordingly, he said “we will continue to talk and work in the interest of our people. We will support your efforts and complement your activities in all the four areas of intervention”.