The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Benue state

  • Former Governor, two others in prison over alleged diversion of N9.69b

    Former Governor, two others in prison over alleged diversion of N9.69b

    Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered that a former Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam, an ex-Finance Commissioner Omadachi Oklobia and one other be remanded in Kuje prison, following their arraignment for allegedly diverting N9.79billion public funds.

    Justice Kolawole ordered that Suswam, Oklobia and a former Accountant, Benue State Government House Administration, Mrs. Janet Aluga, should to remain in prison pending when they are able to meet the conditions attached to the bail granted them yesterday.

    The three were arraigned on a 32-count charge, in which they were among others, accused of diverting N9,791,602,453.8 meant for the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) scheme and police reform, between 2012 and 2015.

    The offence was allegedly committed when Suswam was the governor and the other two served in their various capacities.

    When the charge was read to them, they pleaded not guilty, following which their lawyers raised the issue of bail.

    The charge was filed by the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) on March 27, 2015

    Lawyer to Suswam and Oklobia – Tawo Tawo (SAN) – informed the court that he has filed bail applications for his clients. He urged the court to adopt the November 10, 2015 ruling by Justice Ahmed Mohammed (before who Suswam and Oklobia are being tried on a separate case) granting bail to his clients.

    Lawyer to Mrs. Aluga, Innocent Daa’gba, also informed the court about a similar bail application he filed on June 8, 2017 for his client.

    Lead prosecuting lawyer, Aminu Alilu, did not object to the applications for bail, but said he preferred to leave the issue of whether or not bail should be granted to the defendants at the discretion of the court.

    Justice Kolawole granted bail to the defendants by adopting, but with little variation, the conditions in the bail earlier granted Suswam and Oklobia by Justice Mohammed.

    Justice Kolawole admitted the three to bail at N250 million each, with one surety, who must be a director or principal officer not below Grade Level 12 of any agency of the Federal Government, state or local government area in any part of the country.

    He said where the defendants cannot find a government official, they are at liberty to present “a person who owns a national honour” as sureties.

    Justice Kolawole ordered that the three defendants should be remanded in prison until the court’s Deputy Registrar (DCR) Litigation verified the documents to be tendered by the defendants and the prison authorities advised to release them.

    The defendant, earlier in the proceedings, rejected a proposal by the prosecution to transfer the case from the Abuja, to the Makurdi, Benue State division of the court. They argued that the state of insecurity, which informed the decision of the prosecution to file the case in Abuja earlier in March, still persists.

    Justice Kolawole has adjourned to October 10 for the commencement of trial.

    Suswam and Oklobia are being tried before Justice Mohammed (also at the Federal High Court, Abuja) by the (EFCC on a separate charge of alleged diversion of about N3 billion proceeds from the sale of Benue State’s shares in some companies.

  • Protesters lock down Makurdi

    Protesters lock down Makurdi

    Protesters on Wednesday locked down Makurdi the Benue state capital over the outburst of cattle breeders against signing into law the anti-open grazing bill.

    The law provides that cattle breeders must ranched their animals or risk jail.

    The protest was organised by National Council of Tiv Youths (NCTY) led by its National President Chief John Akperashi.

    The protesters in their hundreds matched through all major streets of Makurdi and stormed Government House where Governor Samuel Ortom addressed them.

    Some on their placard reads: “Open grazing is the Law”,” arrest Meyatti Allah all now “.

    There was traffic gridlock on Kashim Ibrahim road up to the Government House round about as the protesters match through and sang solidarity songs in support of Anti-open grazing law.

    National President of National Council of Tiv Youths Chief Akperashi presented a letter to Governor Ortom for onward transmission to Mr President.

    Chief Akperashi described the activities of Meyatti Allah who opposed to the anti-open grazing law as security threat to the Nation and farmers in particular.

    He said Tiv Youths are in totally support of anti-open grazing law and commended Governor Ortom for signing the law.

    Governor Ortom on his party assured the protesters that his administration has put in structures to implement the anti-open grazing law.

    The government commended the protesters for their orderly conduct.

     

  • Gowon to Judiciary: Give Nigerians true justice

    Gowon to Judiciary: Give Nigerians true justice

    Former Military Head of state, Yakubu Gowon, Tuesday urged the judiciary to administer true justice and show mercy so that Nigerians would know that the God of justice lives in Nigeria too.

    He said this at the presentation of a book on the life of former attorney general of Benue state, Mamman Mike Osuman: “A life in legal practice.” The book was written by his wife, Dr. Grace Osuman and presented in Abuja on Tuesday.

    Gowon, who was represented by his younger brother, Dr. Daudu Gowon, noted that lawyers must understand that a corrupt witness mocks at justice and that mockery must not be tolerated.

    The former head of state said Nigeria had long waited for true justice, adding that Nigerians were “struck down but not destroyed.”

    He said: “Legal practitioners administer true justice, show mercy, so that Nigerians will always know and note that the God of justice lives in Nigeria too.

    “Those who uphold godly justice make people and Nigeria feels equal under the law because such prevent evil from triumphing over good.

    “For the good side of justice is that it brings joy added to that, it is by justice, a king gives country stability.

    “A stance against injustice ensures people’s confidence. It makes us know that wrong will not be countenanced, and we will sleep, knowing that Nigeria has a level playing ground when it comes to justice for all.

    “Nigerians carry these bruises, looking for healing to be found in God. Even so, the forces that threaten us shall not prevail. The bedrock of our society if justice and our lives should reflect the desired justice that Nigeria has long waited for.

    “The struggle continues. How is it going on? We must try not to pervert justice, and we must understand that a corrupt witness mocks at justice and that mockery would not be tolerated.”

    The author of the book, Dr. Osuman, in her remarks, said her motivation came from her husband’s (Mamman) devotion to the law practice.

     

  • APC sweeps Benue LGC seats

    APC sweeps Benue LGC seats

    The Benue State Independent Electoral Commission (BSIEC) announced on Sunday that the All Progressive Congress (APC), had won all the 23 local government chairmanship seats in the elections held on Saturday.

    It also announced that the party won all the councillorship positions, with some of the candidates returned unopposed.

    BSIEC chairman John Tsuwa who declared the results in Makurdi, however, declined to release details of votes scored by the candidates.

    “The figures are not ready. I will not entertain questions because this is not a press conference,,” he told curious newsmen.

    Tsuwa said that eight political parties participated in the exercise and listed them to include Accord Party, APC, PDP, SDP, ACB, PPP, LP and NNPP.

    He thanked security agencies for ensuring a smooth conduct of the elections, and expressed happiness that no case of violence or snatching of ballot box was reported throughout the exercise.

  • Fayose urges FG to stop Fulani herdsmen killings

    Fayose urges FG to stop Fulani herdsmen killings

    The Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has called on the President Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC) federal government to pay more attention to the menace Fulani herdsmen in the country, especially in Benue State, saying “what is going on in Benue State is more like an organised pogrom and those responsible for the killings in the State must be arrested and prosecuted.”

    The governor said Acting President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo should be allowed to function as the president so as to be able to deploy instruments of the federal government to tackle the herdsmen menace, pointing out that; “As it is today, it appears that the Prof Osinbajo does not have the full powers of the president.”

    In a release issued on Saturday by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, Governor Fayose, who declared support for the new law prohibiting open grazing in Benue State, said “those opposed to the law are only doing so as part of their plot to undermine the land and people of Benue State and they must be made to face the law.”

    He sympathised with the government and people of Benue State, adding that the Federal Government must stop playing ostrich to the menace of
    the Fulani herdsmen.

    Governor Fayose said; “Like I have maintained, cattle farming is not different from fish farming, snake farming, poultry farming, snail
    farming, etc. Therefore, if fish farmers are providing their own ponds and poultry farmers building their own pens, while also buying feed for their animals, there is no reason cattle farmers should not also provide their own ranch and feed their cows without encroaching on
    other people’s farmlands.”

    “How can Nigerians embrace farming when those already in the farms are losing billions of naira worth of crops to destruction of their
    farmlands by the Fulani Herdsmen and the Federal Government is not doing anything about it?”

    He described the Buhari-led government’s continuous silence on the alleged killing of harmless Nigerians by Fulani herdsmen as unacceptable.

  • Late arrival of materials mar LG elections in Benue

    Late arrival of materials mar LG elections in Benue

    The late arrival of electoral materials is frustrating many prospective voters eager to vote in the ongoing Benue local government elections, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports.

    Our correspondents, who went round some polling units in Adikpo, Kwande and other local governments, found voters loitering around the polling units while waiting for electoral officers and materials, as at 1.50pm.

    At some units, NAN found that the electoral officers were already seated but had not commenced accreditation as the materials were still being awaited from the Benue State Independent Electoral Commission (BSIEC).

    At the Adikpo market square, Ityo Atoakaa, ACC, Hausa Quarters, St Andrew and Mbaamander polling units in Adikpo, some voters, who said that they arrived the polling point at 7am, told NAN that they were frustrated and had given up.

    “There appears to be no sign that anyone would come to conduct any election here. I will just go back home,” a young voter, Ben Iorshaher, told NAN.

    At Adanyi and Bur polling units, there was neither a voter not an electoral officer, as at 1.40pm when NAN visited.

    NAN also observed that only members of the Benue vigilante group were seen around the polling units, a sharp departure from previous election exercises when the police and other security outfits were in charge.

    Efforts by NAN to confirm the reason for the absence of the police did not yield much fruits, with the Benue Police Commissioner, Bashir Makama, merely declaring that adequate security arrangements had been put in place for the exercise.

    Some people, who spoke on the apathy that greeted the local government polls, claimed that many stayed away because  they suspected that government would announce names of their candidates as winners.

    Mr Terzungwe Awua, a resident of  Usar , and Timothy Iorwuese, a student and resident of Adikpo, told NAN that they were not interested in the polls because the exercise would not be fair.

    “We have participated in local government elections many times. Those declared winners are usually different from those voted,” they said.

    Mr Wilfred Jinge, a teacher, said that he was not keen on voting because he was afraid that his vote would not count.

    Some voters, however, expressed optimism that the electoral body would be fair to everyone, and cautioned voters against throwing away their rights to decide who governed them.

  • Sanitation: Group urges Benue, Cross River to pay counterpart funds

    Sanitation: Group urges Benue, Cross River to pay counterpart funds

    The National Task Group on Sanitation has advised the Benue and Cross River Governments to speedily pay up their counterpart funds to scale up sanitation and hygiene in their states.

    The Group’s Chairman, Mr. Emmanuel Awe, gave the advice on Friday in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, at the end of a meeting of sanitation stakeholders.

    He said that the Global Sanitation Fund, sponsors of the Rural Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion in Nigeria (RUSHPIN) programme, had threatened to withdraw funding by September if the two states failed to pay up.

    Awe reiterated that the organisation warned that if Benue and Cross River failed to meet the demand, it would stop funding the programme in the states.

    He said that it was saddening to note that the two states failed to pay the counterpart funds for the upgrade of the programme.

    Awe, who is also the Director, Water Quality Control, and Sanitation, Federal Ministry of Water Resources, noted that the lack of water and sanitation facilities could hinder the people’s economy, health, and productivity.

    He reminded Benue and Cross River state governments that the payment of the counterpart funds would spur the scaling up of the RUSHPIN programme in their states while reducing disease prevalence among the citizens.

    NAN recalls that the RUSHPIN Programme Manager, Mr. Nanpet Chuktu, said that within four years of programme implementation, 1,859 community members had been reached with hygiene messages.

    Chuktu said that more than 600,000 people now lived in open defecation-free communities in six local government areas in Benue and Cross River.

    He said that the agency used the Community Led-Total Sanitation (CLTS) model to encourage the communities to build and use toilets while adopting behavioral change as a means of promoting hygienic habits.

    NAN also recalls that when the Federal Government signed the Memorandum of Understanding with GSF in 2014, the design was for the global body to provide 5 million U.S. dollars for the project implementation.

    He said that for the programme to be implemented in Benue and Cross River, the states were expected to commit 2.2 million dollars each towards the project while incorporating addition three local government areas into its coverage.

    According to the Global Open Defecation index, Nigeria ranks fifth as regards countries practising open defecation, while 868,000 children die or experience stunted growth annually as a result of open defecation.

    Since 2014 till date, the two state governments have repeatedly pledged to pay the counterpart funds but no money has, however, been paid so far.

  • Benue begins translation of science textbooks into indigenous language

    Benue begins translation of science textbooks into indigenous language

    The Benue State Universal Basic Education Board has started translating science textbooks into Tiv dialect for easy learning and sustenance of indigenous languages.

    The Executive Chairman of the board, Mr Philip Tachin, made this known on Wednesday while declaring open, a two-week teacher professional development workshop.

    The workshop had the theme: “Strengthening Mathematics and Science Education (SMASE)’’.

    Tachin said that the board was also exploring ways to translate the textbooks into Idoma and Igede dialects.

    He said that the aim was also to encourage more students in the state to read science courses.

    Tachin said that the workshop was in line with the state government’s education programmes.

    The executive chairman urged the participants to take advantage of the workshop to develop themselves.

    He expressed gratitude to the Federal Ministry of Education, National Teachers Institute and the Universal Basic Education Commission for making the workshop possible.

    The representative of the ministry, Mr Salisu Muhammad, said that 200 teachers would participate in the workshop while 1,000 others would take part at the zonal level.

    He commended Tachin for the translation initiative.

    The representative of National Teachers Institute, Mr Abubakar Ibrahim, also hailed the translation initiative.

    He called on teachers to place premium on the knowledge impartation.

    A mathematics teacher, Mr Bartholomew Atsar, and a elementary science teacher, Mrs Victoria Agbatse, promised to apply the knowledge they would acquire.

    They expressed gratitude to the relevant authorities for the training.

  • Mrs Buhari holds medical outreach for Women, Children in Makurdi

    Mrs Buhari holds medical outreach for Women, Children in Makurdi

    Wife of the President, Mrs Aisha Buhari’s pet project,“Future Assured” has organised a five-day medical outreach for the screening and treatment of 2,000 women, youths and children in Benue.

    The medical team for the outreach taking place at Government Girls College, Makurdi, will screen the beneficiaries and treat them for various ailments including high blood pressure and diabetes.

    Mrs Maryam Hadi, who is the health coordinator of Mrs Buhari’s pet project, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Makurdi on Thursday that the exercise was aimed at providing free medical care for women, children and youths in the state.

    According to Hadi, there will also be screening of the beneficiaries for early detection of breast and cervical cancer and diagnosis for malaria in addition to conducting a de-worming for more than 1,000 school children.

    NAN reports that the initiative is a collaboration between “Future Assured” and the Benue State Government to tackle health challenges facing women, youth and children.

    The aim of the medical programme is to improve the health status of the less privileged families in the state.

    The medical outreach, which is expected to last for five days, will also provide free HIV testing and counselling to the beneficiaries.

  • Suspected herdsmen attack Benue villages, eight killed

    Eight persons were killed following an attack by suspected herdsmen, on two villages in Logo Local Government Area of Benue State on Monday.

    The Spokesman of the state Police Command, ASP Moses Yamu, confirmed the attacks in a statement in Makurdi.

    Yamu said the attacks on Akaa and Tse-Orlalu villages in Mbamar, Ugondo communities, were perpetrated by suspected herdsmen late on Sunday.

    He said that the police had yet to establish the motive for the attack and that adequate personnel had been drafted to the villages to restore normalcy.

    He said the attackers invaded the villages, killed eight people and injured many others.

    Meanwhile, an eye-witness told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday that the herdsmen came in from Taraba State through Abaji and Mbamar in Ugondo community,

    “They started first by attacking Akaa village before advancing to neighbouring Orlalu.’’

    The eye-witness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that several villagers were still missing.

    NAN recalls that suspected herdsmen had attacked some communities in the past, including Agatu community, where 10 persons were killed.

    Meanwhile, efforts by security agencies and the state government are still ongoing to curtail the restive herdsmen and protect communities.