Tag: Gabriel Suswam

The Benue State House of Assembly has approved for the government to take a N11 billion bond from the capital market.

Governor Gabriel Suswam requested for the bond, citing the continued dwindling revenue in-flow from the Federation Account, which posed grave challenges to the state.

Suswam, in his March 7 letter, stated that there had been a decline of 40 per cent revenue from the Federation Account.

The Speaker, Terhile Ayua, who read the letter, said the bond if collected would enable the government to complete critical projects and programmes.

Ayua called on members to approve the request.

The Majority Leader, Paul Biam, moved the motion and was seconded by Kenneth Iyo.

The Minority Leader, Benjamin Adanyi, moved a counter motion, which was supported by the Minority Whip, Terkimbi Ikyange.

Adanyi said the motive of seeking the bond was not in the interest of the state, adding that it would enslave the people.

He said a bond of N15 billion was approved by the House for the government on March 7, 2012, and nothing had been heard about the funds.

He said the government should furnish the house with details of how it spent the 2012 bond before requesting another N11 billion bond.

Ayua put the matter to vote and 17 members voted in favour of the bond while six voted against it.

He said from the outcome of the vote, the House had resolved to grant the request.

The Supreme Court has refused a motion asking it to review its earlier decision in the dispute over the victory of Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam in the April 2011 election.

The court, in a judgment yesterday, held that the motion brought by the candidate of the now defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Prof Steve Ugba, was incompetent.

The five-man panel, led by Justice Muntaka Coomasie, further held that the appellant failed to file before the court, its last year’s judgment, which the appellant sought to reverse.

The apex court allowed the appellant’s motion seeking to change the name of one of his party, ACN to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The court, in the earlier judgment, upheld Suswam’s election and dismissed Ugba’s appeal.

Ugba had prayed the apex court to order the governorship election tribunal to hear his petition against Suswam’s election, which the tribunal had rejected on the ground that it had exceeded the 180 days provided by the constitution.

The Supreme Court held its last year’s judgment, that the constitution has prescribed that election petition at the tribunal should be heard and concluded within 180 days of filing such petition.

Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswam,  at the weekend hailed what he  called the new commitment of northern political leaders to end the insecurity situation in the North.

In a statement by  his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Dr Cletus Akwaya, the governor said the recent gale of  public condemnation  of the activities of the Boko Haram insurgents by prominent Northern leaders was a clear signal to the resolution of the problem.

He said, the change of attitude by way of public condemnation of those behind the insurgents was necessary to instill confidence in the security forces operating in the crisis areas and in the minds of potential investors, looking to opportunities in the post- crisis era.

The  governor spoke at the Sheraton Hotel Abuja at the Investment Forum for northern states of Nigeria, hosted by the Northern States Governors’ Forum and the Nigerian Embassy in Washington DC, United States of America.

The forum attracted leading American investors, governors of the northern states, Nigeria’s Ambassador to USA, Prof  Adefuye, his American counterpart in Nigeria, Ambassador Eintwhistle, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Aminu Wali, and a host of other diplomats, local and international investors.

A mysterious pot was discovered yesterday near the office of Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam. This caused panic among staff and security personnel.

The pot, which was discovered at 4am, contained palm oil, pork and kola nut.

Some of the governor’s personal aides refused to leave their office when the news of the strange pot reached them.

Nobody was ready to comment on the incident.

Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam came under gun attack from suspected Fulani herdsmen yesterday.

The herdsmen – carrying sophisticated guns – have been attacking Tiv indigenes, killing and maiming villagers.

Suswam was on his way from the state capital, Makurdi to a displaced persons’ camp in Guma Local Government, when he was attacked at Tse Akenyi.

An eye witness said the governor’s trip was smooth until the convoy got to Tse Akenyi junction that leads to Torkula village. The herdsmen, on sighting the governor’s convoy, reportedly came out from the bush and fired at the vehicles.

The governor’s security detail repelled the attackers, who were said to be carrying sophisticated weapons.

In spite of the attack, a visibly shaken Suswan continued his journey and visited Gbajimba, the administrative headquarters of Guma Local Government where he addressed the displaced persons.

Suswam told people to take their destiny in their hands. He said: “I salute each and every one of you for your courage and steadfastness throughout this period. This is beyond the herdsmen; this is real war.

“On my way to this place, they exchanged gun shots with us for over one hour before we were able to come here.

“My people are being killed, butchered and their homes destroyed. So, if the security agents, especially the military, cannot provide security for us, we will defend ourselves.

“I cannot abandon you people at this point in time to die. You voted me to provide security for you and I must do that for you.

“These Fulani are not like the real Fulani we used to know.

“Please return to your homes and defend your land, do not allow anybody to make you slaves in your home land,’’ he said.

Local Government Chairman Frank Adi condemned the continuous killings of his people and destruction of their homes by the herdsmen.

Adi, who was represented by his deputy, Mr Godwin Viashima, appealed to the government to provide them with security operatives to safe guard the citizens.

Suswam assured the people that government would do everything possible to restore normalcy to various homes. He said the government would not allow invaders to take over their ancestral homes.

At Ukpam village, virtually all the houses were razed while decomposed bodies littered the farming community. The governor ordered the evacuation o f six bodies to Makurdi, the state capital, for burial.

The governor went round other affected communities. The worst hit villages are Ukpam, Waku, Torkula, and Kaseyo.